Twenty Years at Hull House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twenty Years at Hull House - Essay Example The changes brought about in the living of thousands of people and the education and training that was provided in the Hull House which served as a centre for social work is also explained. The book serves to analyze the social injustices that are prevalent in our surroundings. It presents the conditions in which the immigrants of different countries had to live in the United States. It presents the silence of the government on these issues which are left for the people to deal with themselves. The necessity of proper education, proper health and environment are emphasized in this book. The importance of proper social gatherings and training of social skills is also embedded in this book. Jane Addams worked towards achieving a goal for the improvement of the living of many people and presenting many important concepts of health and the steps that needed to be taken by the government to curb such issues. Hull House was a place which was open for all and did not have any religious affiliation. It served as an important centre for the social gatherings and social development of individuals. With time, the Hull House matured and the services improved and it attained a cent ral position in the American society. It worked for the purpose of solving important matters of the society which included the laws against child labor and laws for improving the working conditions of the laborers. The period when the Hull House came into existence was a time when the American society was becoming industrialized and harsh labor laws were a part of the society. A very important event that Addams presents in the book assists in totally understanding the conditions of those times is: Our very first Christmas at Hull-House, when we as yet knew nothing of child labor, a number of little girls refused the candy which was offered them as part of the Christmas good cheer, saying simply that they â€Å"worked in a candy factory and could

Pugh v. Locke Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pugh v. Locke Case - Research Paper Example On February 26, 1974, an inmate of G. K. Fountain Correctional Center filed a complaint concerning the state of inmates confined by the Alabama board of corrections or those who may be confined later (Robbins & Michael, 1977). The court found that those actions were maintained as class actions under Federal Rule 23(a) and (b) (2) (Gerald, 1978). Notably, the court investigated and found out that the defendants in both cases acted and refused to act on the ground set for the class. The defendants were sued in their official and individual capacities including the Governor of Alabama, the Commissioner of Alabama Board of Corrections, Deputy Commissioner of the Alabama Board of Corrections, the board members, the Warden of G. K. Fountain Correctional Center and the Warden of Kilby Corrections Facility. These people were retained as individual defendants (Robbins & Michael, 1977). On April 16, 1974, the court-appointed counsel filed the amendment to the case. This complaint was filed on behalf of all inmates of the state penal system confined to, G. K. Fountain Correctional Center and those who underwent such violence (Gerald, 1978). The Alabama Board of Corrections was charged with the responsibility for managing these state penal institutions. The board operated four large institutions for male inmates, which were, G. K. Fountain Correctional Center, Holman Unit Prison, Kilby Corrections Facility and Draper Correctional Center (Robbins & Michael, 1977). They also managed Julia Tutwiler Prison for women and the Frank Lee Youth Center for young men. The inmate populations of these institutions were in excess by 5000. The overcrowding of these institutions heightened, and inmates were crowded so much that they had to sleep on mattresses on hallways and even near urinals (Robbins & Michael, 1977). These made sanitation and security impossible to maintain. Alabama’s penal institutions were filthy. In a research carried out by a public health officer, he found r oaches, flies, mosquitoes and other vermin in all stages of development. The sanitary rooms were terrible and constituted to poor drainage systems. Strange odors emanated from these facilities due to the gross under maintenance of hygiene. Moreover, personal hygiene was not observed in these facilities. The parties predetermined that the state only provided for razor blades and soap to the inmates (Gerald, 1978). Items such as shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream and combs were unavailable to the inmates since the state did not provide. However, inmates who could afford the products were required buy them. On the other hand, catering services were of poor quality in these facilities. Food was stored in unsanitary conditions. The storage units were dirty and infested with insects. The food service personnel who mostly comprised of inmates were unskilled on how to handle and prepare food. In addition, the inmates were not supplied with eating utensils. This forced them to use, old, dirty, tin cans. The food was unappetizing and unwholesome while at the same time dangerous for human consumption. An expert witness once toured the facilities. Shockingly enough, he concluded that the conditions in the facilities were unfit for human habitation in every criterion (Robbins & Michael, 1977). The prison officials did not dispute evidence that most inmates are in a terrifyingly poor condition. Consequently, a