Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-06-18
JUVENILE REFoBmAroRIEs.


We have examined the reports Of
1867 of tw-enty-seVen reform schools or
houses of refuge, situated IN nineteen
States. This number includes all the
principal refOrmatCTieS in b UDitedf
States. There is a lack Of uniformity
in making the statistics Of the different
institutions. Certain particulars are
embodied ia all the reports but 9th
ers, Of less interest, are omitted nom
the greater number. Most OF the re
ports are deficient in statistics relating
to the moral condition of the inmates
previous to their committal, and also
to those of their parenfs-pOints on
which it is highly desirable to have full
and Trustworthy information.
The aggregate amount of land belong
ing to these Tsformat0ries is 1887 acres,
being 131 acres to each. TIE average
number of inmates in 1867 was 5000 Of
whom 5 LISA We're boys and S42 were
girls. The whole number received in
to all since their opening IS 53,464, OF
whom 4,sA were boys a $500 girls:
Fully three-fOurtbs OF these neglected
n once criminal children-over 10000
are reported as permanently reform
ed, and now leading upright and res
pPctable lives. It may he safely assum-
ed that, but for the iuhHeuGe of these
retormatories, nine out of every ten OF
these boys and girls would have be-
come for life depredatOrs Of society.
There is another aspect OF the case
presented in these reports, which buss-
esses a melancholy interest-we refer
to the condition and surroundings of
these tens of thousands of children
previous to their commitment. The
statistics given here are Of only a part
OF h institutions, the Information
not being given in the reports of the
others. Nearly two-thfrds Of them
were orphans by the loss of one or bo5h
parents, and more than half of the re-
mainder worse than Orphans through
the 1ntemperence, irreligion and GRIM
1nallty Of their Darentss One-fOurbh of
them were wholly illiterateg and more
than half of the remainder were with
on any available knowledge OF the
arts OF reading and writing !; two-thIrds
were living Ia idleness three-fourths
were profane, and a still greater pro-
portion untrutbfuI twO-thirds attend
ed neither Sunday school nor church /;
One-fOurth we're addicted to the use Of
Intoxicating liquors, and more than
one-third used tobacco. One-half were
truants; a third frequenters Of thea
tres, and another slept in barns, sheds,
covered wagons &c. Nearly o1e-half
had parents or relatives who had been
in prison, and o~ne-third had them
l been previously arrested. a
fourth were absolutely homeless ; and
almost all were the children of neglect,
ia AAAOAA4G6g VI AAO 6A4OOu 1D4 1AAO
dock-in a word, of evil surroundings
and evil Influences.
The whole cost of maintaining the
tWenty-seven reformatories, in 1867,
was a million dollars, or about n
hundred and fifty dollars for every
person confined in them. The aggre-
Cate earnings Ofthe children were $780,
0OO-eoual to $40 for each innate The
average number of hours b children
work is six. They are engaged in a
great variety of employments, such as
horticulture, farm work., shOe-making,
tailoring, bruSh-making, tile-maktng
chair seating, &C.; &C. The number o
hours devoted to study averages foul
and half. Instruction is mainly con
fined to reading, writing, arithmeti,
and geography F.; II in several 1nst1tu
lions grammar, history, algebra tn
elements of science, music, &C., ar
Fauoht in addition. The children, q
examinations, appear to be as intelll
gent as those who attend our ordinar'
common schools.
The average 2 of commitment /
thirteen years. They are received be
tween eight and sixteen and the aV
ara0e STAY in the institutions is With
a fraction of two years. Generallythe
are sentenced during minority. but j
several reformatories 1T IS to majOrtt
Or for specific period. The usual mod
Of discharge is by indenturP, r returI
ing to friends sometimes they are n
leased on probation or ticket of leavl
While Out under indenture, they are r
uarded as still the wards of the instiJl
ton. One-sixth of the inmates al
foreign-born, and nearly two-thirC
are OF foreign p~arentage. The paren.
of nearly half were Incorporate. an
Of a fourth without trade or regular o
cupation.