The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-07

dennis the conditions under which the
women are at present incarcerated, but
its only suggestion in regard to the new
prison wing, almost completed, is that
it should be used for storage. 1t rather
inclines to the demand of the social
workers for a separate woman's prison,
notwithstanding the fact that they
found only "a women in custody of the
state at Windsor at the time of their
visit
Since that time, the number has been
reduced, so that the clamor of the up
filters now centers in anxiety for the
social and physical welfare of % crimi-
mails, mostly incurables, who are either
too good to be kept where they are or
too bad to be kept in the new wing of
the prison, although separated by a
dead brick wall from the mems wing
The transfer to Rutland is merely
TEN porary, of course, as the evident
plan of the uplifters is to leave no
stone unturned to secure a model
prison, to be erected at some distance
women, mostly degenerates, prostitutes
and degraded criminals, may be kept in
such style and luxury as the good wo-
men of the state may permit.
The excuse for this somewhat hyster-
ical plan is that the women of Vermont
now existing at Windsor be remedied
They may be right about that, but
aren't they going a long way when they
prescribe, not only decent, sanitary and
| moral conditions, but surroundings OF
comfort, convenience and luxury such as
very few good women IN Vermont en-
JOY? :,
1t is impossible to say what it would
| cost to build such prison, but il vii
cost from 5000 to $1,000 to repair and
equip the house of correction for the
reception of these women and certainly
| from $4,000 to $4,000 to run 1t Tor a
% tt1T1
women will cost from $4,000 to S5D,OOt
to build and certainly from $4,000 to
| S25, 900 to operate.
A fair estimate for maintaining 2
women prisoners would probably DC
slightly under 81 600 for each woman
| but in round numbers that would dc
for purposes of comparison. The state
must therefore be prepared 10 appro'
pirate about 81 600 a head for the sup
port and care of such women as break
| the laws of morality and decency SO that
they must be segregated as prisoners.
| How many honest. decent and law
abiding women of Vermont have 81 ,Oet
| year spent on them? How many far
mers wives, working mems wives, wage
earners wives of any honest employment
ever see any part of $1,000 year spent
| in their behalf?
! The proponents of the plan will doubt
/ less urge that under proper conditions
the women's prison would be more OF
less self supporting, and so perhaps II
might be.
Something has been done for the mer
/ in that respect, but there Is no partle
Iular reason why, if the new wing al
| Windsor were completed. the womeT
could not be employed there.
/ The thing gets down to this: Is, the
state of Vermont prepared to embars
on plan which will not only restore
the overhead cost of another state prs
/ on and a heavy expense for new build
! ing but will tend TO maintain a lot Of
1 worthless women criminals in idlenes'
and luxury at cost far greater thar
the average cost of supporting good wo
/ men in other walks of life!
! Is this good business? Is 1t decent
| Is it Just or right? =,
The Herald believes the women OF
/ Vermont will have something to say
about this part of it when they under
! stand the facts.