Women as Prison Governors

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 11

Women as Prison Governors

There are now three women deputy prison governors in England, following the appointment of Miss Dorothy Wilson to be deputy governor of Manchester Prison Holloway, the big prison for women in North London, has had Miss Mary Size as deputy governor for the last 10 years, and there is also a woman at Aylesbury. A great deal has been done in recent years towards ‘‘humanising” the life of women prisoners, and even more may bo hoped for in the future, now that there is a woman, Miss Lilian Barker, at the Homo Office as Assistant Prison Commissioner. Our London correspondent writes: I met Miss Barker, and' she told me an absorbing story of what she is doing for women prisoners all bver the country. Short and burly, with grey cropped hair, and a mannish suit, Miss Barker gives one the impression of extreme efficiency, while her twinkling eyes betray humanity and a store of humour. ‘‘We have got an entirely new viewpoint about prisons,” she explained. “In the old days a woman was sent to prison as a punishment, and was never allowed to forget this all the time she was there. We now realise that the real punishment is being deprived of freedom, and it is our job to train tho women to lead useful lives when they come out. “It is our job to give them back their self-respect, and I have found that handwork such as embroidery and sewing is an enormous help.”