Edwina Donnelly Mitchell (1894–1968) was the Superintendent (warden) of

Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women The Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is a prison for women of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), located in Wetumpka, Alabama. All female inmates entering ADOC are sent to the receiving unit in Tutwiler.Wetumpka Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Background

Originally from

Autauga County, Alabama Autauga County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 58,805. Its county seat is Prattville. Autauga County is part of the Montgomery metropolitan area. History Auta ...

, she was a graduate of Alabama College (now

University of Montevallo The University of Montevallo is a public university in Montevallo, Alabama. Founded on October 12, 1896, the university is Alabama's only public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. The University of ...

) and a 1946 graduate of

Vanderbilt University Law School Vanderbilt University Law School (also known as Vanderbilt Law School or VLS) is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law School has consiste ...

Alabama attorney general The Attorney General of Alabama is an elected, constitutional officer of the State of Alabama. The office of the Attorney General is located at the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. Henry Hitchcock was elected Alabama's first attorney general ...

Harwell Goodwin Davis Harwell Goodwin Davis (November 23, 1882 – August 5, 1977) was a lawyer and Alabama State Attorney General, who also served as the President of Howard College, later Samford University, from 1938 until 1958. To date, he has been the universit ...

appointed Mitchell as Assistant Attorney General of Alabama 1922–25. She held the position again in 1939, when she wrote the legislation to create the Alabama Pardons and Parole Board. She was the first woman to serve on the board, 1939–1949.

Tutwiler

In 1951, she was appointed Superintendent of Tutwiler. She believed harsh conditions and strict measures only hardened people whose lives had led them to prison, telling an interviewer, "The attorney general used to ask me to sit in on meetings for him when I was an assistant. I went out to see the institutions we were putting people in, and I was so upset I've never lost interest in the correctional field." Instead, she housed the women in shared cells, where they were allowed some personal items in their area. Spurred by proposed state legislation to revamp the prison system, based on allegations it was a financial liability by not being self-supporting, women's clubs toured Tutwiller to observe the situation for themselves. The visitors found prisoners growing their own food, and learning the textile trade. Mitchell explained her philosophy of teaching the prisoners how to get past their own hostilities, "I believe everybody can be improved with the right kind of self discipline."

Final years and death

After reaching retirement age for a state job, Mitchell was given a waiver to continue overseeing Tutwiler. Her personal physician urged her to retire when she reached the age of 70. Although the announcement was made in January 1965, no date was set. She was hospitalized with a heart attack in January 1966, and she officially retired July 16. Mitchell died February 4, 1968. She was elected to the

Alabama Women's Hall of Fame The Alabama Women's Hall of Fame honors the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Alabama. Established in 1970, the first women were inducted the following year. The museum is located in Bean Hall, a former Carnegie Library, on th ...

in 1973.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Edwina 1894 births 1968 deaths People from Autauga County, Alabama Vanderbilt University alumni University of Montevallo