Cleveland Workhouse and House of Refuge and Correction

The Cleveland Workhouse was formally established as a separate institution in January 1871, in Cleveland, Ohio. The building did not open until March of that year due to construction difficulties. The Workhouse had previously shared quarters with the City Infirmary in the Brooklyn district of Cleveland.

The new location was originally intended as a place where petty lawbreakers could work at productive occupations, specifically chair and brush making, to help pay their fines and court costs. In July 1871, the House of Refuge and Correction was established as part of the Workhouse to give the same opportunities to lawbreakers under the age of sixteen. A school, under the direction of the Chaplain, was established with the House of Refuge for both juvenile and adult prisoners.

...