Policing Sex in the Sunflower State: The Story of the Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women

In the 1920s, the state of Kansas detained over 5,000 women for having a venereal disease at the Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women, where they were subjected to treatment and moral reform. Nicole Perry's research reveals the prevailing ideas and practices of respectability that shaped this policy, and offers an incisive critique of a failed public health policy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 10 June 2021
Publisher: University Press of Kansas

The Story of the Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women is a harrowing account of how, over a period of two decades, the state of Kansas imprisoned over 5,000 women solely for having a venereal disease. In 1917, the Kansas legislature passed Chapter 205, a law that granted the state Board of Health sweeping powers to quarantine individuals suspected of carrying contagious diseases. State authorities swiftly implemented Chapter 205 to curb the spread of venereal disease among soldiers preparing to deploy in World War I. While Chapter 205 was ostensibly gender-neutral, it was predominantly enforced against women, with this gendered enforcement becoming even more pronounced as Chapter 205 transitioned from a wartime emergency measure to a peacetime public health strategy. Women were confined alongside regular female prisoners at the Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women (the Farm). Women detained under Chapter 205 accounted for 71 percent of the total inmate population between 1918 and 1942. Their imprisonment at the Farm was indefinite, with doctors and superintendents determining when they were physically and morally rehabilitated enough to reintegrate into society. In practice, women detained under Chapter 205 spent an average of four months at the Farm. While at the Farm, inmates received treatment for their diseases and were subjected to a rigorous plan of moral reform that emphasized the virtues of hard work and the inculcation of middle-class norms for proper feminine behavior.

Nicole Perrys groundbreaking research offers a fresh perspective on the histories of women, sexuality, and programs of public health and social control. At the heart of these narratives are the prevailing notions and practices of respectability, which can be culturally encoded, legislated, enforced, and institutionalized. Perry skillfully reclaims the voices of those marginalized by these systems, shedding light on their experiences and struggles.

The Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women serves as a chilling reminder of the past when women were subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment solely for their sexual health. The law that allowed for their imprisonment was based on outdated and misogynistic beliefs that equated women's sexuality with disease and moral decay. However, through the tireless efforts of activists and scholars, the story of these women has been brought to light, and their voices have been heard.

Chapter 205 was eventually repealed in 1943, but its legacy continues to shape our understanding of sex, sexuality, and public health. The Farm's treatment of women was a stark contrast to the modern approach to treating sexual health, which emphasizes consent, education, and access to healthcare. It highlights the need for continued progress in these areas to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender or sexuality, can live with dignity and respect.

In conclusion, The Story of the Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women is a powerful testament to the enduring impact of gender-based discrimination and the power of activism to challenge it. Through the lens of respectability, Perrys research sheds light on the experiences of women who were subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment solely for their sexual health. It serves as a reminder of the importance of gender equality, consent, and access to healthcare, and the need for continued progress in these areas to create a more just and equitable society.

Weight: 434g
Dimension: 153 x 232 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780700631889