The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-02-11
HOUSE or REFUGE.


HOUSE or REFUGE.
A bin has been introduced in the Senate b,
Mr. Steenrod. gentleman who represent
with decided ability and credit the city Q
wheeling. for establishing in that city
!" House Of Refnge. in which may be KEEP
employed and instructed such minors 81
have been Convicted of crimes by the courts
or who have been arrested as Migrants. MIR
Etreenrod, as Chairman of the Committee t.
whom the subject was referred. has also sub
,nitted report in regard to It, which con
tains many instructive and interesting facts
We learn from it that there are two "houses
Of refuge established by the State Of New
York; one by New jersey; one by Massa
chusetts; there is one in Philadelphia. one in
Cincinnati. one in Baltimore, and one in N
Orleans. "The discipline of these instifu-
lions" says the report, lis designed to be re,
formatory and not ondemnatory-top provide
for juvenile offenders place where they can
be separated from the contagious influence
that prevails in the jails and prisons OF the
crime tainted convict, and where the idle can
be employed, the ignorant instructed, and the
wicked reformed" The workings of expe
rience and the testimony of the first states
men of the country are in favor Of thesein
situations. The Grand Jury of New York
state in alate presentment "that about three
fourths of those who ener the New York
House of Refuge leave it thoroughly reform
cd" The report Of the Philadelphia House
Of Refuge states that sixty-six per cent. of its
subjects have been permanently reformed,
and are industrious and honest members OF
society, and three to FIVE per cent. is the out
side number in Pennsylvania, who have been
Afterwards found in prison.
We cordially approve the measure propos-
Cd by Mr.. Steenrod, and should be glad to
see House of Refuge established in
Richmond as well as in Wheeling. The sta
tistics quoted in the report before US from
the state prisons both of Europe and Ameri
ca, clearly prove by the numerous recon.
victions in each and ALL that they are totally
inadequate to the reformation Of offenders
A memorial of the Liverpool magistrates to
initials made during the last seven years 70,
offences within their jurisdiction is 81, ABA
that $3.50 of them were under the age of /.
years; that of this number 25,9ss were once
committed, s,056 were twice committed, AT:
were three times committed, 2,s47 were {, I'll
times committed, and 10, 374 were committed
five times and upwards
On account of the meagreness of the sta
tistics from the county .jails of Virginia, nj
opinion can be formed Of the number of ju
venile offenders and their re-convictions il
the State. The reports from the Penitentiary
however, furnish the information, that, OF
the 3oth of September, ls49, there were in tn,
Penitentiary-
"l9 conyicts from Ia to 90 years old
20 I" (" 20 "25 " 4"
l22 -" Il 80 f"
"On the 30th September, 1850
IL convicts from Il to 90 years old.
JOG I" IA" 80
ION the 3oth September, 1855
80 conricts from 10 to 90 years old.
rs 90" 25 90
"These infant offenders, by existing laws, cal
only be sentenced to confinement In the Pententia
ry; these bouseless. homeless, friendess Ones maj
justly be said to be the orphans of the Common
wealth-outcasts, who are consigned to the Stat,
prison to improve in their lessons of crime, by
their associations with old convicts and all the proc
poets OF future life closed by the dishonored stair
that attaches to Them"
We are sure that every humane and intelli
gent mind must desire to see institutions es
tablished, which will reclaim young offend
ers. and save society from their future depre
dations.