A review of the history of Bedford Hills focuses on what, if any, attitudes toward inmates have changed. This includes a portrait of Katherine Davis, who was one of the first women to champion prison reform and became the superintendent of Bedford Hills in 1901. She insisted that inmates take academic courses and do manual labor as well. The book concludes that the only thing that has changed about the inmates at Bedford Hills over the decades is the increase in their numbers. Regarding current conditions for the 800 inmates, the book notes crowded conditions, the harshness of many of the corrections officers, and many of the nonsensical rules. The prison is given low marks for its rehabilitation efforts and effects, as the women leave the prison with few if any job skills and little money. Most head back to the same life that brought them to Bedford Hills. Prison life is capsuled with stories of the struggles and tragedies of some of the inmates. A central part of the book is the plight of the inmates' children, whom the author comes to know through her work at the Children's Center, where inmates' children come to visit and interact with their mothers. She notes the children's listlessness, sadness, and lack of opportunity for normal emotional growth based on a loving bond with their mothers. 123 references, subject index. (Publisher summary modified)