Dorthea Dix and Prison Reform in the U.S.

3rd place medalist for Junior Individual Documentary at the 2012 National History Day contest in Washington, D.C. For her documentary on Dorthea Dix and prison reform in the United States.

[@smokeandsteamxsw9831]

My dad served on the USS DORTHEA DIX hospital ship during WW2. Over the years his memories of service to the wounded, as a pharmacist mate. He recalled the ships namesake.Dorthea Dix was a very powerful woman. Who helped special needs persons. My wife and i have worked with special needs and handicapped persons. My dads compassion filtered its way into my life. As dorthea dix and her work filtered down to him. She was a very influential in her dedecation.Miss Dix if your out there in the heavens above, THANK YOU!!!!

[@ryanpotter1189]

I use this every year in my 8th grade history class. My students always enjoy it and share some great thoughts afterward. Also, kudos to you as the filmmaker for interviewing a female historian for the project.

[@KentuckyHistoricalSociety]

Ryan Potter Thank you! We are proud of this students work too. What other resources could you use?

[@altoonabeme]

If this won "only" 3rd place the first and second must have been sensational, because this is exceptionally well produced but more than that, exceptionally well researched. Major kudos to its creator! Kudos and many shouts of "bravo!".

[@vladcerbov]

Fantastic video. I am a student at Yeshiva university, getting my MSW. This video is very helpful 👍🏻

[@cynthiagilsenan7342]

Excellent video! Thank you for making it and sharing it! I showed it to my student after learning about prison reforms in the 1800s.

[@SharonDeVoreGonzalez]

This is a very incredibly done video! Very interesting! Obviously deserves the medal it won Nationally! Outstanding work, Joanna!

[@browngoldthread1239]

Thank you ❤❤❤❤❤

[@kierani3796]

This helped me so much on my school project. Thx

[@funnygirl1291]

This is AMAZING!!! I am doing history day at my school and was wondering what program did you make your documentary with?

[@Owenhlre]

She didn't just change the US but changed Europe

[@johnmoyer99]

In my research, the asylums deteriorated badly, and her ideas, though foundational, did not change the basic idea that the “insane” were a burden to society and unworthy of the funding it would take to care for them properly. In 1887, Nellie Bly proved this by getting herself arrested in order to see the conditions of the insane asylums herself. Her stories and subsequent book Ten Days in a Mad House were able to increase funding to the asylums, but did not address the deeper embedded systemic issues that perpetuated stereotypes and social stigma. Throwing money at a dysfunctional system simply magnified its flaws - a culture based on social Darwinism where some are judged as less worthy and leading to eugenics and mass sterilization of the mentally “unfit.” The stigma persists today.

[@thenablade858]

I think this is less Dorothea Dix’s fault, and more the fault of mainstream psychiatry, apathetic and hostile governments, public stigma against people suffering from mental illness etc. Dorothea did the best she could at the time.

[@johnmoyer99]

@@thenablade858 Nobody’s blaming Dix. It’s clear she was dealing with a dysfunctional system that was overwhelming for any single person to address.

[@mosessanzo8166]

Well done! Thank you!

[@lindseythederpypotato5800]

i used this to help with my history thankssssss :)

[@divineegbuchu4612]

This was a good video, itll be great for my Project assignment😊

[@KentuckyHistoricalSociety]

Glad it was helpful!

[@divineegbuchu4612]

@@KentuckyHistoricalSociety got an A too

[@tyronnfields7945]

Great video..

[@christinanorris6244]

Kudos to you! Also yay for our early Women leaders in the Unitarian Churches!

[@browngoldthread1239]

Not much has changed. We've gone backwards. Sleeping, living together under bridges, on the sidewalks, strip malls, wandering the streets, hungry, dirty, having meltdowns with a payphone.

[@browngoldthread1239]

Dumping trash all over, deficating on the sidewalk. They're putting them in SHARED LIVING. They can't do it.

[@browngoldthread1239]

Todays Mentally ill - Dorothea Dix had turned over in her grave....several times 😢

[@DannyHauger]

Dorothea gave so much for her cause I recorded a podcast on her efforts as well, thanks! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZrHdIZrnr19jaM Thanks for sharing this side of her career!

[@jacksonburgett483]

very sad but it worked