Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-11
! THE FEDERAL PRISON FOR WOMEN
LA
BY FREDERIC J. HAsI<IN

WASHINGTON. -. c., March 10
IN the study OF prison reform. wonc,
PRISONERS have always presented !,
sPccfal problem. Their number liz M,
as great as that of mon. vol tbnI,
crimes arc no less varied and danger,
Gus. and they arc muci, more diflicuI,
=, :, REFORM. man often sinks TO tho
ioWes' ucpths and climbs back to !,
safe and honorable position In socinty
\ woman rarely does.
AZ the District OF Columbia nrisor
iarn ~ Occoquun. Va. however .o,n,
OF tho most satisfactory prisoners aro
women While n few come pnc,; ,y,iu
ana -cain on the same charges. tho ma
Jori'y secure positions when thar
~, - OUT ana become law abiding
ci'izehs. The fact that most of .bn
women received 1T the prison furm .,ro
coioiea may have something To ala
WIN this. since a prison term IL,
hrhhkcnhcss or ,raSrancy may excn.
Juan! DC lived down i'm The colorna
race nut even n number of tho mos,
desperate characters among the whitc
women nave Travelled straight after
thcH left Occoquan.
superintendent Whittakcr nr ~,
prison Farm, rarely comes to Washing
~ w,'"ou, meeting some ono who hi: !;
served sentence at the prison farm
and frequently IL Is woman Nnt
'ohS ago. he was riding on Il stree,
car when Il wcll.drcsscd white WON. =
*it'ing beside him said, How arc Won
Mr.. whitaker? You may not rcmcm.
her inc, but ! spent last summer down
~ the farm The supcriutendcni
looked al her in amazcmcnt She had
o''n sent 70 Occoqunn from another
"N,i."u"i with reputation for as
sauitihS people who tried to make her
do anything In the way OF work, Nov
sue was picture OF docilc rcspect-
atiiiiS. With tho knowledge or SOW
i4lS she obtained at tho prison firm
nc told Mr.. Whitaker. she had Sc
cured position IN "a drcssinal<inr ca
tabiislincnt IN the national capital
Shc likcd her work and the money she
made. ana was grateful 10 tho people
VINO had set her on the RICH, track
When prisoner comes TO occouuan,
no one inquiries into her past record
" she has been there before, tho Of
hccr IN charge usually grcets her
chccrfuilr. tells her she is glad to see
her again. and sometimes gives her
back her old job. Sometimes the
chcerfulncss il not at all assumed
Many women. especially coored girls
handle their work 80 capably while in
prison that tho officers hate 10 see them
depart II ~ not unusual TO hear ono
o! tho officers remark Katie IS back
.Saln. and am 80 rlad---shc took such
good care of the chickens"
quits IL Up" 10 Them.
If 4 girl is sent In with = bad record
from some other institution. Mr.. Whit
,akcr or ono oc his women officers
usually takes her aside and talks to
hor. lie shows her tho letter written
hy the authorities OF tho other prison.
and tells her that he docs not believe
what they SAY. Now. its up to you
10 make these people out liars" he
concludes finally. and the girl goes
back IL her work with her head
trilc higher and furious desire 10 ho
Just tina, very thing. There is usually
very li,tlo trouble with her.
Such a ease Was a colorcd girl named
Mary, who came to tho farm with
remarkable record Of incorrl@ibilit-.
Mary was not drunkard or Migrant
ar a petty thief. but she had bad
Ia bit Of grabbing up carving knife
aud attempting tn thrust II into any
one who especially got OIL her nerves.
Knowing this tine woman officer in
charg" nut MarS In tho kitchen. where
she could find All tho knives she want
cd. She also made her chief Of all tho
dish washers. with the responsibility
Of seeing that ever! dish was washed
and wiped as clean AS possible and pu,
currir ihlc, soon became tho most con-
scicn,iouS prisoner in the. female quar-
tcrS. aud fairly went ont Of her way
to uphold tho Law.
.ls soon AS tho prisoner arrives. sho
is given Il bath and clean clothes. while
her old garments arc immediately
washed or fumicatcd There is on.
room devoted To tho clothes Of the pris-
oncrS, containing separate lockers,
where tho underwear il kept in large
paper bags bearing tho name and the
length OF sentence of the prisoner. and
hooks along tho walls where tho fumi-
gated clothing Is hung ready for use
upon the departure OF tho inmate. IN
unc corner. too. there is large wooden
chest fllcd With the discarded garments
Of tho women officers in charge. from
which - girl X given An outnt IL her
own clothes arc Inadequate.
Classified by Work Ability.
.Af;cr girl is dressed in tho prison
which IL loose dress of
S,nEham material. She Is questioned as
to her capabilities. What docs she do
best" Docs Shc cook. wash dishes, iron