Kate Barnard

Kate Barnard was one of the first women in the United States elected to a statewide office before women were allowed to vote. Kate Barnard was a very active social reformer and was the first Commissioner of the Oklahoma Charities and Corrections. Elected in 1907, she took a strong interest in the treatment of inmates, who at the time were being confined in Kansas since Oklahoma did not operate a prison at the time (Bryant, 1969).

One of the first duties Barnard undertook was to investigate the many complaints regarding inmate treatment in the Kansas system. Making a surprise visit to the Kansas system, she was alarmed to find many of Oklahoma's inmates were being treated in harsh and inhumane conditions. Upon her return to Oklahoma, Barnard requested that Oklahoma inmates be returned and confined here (Sandhu, 1991). With the help of then governor Haskell, Barnard was able to convince the legislature to appropriate monies for the construction of a penitentiary in the state (Bryant, 1969).

Moving some of the inmates back to Oklahoma and enlisting the inmates to build their own prison was the first task for Barnard. While these inmates were constructing the prison, Barnard also convinced the legislature to remove the rest of the Oklahoma inmates in the Kansas system and place them temporarily in the Federal Institution at Leavenworth, Kansas. Construction of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary was completed in 1911 and all Oklahoma inmates were finally returned to the state (Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma corrections: Past and present).

Kate Barnard's second significant endeavor was the founding of the Oklahoma State Reformatory. In response to the reformatory movement in corrections (Allen and Simonsen, 1995), Barnard asked the legislature to establish a reformatory in order to meet the future demands for prison space, and provide a setting to train young, youthful offenders in moral standards and job skills necessary for the offender to become a productive citizen (Sandhu, 1991).

Barnard wanted the reformatory to work on the special needs of the young offenders coming to the system. Under her direction, the Oklahoma State Reformatory-located in Granite, Ok--began a series of educational and employment skills programs. Teaching offenders useful skills of the times such as farming, tanning, baking, and shoe repair (Sandhu, 1991).

Barnard continued her work as a reformer, not only in the area of Charities and Corrections, but also used her position to better those in need of mental health, and human services. Barnard held the position as head of the Charities for two terms and was replaced in 1914. During this time Barnard set the tone for future directors by her vigorous work and dedication to the Charities and Corrections Commission. Among her other accomplishments, Barnard recommended indeterminate sentencing for offenders in order to allow differing amounts of time for offenders to train and adjust to the community (Bryant, 1991).