The Angel of Sing Sing Prison

The Angel of Sing Sing Prison

Lewis Lawes was aptly named. He was a prison warden around the turn of the 20th Century. As he noticed the condition of American prisons – low-budget, full of violence and fear, places where those incarcerated had little that resembled hope or purpose – he made a decision to do something. He began to write papers and give speeches. He attracted attention in such a way as to compel discussion on a wide level. Today, we might call him an “activist.”

Eventually, Warden Lawes was offered the job of Warden of Sing Sing Prison in New York State to test his ideas of prison reform. At the time, Sing Sing was known as one of the most notorious prisons in the nation. Violence was rampant. Recidivism was high. Morale among the staff was low, while turnover was high.

In 1920, he moved his family to a house down the street from the prison and began to implement his reforms. With persistence, the prison turned around. Violence within the prison plummeted. Recidivism dropped. Morale among the staff was restored. The success was so dramatic, that it became a model for prison reform across the nation. Warden Lawes received a great deal of credit and fame for his work. He accepted awards, gave speeches, and wrote papers and books. Some of his books were even made into movies, casting the likes of Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. He was a fantastic success.

But…let’s go into Sing Sing and speak to the inmates. “What is the reason for the turnaround here?” we might ask. While appreciation for their warden would certainly be expressed, they would not have fingered him as the primary reason for the dramatic change of the prison. “Who, then?” The reply would come back, “Our angel. Our angel is the main reason for the turnaround of this prison.” Some even called her their "foster mother."

You see, the prisoners of Sing Sing had an angel, a real life angel. Her name was Kathryn. Kathryn Lawes – the Warden’s wife. Kathryn made her husband’s job her ministry. Despite being the busy mother of young children, she made time to visit the prison often, and established a rapport with the inmates. It was said that a hush would fall over the room when she entered. Her easygoing manner and warm, friendly smile brought cheer to all who met her. Her small hands were often found clasping the hands of large men in prayer – hands that had previously been used to commit acts of violence. Her arms were free in hugging rough men who were guilty of the crime of murder. She read letters to those who couldn’t read, wrote letters for those who couldn’t write. Kathryn practiced the ministry of presence – taking a genuine interest in the lives of the prisoners. She was their angel.

One day, Kathryn was introduced to a prisoner who had gone blind in prison. He sat in his cell, rarely moving. He just existed. She sat with him and got him to speak. After a long visit, Kathryn prayed with him and got up to leave. Almost as an afterthought she asked him, “Would you like me to find you some books in Braille?” The prisoner replied, “What’s Braille?” His reply moved her so deeply, she acquired some books in Braille, took them to her home, and taught herself to read Braille – so she could return and teach him to read. One man. She was their angel.

One of the reforms her husband introduced was a new-fangled game called Basketball. When they would hold tournaments, Kathryn would be there, with her children, in the stands with the inmates, cheering them on. Her genuine love for them was felt and it was known throughout Sing Sing.

On an October day in 1937, the normally punctual Warden Lawes did not show up for work. Immediately, throughout the prison, there was a chilling sense that something terrible had happened. The entire prison was on edge, awaiting news.

Late in the morning, word reached the prison. Kathryn, out for a walk the night before, had been accidentally struck by a vehicle and did not survive. As word spread through the prison, the inmates, in shock, gathered in the prison courtyard. They consoled each other, with some men openly sobbing on the ground. The lunch bell rang. Nobody answered. The food was wasted.

In the afternoon, the assistant warden, sensing the tremendous grief of the men, allowed around 200 convicts to leave the prison, to pay their respects. Unsupervised, they walked the two miles up the road to the Warden’s house, stood in a long, respectful line outside the home, one-by-one went inside to pay their respects and express their grief, and one-by-one walked back to the prison. At roll call that evening, every single prisoner answered. Every one!

Kathryn Lawes shows the power one person has to change lives. Kathryn had an illness a few weeks before she died. At that time, some of the inmates wrote a small editorial for a local paper about her, referring to her as their 'foster mother':
“Many of us here have never known the true meaning of the phrase ‘mother’s love.’ To us so unfortunate, whatever else our stay in Sing Sing has meant, whether good or bad, in our innermost thoughts we revere and in our crude and clumsy way hold our foster mother in the place…of our [own] mother.”

Book of Virtues, Bennett, William J.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_E._Lawes
The Grape Belt, Nov 2, 1937, p. 1. as cited in Google News: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eEdkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VW4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3312,5426970&dq=lewis+e+lawes+dies&hl=en