The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-11
In Today's Mail

Hades and Elisian Fields; at Man. tic "the Sun" is permitted "to rise on the evil and on the good" The spacious buildings are scattered at wide ntervals--among meadows and trees. The Prison Building" alone, possesses barred windows, and the IS or more state prisoners are not strictly confined. They may DC seen on occasions outdoors with the other 200 or more.
 The aim at Mantle is to firmly and gently solve that vexatious, hu- man, unknown quantity"-to repair that damaged article, by getting in- timately acquainted with 1t from the beeinning;--so that the scar let Letter" may not become brand- cd fixation.
 If our unknown quantity Is sus- pccted of sex disease, she Is quar- antined. and receive six tests on six mornings for Gonorrhea; or one text and six weeks observation, and then another test and observation for Syphilis, under conditions not possible in Jails, where the sufferer goes chiefly to be punished and departs with the likely opportunity of injecting others, with the dis- ease, from which she has not been cured.
 Every Mantle prisoner has Q pro- gram-it starts with a healthy body; and often the first prescription is outdoor work In fields or garden.
 The officers are gracious ladies, discipline, order, beauty enter the routine of work and sports; the re- education; schooling, the domestic arts, sewing, embroidery, cooking, house -work, gardening. and agri- culture; the women arc prepared to be home-makers and good citizens.
 Tn this curriculum, you may ask, where does the punishment lie? For girls who are lazy, and of very low morality-the punishment of mere- ly living disciplined life, is more severe than the jail punishment Of ioafing, and laundry. And for the higher class--the necessity of meas uring Up to higher standards than they have known before, and the vision of more elevated royalties, bring sufficient growing pains. Up- on questioning, some girls appear to have more dread of Mantle than jail.
 Quite a number of these prisoners are unmarried mothers. but there in Mantle, the unmarried mother may learn to reverence the baby to whom she has given birth, and to caress 1t without shame. If she real ly loves it, and Is proved capable. eventually she may be given the support of her child--otherwise the baby is wisely provided for. in some other way. This right start given to c new generation should also be considered, in contrast with the sit- uation of the jailed mother. Mantle State Farm possesses Maternity hospital--wonen may be taught there now to rear children.
 A rider is attached to the bill-- Not to commit women to our Jails" making 1t possible to send Catholic women prisoners to the House of the Good Shepherd is watched over and administered by e gracious religious order. The grounds are less spacious than Mantle, but sufiicient for out- door exercise. The equipment for domestic science and for learning trades is splendid. They ever train one for the Jobs of c Beauty Par- Tor. and secretarial work and ac. counting, and there Is more em- phasis upon Religion. Ali those who prefer to see women prisoners sen- tenccd to become good citizens, rather than to Dc future menaces or liabilities. please attend that Judi ciary Hearing. February 18th at 1880 ?. pl. Old Senate Chamber, Stato Capitol, Hartford.
 <. oENEvIEvE CoWLEs.
 of Pernassus on Wheels, Inc.