The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-27
CONDITIONS At
WINDSOR POOR
WOmen's Quarters. in Pris-
on Not Adequate, Special
Report Says
ACTION
TO BE SOUGHT
Mrs. Lillian OIzcndam Makes Special
Report to Governor Hardness PrOpOs-
ing Removal of Women Prisoners to
Separate Institution.

ing Removal of women PRISONERS 10
| Separate Institution.
MONTPELIER, Jan. 27.-COnditiOns
found in connection with the women pris-
oners confined in the state prison and
house of correction at Windsor is the
subject of a special report prepared by
Mrs. Lillian II. Olzendam for Governor
Hardness. and presented to him at Mont
pelier. Mrs. Olzendam accompanied the
legislative committees on penal lnstltu-
tianS on their visits to Windsor, and what
She found there is set forth in her report.
Incorporated into the report to the gov
crnor is program of constructive legis-
Iation. which, pending the consideration
Of the same by the governor, has not been
made public. The subject matter Of the
proposal remedial legislation, however, it
is auUhoritatively stated, will come before
the legislature at this session, and strcnu-
DIS efforts will be made to have the RENE
dies suggested applied at once to the con-
ditionS aS they now are. Mrs. OlZenGam,
i'm her report calls attention to the follow
ing facts in connection with the women
prisoners:
The building where they are confined is
very old and worn; it was condemned hve
wears ago by the state board Of health,
but is still being used by the state. The
construction of the building, with made
uuate inside appliances. makes it one OF
the worst possible fre-traps. The bed
rooms for the women are on the fourth
floor of the building, and there are no ia
ciliticS for safety in case of fire.
At the present time there are n women
prisoners. confined in six small rooms,
four narrow beds in room, the beds being
about an arms length apart. The bare.
soft wood floors are worn to mass OF
i mr.
ingS for these. The furniture is de
scribed as Junk" and long past its use
fulneSS For the 24 women there Is just
one toilet, and one old-fashioned iron sink,
with one bath tub which Is situated III
The basement in little room off the laun-
dry At the foot of the last flight of stairs
leading to the wOmen'S quarters is the
lounging room for the men officers of the
prison. and, up a short flight of steps. are
the bedrooms of the guards. The women
prisoners take care of these rooms, also
wait on the men at meals.
There is no privacy for the women, day
OF night. There is no provision for recre-
alton for them. They spend their leisure
time in the laundry, a dark, damp. steamy
room i'm the basement. perpeually lighted
by electricity. They have almost no out
of doors exercises There is no place for
It. except i'm the street, and the women OBJ
iect TO going into the street. They are
provided with no vocational training of
any sort.
There are no hospital facilities for the
women prisoners. When new prisoners
ar brought in. as many Of them are. with
cCHta giOu> and communicable diseases,
they are lodged and kept with the other
women of whatever physical condition.
At this time there is a life prisoner there,
demented, q cripple and who spends
greater part of her time in bed.
First offenders, who are often sent there
for terms that far exceed in severity the
offenSe committed, according to the prison
officials are kept with the more hardened
criminals with disastrous moral after-re-
suits. After the lights are out at 9 o'clock
the guards are often called to quell
riots" when hair-pulling and obscene
| language are the diversions INDUCED in
by the prisoners. and the young first
offender has every opportunity to absorb
much that cannot but be of the gravest
detrimcnt to her.
\ young woman now confined in the
prison is about to become a mother. Her
time expires in March, and. her mother
| home, she will be turned out with no
! place to go in her unfortunate condition.
There Is but one matrOn and an aSsiS
| tant for the institution. This matron's
| hours Of duty are - each day. She must
arise at 4.4J. prepare the breakfast for
the women, and then be on duty until >
| p. III. Off duty until 4, she returns to
| stay on duty until the lights are out at
> p. IN.
The opportunities of communication
with the men prisoners and guards by the
women are numerous. Two of the
women's rooms face the recreation yard
fer the men. The results of this condition
have been observed by social workers in
the state, who say that the present condi-
| ton cannot be helped while the women
remain in the prison as things are now.
1t should be stated that these conditions
are in no way the fault of the superin-
| tendent of the prison. They are partly
! tie result of combining the house of cor
OF inadequate provision for women prison
erS under such a combination, and mostly
the result of the obsolete and almost uni
verSally abolished system of keeping men