With no bars, no barbed wire and open gates, the Alderson Federal Prison Camp for women looks more like a college campus.
The camp for women opened in 1927, three years before the start
of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
It sits on one hundred and five acres that span Monroe and
Summers counties.
Over the years, the female inmates have volunteered to work in
the community, picking up trash, mowing grass and cleaning the
riverbanks in Alderson.
Town resident Mary Godby said the women were crucial during two
past floods, helping to clear out mud in homes.
All inmates are required to have a job on the prison grounds.
One of their options is to become a certified fire fighter.
Chris Howell of the Alderson Volunteer Fire Department said
almost anytime they have a fire, they call the prison fire fighters
for assistance.
The inmates also take donated yarn and knit sweaters, hats,
scarves and mittens for the Family Refuge Center in Lewisburg.
Alderson Mayor Luther Lewallen says he has a new appreciation
for the prison and the inmates since becoming mayor in 2003. He
says the prison is a win-win situation for the town.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)