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In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison. No
prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time. But when
Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become
a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said
credit for the change belonged to Lawes. But when he was asked
about the transformation, here's what he said, "I owe it all to
my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison
walls."
Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when
her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the
beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls,
but that didn't stop Catherine! When the first prison basketball
game was held, she went... walking into the gym with her three
beautiful kids and she sat in the stands with the inmates.
Her attitude was: "My husband and I are going to take care of
these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don't have
to worry!" She insisted on getting acquainted with them and
their
records. She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she
paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she said, "Do you
read
Braille?"
"What's Braille?" he asked. Then she taught him how to
read.
Years later he would weep in love for her. Later, Catherine found
a deaf-mute in prison. She went to school to learn how to use
sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of
Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937.
Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis
Lawes didn't come to work, so the acting warden took his place.
It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was
wrong.
The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home,
three-quarters of a mile from the prison. As the acting warden
took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd
of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd
of animals at the main gate. He came closer and noted tears of
grief and sadness. He knew how much they loved Catherine. He
turned and faced the men, "All right, men you can go. Just be
sure and check in tonight!" Then he opened the gate and a
parade
of criminals walked, without a guard, the three-quarters of a
mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes.
And every one of them checked back in. Every one!
- Author Unknown
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