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Imagine a criminal lawyer whose client isnt necessarily dreading spending part of his or her life in prison? Now imagine a criminal lawyer arguing for a longer prison sentence for his client, which likely went against everything he learned in law school. On April 30, 1927, the first federal prison for women was opened in West Virginia. If a womans sentence was longer than twelve months, odds were, she ended up at this east coast facility. And if the convicted had to spend time in jail, she wanted the longer sentence and wanted to serve her time there.

The federal prison was run by a psychologist, Dr. Mary Harris, and the facility itself was surrounded by 500 acres of land. Not that any of the prisoners tried to escape, says A. Harrison Barnes, lawyer and founder of LegalAuthority.com. The prisoners lived in small houses, or cottages, where they grew gardens and enjoyed all the comforts of home, including a fully stocked kitchen. In their kitchens, they prepared their meals, canned their vegetables and fruits they grew in their gardens and spent their days in leisurely comfort. Some legal scholars called the facility a boarding school. The women were even offered singing lessons, should they so choose. In most ways, the prison was more like a boarding school, says the LegalAuthority.com founder.

The goal during this time in history was focused on rehabilitating these women and ensuring when they left, they had marketable skills that would allow them to support themselves or at the least, prevent them from becoming repeat offenders and returning to confinement. A. Harrison Barnes says the recidivism rates were indeed low and that while they likely made more good memories than bad, most were ready to pick up the pieces of their lives upon their release, especially if they left with more confidence and self respect than what they entered with.

There were a few exceptions, though, that resulted in at least a few of the women returning. These were the ones who completed their sentences and then applied for jobs at their former temporary residences.

So what kinds of illegal activities could result in so many women being jailed; so many that it required the construction of a huge facility to house them in? You might be surprised their charges were often drug and alcohol related. Very few required legal representation for anything else. Its important to remember, too, that the federal facility was built during Prohibition, which explains the nature of the crimes they were convicted of.

While it may appear those serving time in federal prisons in a contemporary society have it easier than those serving time in state facilities, a quick look back in history reveals the women of the 1920s had the true Club Fed.

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