Reformatories

History and the Reformatory Era

In response to the overcrowding of prisons in the 1800s, U.S. prison administrators began to look to models of reform instituted by other countries. Of particular interest were the British and Irish penal systems. These systems were generally seen as more humane than the U.S. systems in existence at the time. They emphasized and expanded educational and vocational programs intended to train and prepare offenders for release and return to the community, all the while striving to reduce recidivism.

The principles of the foreign prison systems were formally accepted in 1870 after a meeting of politicians, prison administrations, and local citizens was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. In particular, tliey adopted the ideologies of rewarding good behavior and of emphasizing reform rather than punishment and suffering. In addition, they made use of indeterminate sentences to allow for the release of prisoners when it could be shown that tliey were prepared and ready to return to the community and to become contributing members of society. This period became known as the reformatory era and lasted from 1870 to 1910; however, many of its principles and programs are still considered vital to the organization of today's correctional systems.

Women and Children

Although quickly replaced by the industrial prison era, the reformatory era's influence can still be seen today, particularly when it comes to women and youthful offenders who are housed and dealt with separately from their adult male counterparts. In 1873, the Indiana Reformatory for Women and Girls—the first separate state prison for females—opened its doors. Shortly thereafter, states in the eastern part of the United States opened reformatories with entirely separate facilities for both women and juvenile offenders.

The design of the reformatories intended for use by women and youthful offenders was very different from the prisons used for men. The facilities used to house women were made up of small living quarters—built to resemble cottage-style architecture—and were designed to hold no more than 30 inmates at one time. Each unit included a kitchen, living room, common dining area, and oftentimes a nursery for those inmates who had children.

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