Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-31
Report Of the Reform schoo Commits
Gannera-

he ages Of fourteen and twenty years
AIKEN from the Penitentiary, the jails and
rom the custody of parents or guardians,
who are totally unable TO control them
are successfully held, and controlled, and
reformed, entirely by moral means, with
out bars or bolts, or even high fences and
locked doors and gates. As the Commits
sioners say, in their Tenth Annual Report
just published:
at seems strange to many, that the
worst BOYS of the ~State-boys that are
guilty Of all the offenses found in the
catalogue of crimes-those that are fami-
liar with all the excitements and vices of
CITY life-can be taken to an open and
farm, destitute of ell prison ap-
p~earanees, and there be kept, and taught
to study, and how TO work, and to become
quiet, civil and gentlemanly in deport-
ment-showing but very little disposition
to escspe-yet, so it is"
1t is known to the writer that lack of
faith in the practicability of controlling
nd reforming the class of boys in ques-
tioA without the appliances Of high walls
and Pdson doors and dungeons, for a long
time, lei to delay in establishing this
important aud Successful enterprise. But
for the ~unfsgging faith of Hon. Charles
Reemelin, of Cincinnati, who had much
to do in the projection and establishment
of it, it is probable that leug years would
have interviewed before it wo,ld have been
accomplished. His testimony that such
means were eminently successful in Ger
many-hls native land-was met " the
i~ncredulity Of many 4 State officer md
statesman, who asserted that, although
such means might succeed in Germany,
they would be wholly inadequate to re-
strain the liberty-loving youth of America.
1t was not until after Mr.: Reemelin had
visited Germany in person, and made a
full report of what he saw of the opera
ton and success of similar institutions
there, that our State officers and General
Assembly could be induced fairly to enter
upon the experiment.
The success of the institution becomes
more and more apparent from year to
year. The Commissioner commence their
report for 1865 with the remark that they
"can present a report of the unprecedented
success of the Reform School for the year
"that is past" There were in the institu-
ton at the commencement of the year,
Nov. 1st, 1854, 75s boys, at ct the close,
Nov. Isl, 1883, 955. Whole number in
the institution during the year, 32s.
There were dismissed to the eare Of friends
81; to care Of themselves, 8 indentured,
10; escaped !.
But a single escape, from three hundred
and twenty-eight inmates Of the iustitu-
ton, under the circumstance already al
luded to, is the most wonderful fact dis
closed by the report.
a as the Commissioners state,
the season was Gne~e unu.uzt u1UrTdIILy IN
many distriCpsJ Tu1rv-ru-z no deaths in
the i~nssicution, and very little sickness,
"the casualties of broken limbs being the
"only cases requiring a physician, aeih
a siggte exception" This speaks well
for the sanitary condition and care
eseroised, as well as of the favorable To-
Ialty o. the Farm, for health. MANY
boys, it is stated, sent to the institution. |
who were enfeebled by disease sontra cted
'itner by a fe Of restitution and degrade
Ion, or inherited from debauched and mol.
ssSS PasvHSsl ave g5eu EesV0rea 70 per-
health By means Of the pure air,
wholesome food, cleanliness and regular
labits pertaining to the Institution.
The capacity of the institution is very
much below the demand foT its aeccmme-
Iations. The Commissioners state that ap-
have been made for at least six
r eight times as many boys as they have
cen able to take. Admittsnce has been
ecessarily refused to all but those COM
for crime, with the exception of d
cry few extreme cases Of incorrigibility.
he commissioners ask the Legislature for
n appropriation for the erection of more
uildings, to increase the capacity of the
lstitution. "Ths casualties of the war;
loy say, "have greatly increased the or
phanage of the land" The following
from the report recommends itself ,
the attention Of the Legislature and ,
lie people: 3
Reliable statements and figures could
2 introduced to show that every unoared q
r child is liable to become a heavy tax
pom community. The intelligent reader,
ho has learned through statistics, what
10 wayward classes cost in the end if not i
observation-disclosures mere ignorance
tsts-wlll agree with US in the position, 8
at parents or guardians of ~starveling I
or parents who cannot, or will
It. look TO the true interests of their !,
iidren, by putting them in the way Of :
an intellectual, moral and in c
Istrial education, should forfeit all con- +
81 over them. We take the ground that i
cry boy found in vagabond pursuits 4
lieh are slliedte vice, should be promptly 1
moved from that PURGE Of evil. If the .
1T appearances of waywardness and =
.ious habits arc not looked after and pro- 4
led for, we fear the open rebuke for SUCH l
elect will yet be seen in extensive and u
structures, built from absolute o.
that society may be protected. Oh
g ranks of crime will be rapidly filed
m the well-drilled and growing recruits
our incorrigible youth. IN
of vicious boys have been =
ected from the Reform School Tor want ,
room. The State may lose much by re- OF
ting one such boy; but the bog, may y
g infinitely more-he may not only be W
t to the State, but may be lost for Re r.
D
In view Of all the facts in our posses a
q, w belive that a wise fberality in ex- te
will be T u economy, and that 9e
highest interests of the State cannot Du
better served than by prompt and We
Tgetio action in providing for a larger ga
nber Of her vagrant and iucorrigible ne
$, who, if uncared for, may soon fill an
sluices that feed the frightful and pol iIl
ID channels of dissipation and crime" u
he Farm embraces l17O acres, a con- civ
portion of which is yet in g state Ito
azure but is being subdued and cleared ali
imber as fast as practicable, and prob 10
ss fast as is desirable. The soil is Ia
tally adapted to the cultivation of ~