The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-06-04
U. S. TO BUILD PRISON
FOR CRIMINAL WOMEN
Provide for Work in Fields
Nearly All Year.

committee composed of attorney gen
eral. secretary of the interior and
secretary Of labor, and makes an APP
preparation for It 1t is to be known
as the Federal Industrial Institute for
Women-the designation "prison" be-
ing in growing disfavor.
About twenty sites were eoffered,
but Anderson, w. Va, was the final
selection and a report to this effect
was made to congress.
Anderson appears to have many ad-
vantages over other sites submitted,
not the least perhaps being that the
citizens Of this and other villages IN
Monroe, Greenbrier and adjoining
counties subscribed $4,000 to pay for
approximately 200 acres of land to be
offered free to the government. A
quotation Of $4,000 has been made
for an additional 300 acres. At that
the government would be getting 500
acres Of suitable land at much low
or figure than any Of the other local.
tiles offer.
Anderson is on the main line of the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, which
facilitates the transportation OF IN
mates; 1t is on the Greenbrier river,
which insures an adequate supply OF
pure water for all purposes and also
on the Atlantic and Pacific highway,
which connects with the Midland TRAIL
the main highway from Washington
to the Middle West and the South.
Women to Do Farm Work.
The altitude is 1900 feet and the
climate and soil conditions are such
that it would be possible for the wom-
en- to work the ground during most of
the year. This is distinct advantage,
since it has been proved that outdoor
work and exercise are two of the
greatest factors In rehabilitating the
woman prisoner.
The 1,6vO or so inhabitants Of Alder
son seem to be Of q high moral and
religious character. Persons who
went to investigate said that there
appeared to be no extensive use OF
alcohol. The town is far enough
away from any large city to minimize
dope smuggling into the institution
and to eliminate to great extent the
possibility of escape.
Another point in It's favor is that
it is fairly near the estimated center
of federal female criminal population,
which Is said to be within a radius OF
| a hundred miles of Ironton, Ohio.
The fact that the center of federal
female criminal population is IN the
East Is somewhat misleading It may
be explained partly by the fact that
the District of Columbia Is largely
responsible for this The district has
only federal courts and accordingly
any offense against the law must be
! tried In these courts and the sem
fenced law-breaker automatically be-
comes a federal prisoner. 1t is esti-
mated that about 20 per cent of the
federal female criminal population Of
the nation is in the District Of Col
umbia. This, however, does not Of
necessity mean that Washington Is q
more dangerous or wicked place to
live than any other.
Not only Anderson but West Virginia
as a whole has been tremendously In
terested in having this industrial in
stitution for women located within its
bounds. The governor appointed
commission to help get the location
and raise funds to purchase the site.
Women Now Sent to JaIs.
At the present time women who are
offenders against the federal laws
must be sent to state or county insti-
tutions-boarded out, as 1t were. And
1t is said that these jails or prisons
are so crowded that often new In
mate cannot be received until .one is
| dismissed. This often results in a
prisoner getting a suspended sentence
for the excellent reason that there is
no place for the judge to send her.
Persons making a study of prison
conditions say that one or two years
/ in a county jail has bad effect upon
a woman A federal institution for
woman delinQuents is very real and
immediate necessity.
Out Of. the 20 proffered sites Al
derson had only two real competitors
4 Delphi, Ind, and Marlleton, Pa.
While Delphi appeared anxious to
have the proposed penal Institution
it did not offer any free ground In
fact, the price of the proposed site
was set at from $125 to $175 an acre.
Also, while it was nearer the geo
graphical center of the United States
than either Anderson or Markleton, it
was considerably west of the center
of federal female criminal population.
Sites were offered in Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Colorado, Texas, Arizona and III
fact in almost all sections of the
country. These were discarded for
various reasons. Some were too
small; one was composed entirely Of
woodland, and women are physically
unable to clear timber. Others were
| too difficult Of access, and one in the
Southwest was so situated that 1t
would have been necessary for the
institution to purchase its water sup
ply.