The ideals of womanhood in 1950s America are reflected in various magazines, books, and educational films. All of these materials detail the socially acceptable roles for women during the 1950s. Notions of acceptable gender roles for women were perpetuated throughout mainstream media and were practiced widely among many American families during the 1950s. The ideal roles for women during the 1950s were largely domestic in nature and centered around a young woman being molded into a “perfect wife”. The social expectations and roles for women during the time included cooking, cleaning, laundry, and child-rearing. In some instances, women, often unmarried, worked as secretaries. The socially acceptable roles for women during the 1950s were not only widespread throughout mainstream America, but it was also heavily present within state correctional institutions. During the 1950s, the Ohio Reformatory for Women embodied these rigid gender roles of society through the reformatory’s structure, programs, and leadership. A majority of the Ohio Reformatory for Women’s programs during the 1950s were focused heavily on conforming women to the acceptable roles for their gender. Vast research has indicated the heavy impact gender roles and expectations for women had on mainstream America during the 1950s. However, research concerning women in state correctional institutions, and the impact that gender roles had on that sector of life are few. Examining social guidance films, magazines, and books from the 1950s will indicate the rigid gender roles of the time period. Interestingly, comparing the rigid gender roles of the 1950s mainstream media and society with the programs at the Ohio Reformatory for Women reveal a striking resemblance between the two. Additionally, a case study from 1954 illustrates the potential outcome for women who rejected their expected roles and therefore, solidifies the connection between gender roles and the penal system of the 1950s. A great deal of the existing literature focuses on the acceptable roles for women in society during the 1950s and the impact these roles had on women living in the domestic sphere. Exploring this sector of society will expand the understanding of gender role impact during the 1950s greatly.