Osborne, Thomas Mott

Osborne, Thomas Mott (1859-1926), was an American prison reformer. In 1913, as chairman of the New York State Commission for Prison Reform, he spent a week in prison, secretly, so he could understand and help prisoners. He served as warden of Sing Sing (New York) Prison from 1914 to 1916 and of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Naval Prison from 1917 to 1920. Osborne organized the Mutual Welfare League to help prisoners rebuild their lives. He wrote Within Prison Walls (1914) and Society and Prisons (1916). Osborne was born on Sept. 23, 1859, in Auburn, New York. He died on Oct. 20, 1926.