From California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation:
During a 1965 conference of Federated Women’s Clubs, the superintendent of the California Institution for Women discussed the history of women in state prisons.
According to Superintendent Iverne R. Carter, the first woman sent to the Waban prison ship was Agnes Read, a dance hall entertainer.
“In the very early days, women offenders were held in local or county jails,” Carter said. “She served one year on the (state) prison ship, (housing) both males and females convicted of felonies. The women were later moved from the ship to a small house on the shore where they were assigned to do laundry for the prison.”
Carter also described how incarcerated women were relocated as San Quentin expanded. They started on the Waban, the state prison ship, then were moved to a small house on shore, and then to other areas of the prison.
“Progressively they were moved to quarters near the wall (then) to quarters over the captain’s office with a small outdoor courtyard (where) they could get fresh air and sunshine. (Later), they were moved to the second floor of what is now Neumiller Hospital, San Quentin,” she said. Continue reading >>>
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