The House of the Good Shepard

Originally, the Sisters of the Good Shepard opened in France in 1835. In 1873, the House of the Good Shepard was opened in Indianapolis from young women and girls who were misbehaving or going against social norms. The mission of the organization was to provide shelter and moral guidance to young women in danger or need. Evidence reveals that the organization treated women harshly and operated like a correctional facility. Indianapolis was the 15th city to have one of these homes.

The House of the Good Shepherd was meant to help women from all backgrounds. Some were prostitutes, unmarried, or pregnant. Others were considered at risk of engaging in immoral behavior, including orphans and those born out of wedlock. Families or priests sent their family members there. Eventually Marion County sent women there who were charged with minor crimes for reform. The House was partially funded by the city. It operated a Magdalene Laundry which was essentially the women who were forced to stay there working for free in the Laundry. The House profited from their work. Conditions were harsh and women who gave birth there had their children taken and forced into adoption.