"To treat people well is to honor their souls; to love your
neighbor." ~ St. Thomas Moore
In 1919, Lewis Lawes moved his wife
and 3 small children into the warden's mansion at Sing Sing prison. They shared the yard with over 1,000 of the
most dangerous men in the world - murderers, rapists, and thieves who the Lawes
alone believed capable of redemption.
At the time, Sing Sing had the reputation of being unmanageable. Nine wardens had served in the previous eight
years. One lasted only 16 days. "The easiest way to get out of Sing
Sing," Lewis once joked, "is to go in as warden."
Physical conditions at the facility were atrocious;
questionable business practices had decimated the budget; corruption was rampant;
and inmates seemed to run the penitentiary.
In his 21 year tenure, Lewis instituted numerous creative reforms. By his own admission however, much of his
success was due to his wife Catherine.
She believed passionately that prisoners were human beings,
worthy of attention and respect. She regularly
visited with prisoners in the depths of despair and recognized that even the
most troubled convicts could be inspired by demonstrating trust in their
ability to handle responsibilities. For
example, she allowed a hardened kidnapper to care for her children.
Catherine saw them less as prisoners and more as
individuals. She taught them, encouraged
them, and even ran errands for them.
Mostly she cared for them as her own.
As a result, the ‘boys’ cared deeply about her too. Many said that Catherine was the body of
Jesus that came alive again at Sing Sing in 1919.
The prisoners became alarmed when Lewis didn’t report to
work in the fall of 1937. Rumors spread
quickly that Catherine had been killed in a car accident. The following day her body laid in repose for
public viewing, 3/4 of a mile from the prison.
As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he noticed
a large gathering at the main gate. Nearly every prisoner pressed against the
fence, eyes awash with tears, faces solemn; no one spoke or moved. They’d come to stand as close as they could
to the woman who’d loved them.
The warden made a remarkable decision. "All right, men, you can go. Just be sure to check in tonight."
Sing Sing’s south gate slowly swung open. Hundreds of men, convicted of every crime imaginable,
slowly emerged from the prison without escort to pay their final respects.
Every single inmate returned that night.
No one tried to escape out of respect for Catherine - the
woman who walked daily into Hell to show them a piece of Heaven. Her gentle spirit transformed many hardened
souls in that prison, demonstrating that tenderness is powerful, strong,
vigorous, dynamic, and life changing.
Merciful Lord, come to the aid of all those in
prison and grant them Your peace in the midst of this difficult time in their lives. Grant that this trial may bring them closer
to You, our rock and our refuge, our comfort and our hope. Amen
