The Wilmington morning star., 1944-09-17
JAIL NOT BARRIER
TO WOMEN AIDING
U. S. WAR EFFORT
By CHARLOTTE FYTZ HENRY

ny CfANLOkIE ERIL HENRY
CHICAGO, Sept. 16.-lREThe ma
TONS $4,000 inmates Of women S
prisons and corrective, institutions
are lending a hand to the war
effort too-folding bandages, Civ
ing their blood, buying bonds and
learning to operate the tools of
war.
This is the story told in survey
conducted tn u G h the central
Howard Association, post prison
rehabilitation agency, among state
institutions for women and girls.
It was compiled from question
naires answered by heads of 10
women's Institutions, nine girls
training schools and six institutions
housing both men and women.
The women's war activity is not
confined to tasks that may be per-
formed within the limits of prison
Some, like the Illinois girl whose
husband was killed at Guadalcanal,
have won admission to the WAC.
Waves or U. S. Cadet NURSING
Corps upon release from prison,
the Central Howard Survey report
ed. Others have titled victory gar
dens, served as Nurses aids, and
held civilian defense jobs.
Besides recording the war pro-
gram, the survey found an increase
In numerous crimes, rise in the
population Of girls institutions,
and a manpower problem among
prison administrative personnel.
With their small savings and in
comes, women in prison have
bought $31, 200 worth of war bonds.
In addition, they've helped sell
thousands of dollars worth OF bonds
to others and have raised funds
for Red Cross and USO.
Fifty girls from the state indus
trial school at Tecumseh, Okla,
produced an operesta and made the
admission fee one or more war
stamps. Later, they took the show
to Will Rogers Field and Shawnee
Navy Base to entertain servicemen.
At Columbia, S. c., the girls
industrial school there is a civilian
defense drill corps at California
institution for women at Tehacha-
| pi, sponsored by the Tehachapi
| women's ambulance drill corps.
At the Ohio reformatory for
women at Marysville, inmates are
taking weekly physical examina-
tons to determine the effect of
blood letting on the general nealth
Of the donor, in connection with
the; Red Gross plasma program.
Keying its regular vocational
| training program to the war, the
Tecumseh school is sending girls
to riveting school. The Illinois State
reformatofy for women trains pow
er machine operators, nurses aids,
seamstresses, cocks and laundres-
ses. e
Inmate of the Indiana woman
prison have stitched bundles for
Britain and knitted for servicelnen
overseas. Women at the New Jersey
reformatory have made shirts for
the Navy and other clothing on
lend lease contract. -
The survey found that commit
ments of women are declining
steadily, but that population OF
girls institutions is on the increase.
Among institutions questioned,
the greatest population drop among
prisons during 1943 was SO per cent
in Texas. The only increase noted
in the prison group was at h {
Pennsylvania industrial home
where enrolment rose from 2S8 te
1888 in a year.
But, the survey reported, latter
the war the trend will undoubtedly
be upward: The general decrease
is largely credited to wartime jobs
and better wages.
Prison officials said the war had
brought increased in child deser.
ton, prostitution. larceny, vagran-
cy and drunkenness among WON.
en-, and in delinquency, sex Of
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