CARE OF WOMEN IN STATE PRISONS.              431

understand the lower levels of life, its perverted issues, its
degradation. Heart-broken girls facing maternity without
husbands find in her a sympathetic friend.      By means of
their personal devotion to her, she wins her charges over to
a devotion to all that is just and good in life.
  "The girls are busy cleaning this morning," explained the
pleasant spoken clerk who was detailed by Mrs. Hodder to
guide me about the Sherborn prison buildings. The word
"girls" most suitably describes the inmates of that prison,
for the majority are between the ages of twenty-five and
thirty and so many (more's the pity) under twenty years
of age. Women were working in the long halls, scrubbing
the woodwork and the floors, splashing the soapy water
about in an exuberance of cleanliness. Taken altogether
they were as rosy and healthy a group of women as I had
ever seen. The women always improve in health at Sher-
born, for the system of discipline gives them a regular life,
healthful diet, and plentiful exercise. Winter and summer,
no matter what their occupation, each must have at least
one hour's exercise in the open air. They rise at six o'clock,
breakfast at six-thirty, and are at their work by seven.
Breakfast is a light meal consisting of bread, cereal, and
coffee. For dinner there are soup and meat, three vege-
tables, a wholesome dessert, and tea or coffee. Supper is
another light meal, the left-overs from dinner being util-
ized with sauce, tea, and coffee. When there is not suffi-
cient work outside to give the women the proper balance of
out-of-door exercise, they are sent into the prison yard to
play tag or any game that stirs the blood. The cells are
small, airy rooms, furnished with iron beds dressed with
white counterpanes.
   There are three divisions of dormitories and dining halls.
The women enter in second grade and either fall to third or
progress to first, according to their good or bad conduct
At present there are no women in the third grade at Sher-
born, as the cases that call for severe punishment are most




			

OHS/National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center Serial Collection

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 28, Num. 1

Volume:  28
Issue Number:  01
Date:  07/1911