New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-24
OUR YOUNG CRIMINALS.

the attempts made to reform such OF our VI
cious youth as are convicted of crime will
gather materials worthy of consideration. That
at Rochester is located over mile from the
city; the main building and wings are extern
siye. and attached are AZ acres of land inclosed
by a stockade. The arrangements for securing
health, and for the prosecution of various In
dustries are complete and there are separate
seeping-rooms for as many rs 800 boys. The
expenses foI the last year were $4,000; and
among the items of credit are $4,000 appro-
priated by the Legislature, and about $4,000
received for the labor of the boys. The num-
Der of boys received during the year was 673,
and at the close of the year 397 remained. vi
these. 80 were of American parentage 90 OF
Irish, 16 German, and II English; 123 were
committed for petit larceny, II for grand lar
ceny, while it would seem that larger num-
Der was committed for vagrancy and general
depravity. The Superintendent divides the
boys into three classes: list, those who are
thoroughly vicious, who were born and brought
up in the haunts of vice, who use profane
and obscene language, and who are hardened
in crime; I'd, needless and lazy boys, homeless,
addicted to petty thefts and acts of meanness,
and who are sent thither for home; and "a,
boys who, having respectable homes, are yet
neglected by their parents, or who have lost
their parents and are led by temptation into
the commission of crime The report would
have been more complete had the per cent OF
each of these classes been given; for such
statement would be valuable in ascertaning
the tendency of the present generation of boys.
STILL it is said that the great majority are ig-
norant, INDECENT, and guilty They attend school
for two and half to three hours they labor
from seven TO eight hours a day, aud they re-
ceive moral and religious instruction during
the week and on Sunday They make chairs,
brushes. and shoes and they become as expert
as men, while they are by no mcans' backward
in study.
In speaking of the success Of the Institution
in making bad boys good the Superintendent
refers to the want of classification as being a
great obstacle. Those most vicious are asso-
ciated with those who have been simply ne
elected, and in this respect nothing favorable
is said but the Board has appealed to the Leg
islature that such classification as will do most
good may be established, and it is hoped that
a measure of such great importance may receive
the earliest attention. The contract system, by
which the boys are, in part, placed in charge
of those who may be wholly improper, is
another obstacle. A recent Improvement is
mentioned, which is the giving of the boys
excursions into the city and surrounding
country Since last July 366 boys have
been taken out by the teams in lots of
2j or 80 at time. They have enjoyed the
occasion much not one attempted to escape;
and the results have been in the highest de-
4 Ill, fr,,
ence, and with the cooperation of the law
making power, it is thought that a large major
ity of tile boys committed may become useful
to society.
The institution on Randall's Island is the
oldest of the kind in the country, having been
established so long ago as 1873. The number
Of boys received from the commencement has
been 12.s7s. At the close of last year there
were 061. The expenditures for 1863 were
sos, fJ1 ; on the credit side appears the sum of
S533SG % as having been received for the labor
of the boys and girls In the commitments, e81
were for petit larceny, % for grand larceny, 222
for vagrancy; 81 were Americans, 327 Irish, 70
Germans, 81 English, 40 Africans, and 10 ltal-
ians. OF boys there were 5S4, and the remain
der are girls. The cost of maintenance to the
State, after deducting earnings, is sGl EACH per
annum.
Here they are separated into two classes, and
the managers say that about three fourths of
the whole number are reformed So cheering
is this exhibit that it is proposed to make one
division more for the care of those least depraved
which will be q sort of graduating class,
and it is reasonably expected that many will
make such efforts that they will be advanced to
this class. To this end the bylaws have been
changed, and the experiment will be tried III a
part of the building, though not under as
favorable conditions as could be wished but
when it shall have proved successful. the
Legislature will be asked for an appropri-
alton for the building of another wing.
The Superintendent does not claim that
there is any easy, shorthand process for re-
claiming the vicious; but some teachers are
much more successful than others, for they
have a species of magnetic power to awaken
the conscience and affection of the children,
and to establish in them wholesome and pure
habits. leading and religious mind bestows
tree-fold training on the body, mind and
heart, from which result correct physical men
tai, and moral conditions and the New York
House of Refuge seems to have been blessed in
having men so endowed.
The managers make two suggestions which
are important. One is, that the institution be
provided with school-ship, in which, after the
boys shall have received a fair common school
education, they shall be instructed in whatever
lis necessary to make them skillful or at least