The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1888-01-05
METHODS OF REFORM SCHOOLS
The Means of Observation-Disclosures Stats.
tics Indi INSTRUMENTATION.

The Means of Aneniment-What Statis
tics Indi INSTRUMENTATION.
! In the United States are about seventy
institutions designed for the reformation
of young offenders. Their inmates num-
Der more than 5000 boys and girls. The
| causes of commitment embrace nearly
every offense, from petty larceny to man.
slaughter. The means of amendment
employed include not only the removal
of the offender from the opportunity of
indulging his criminal tastes, but also the
teaching Of some trade, instruction in the
elementary branches Of knowledge, and
endeavor to form an upright character.
Concerning the success of the reform
school in the reformation Of those in
trusted to it, there is room for two con-
trary opinions. In all examination Of
the convicts of the prisons of New York,
| which was ordered by the Prison associa-
ton of the state in 1875, it was found
that Of the inmates Of the Sing Sing peni-
tentiary, 22.31 per cent. had been ''re-
fuge'' boys. AS the usual number of the
inmates of the reformatories of New York
exceeds 5000, it is plain that the large
proportion of them do not become In
mates of prisons within the state.
AS to the reforms accomplished, esti-
mates vary from 60 per cent. to IS. But
IN these percentages are included many
children who without being vicious, but
exposed and homeless, are received into
houses of refuge. The proportion, there
fore, of those who have served in reform
schools who are afterward convicted Of
crimes is small, not exceeding 80 or 40
per cent. Yet statistics indicate that the
influence of these schools in impreseing
evil habits upon certain class of their
boys is exceedingly strong. Of the 2231
per cent. of the Sing Sing convicts ex-
amined who had been in these schools,
SO per cent.-fifty- out of ffty-two-
were habitual criminals. Some light is
thrown upon the methods by which the
reform school helps to fix the habit OF
c:imina!ity by the following conversation
between a convict at Sing Sing and an
examiner:
''Please, sir, may ask you a Quee-
hon?' asks the convict.
"Certa;nly,' is the examiners reply.
''Why do they send boys to the house
Of refuge?'
Il suppose it is to teach them to be bet
ter boys
''That's a great mistake, for they Get
worse.'
''How should that be?''
II wouldn't be here only was sent to
the refugee
''What did you learn there that should
have caused you to be sent here?''
II didn't know how to pick pockets
before I went, and l didn't know no
fences; that's where you sell what you
steal, you know"
''What else did you learn in the way
Of tl,ieving?''
Il learned how to put up a job in
burglary
Another inmate-who at the age Of Z
stole fruit, and was sent to reform
school at Albany for nine months; at 8.
was found guilty of petit larceny, and
sent to the house of refuge; at 70, was
committed to juvenile asylum, and es-
capped three times in four days; and three
other times before reaching his majority
was sentenced to reformatories, and who
between the ages of 21 and Al had been
to prison no less than ten
hmes-remarked to the examiner:
Il never learned thing in my life in
prison to benefit me outside. The house
Of refuge IS the worst place boy could
be sent to-"
"Why so?''
"Boys are worse than men; I believe
boys know more mischief than men. In
the house Of refuge learned to sneak
thief. shoplift, pick pockets and open .
lock.'
''How did you get an opportunity to
earn all this?''
''There's plenty of chance. They learn
t from each other when at play Rev.
Charles +. Thwing in Harper Magazine