Women’s Prison Association and Home

American organization

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July 16, 2026

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The Women's Prison Association and Home was an American organization founded in 1853, stemming from the female department of the Prison Association of New York, which began in 1845. Abigail Hopper Gibbons was a key figure, serving as president and advocating for prison reform, particularly for women. The organization established a halfway house, later named the Isaac T. Hopper Home, to assist discharged women prisoners. Gibbons also championed other causes, including abolitionism, temperance, and the establishment of a women's reformatory in New York City.1

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Abigail Hopper Gibbons
…its reorganization as the independent Women’s Prison Association and Home in 1853. In 1859 she became president of the German Industrial School. She was also a frequent visitor to the New York City children’s asylum on Randall’s Island. For nearly four years during the American Civil War, she worked as…
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…its reorganization as the independent Women’s Prison Association and Home in 1853. In 1859 she became president of the German Industrial School. She was also a frequent visitor to the New York City children’s asylum on Randall’s Island. For nearly four years during the American Civil War, she worked as…
Read More