what was the first women’s prison in the united states
Indiana Women's Prison The Indiana Women’s Prison was established in 1873 as the first adult female correctional facility in the country.[1] The original location of the prison was one mile (1.6 km) east of downtown Indianapolis. It has since moved to 2596 Girls School Road, former location of the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility. As of 2005[update] it had an average daily population of 420 inmates,[2] most of whom are members of special-needs populations, such as geriatric, mentally ill, pregnant, and juveniles sentenced as adults. By the end of 2015 the population increased to 599 inmates.[3] Security levels range from medium to maximum.[2] The prison holds Indiana’s only death row for women; however, it currently has no death row inmates.[4] The one woman under an Indiana death sentence, Debra Denise Brown, is being held in Ohio.[5]
American juvenile justice system The nation's first juvenile court was formed in Illinois in 1899 and provided a legal distinction between juvenile abandonment and crime.[8] The law that established the court, the Illinois Juvenile Court Law of 1899, was created largely because of the advocacy of women such as Jane Addams, Louise DeKoven Bowen, Lucy Flower and Julia Lathrop, who were members of the influential Chicago Woman's Club.[9][10] The Chicago court opened on July 1, 1899 with Judge Tuthill presiding, along with several members of the Chicago Woman's Club who acted as advisors about the juvenile offender's backgrounds.[11] Establishing a juvenile court helped reframe cultural and legal interpretations of “the best interests of the child.” “The underlying assumption of the original juvenile system, and one that continues to prevail, was that juveniles were generally more amenable to rehabilitation than adult criminals.[12] This new application of parens patrea and the development of a separate juvenile court formed the foundation for the modern juvenile justice system.