The morning call., 1890-07-22
RECLAIMING YOUTH.
Work of the Board of Prison Di-
rectOrS of California.
Rsrort Of President R. 7. Devlin on Various
Reformatory ard Penal Institutions
of the United States.

tory and penal institutions of the United
States has just been issued from the State
Office at Sacramento. MI DeVln was au-
th0TiZed by the State Board TO collect the
material for his report for the purpose OF
maturing the system of government, In
stTuctiOn and discipline of the Preston
School of Industry, to be located at or near
lone, Amador County; 10 visit similar III
situations in practical operation and OF the
best Tepute, and, by personal inspection
and investigation, TO acquire an insight into
the principles and workings thereof for the
information and benefit of The board.
INSTITUTIONS VISITED.
In pursuance of the object in view, Mr..
Deyln visited and carefully examined the
management Of the Connecticut State Re-
form School, at Meriden; Boys Industrial
School Of Ohio, at Lancaster; Illinois State
Reform School, at Pontiac; State Industrial
School for Juvenile Offenders OF Nebraska,
at kearney; House of Refuge, at Phila-
delphia; House of Correction, at Chicago;
Pennsylvania Reform School, at Morganza;
Lyman School for Boys, at WeStborOugb,
Mass. Reform School of the District of
Columbia, at Washington; Indiana Reform
School for Boys, al Plainield; PennSyl-
Vana Industrial Reformat0ry, at Hunting
ton; Cincinnati House OF Refuge; Illinois
State PenitentiaTy, at Joliet: Massachusetts
State Prison, at Charlestown; Western
Penitentiary Of Pennsylvania, at Ale
gheny; Ohio Penitentiary, at Columbus;
New ork State Reformatory, at Elmira;
State Penitentiary for the Eastern District
Of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia; Indiana
RefOrmat0Ty Institution for Women and
Girls, at Indianapolis; Minnesota State
- Reform School q 81 Panl- (1tN Prison
- Tombs " of New York; Blaekwells Island
Penitentiary aud institutions for the care
OF the insane
THE OBJECT IN VIEW
Having marked out plan Of procedure
Mr.. Devlin left no stone unturned to obtain
any aud all information possible from such
persons as he could meet as had given par
tcular attention to reformatory institu-
lions, and in the arrangement of his matter
lie divided his work under three distinct
heads, to wit: reform or industrial schools,
TefOrmatOreS or intermediate prisons and
State prisons. The objects TO be attained
are: o. The organization and maintenance
of a school OF industry in which instruction
snail be impaired by course of study SINH
lar TO that prescribed in grammar schools,
and to teach such industries as shall qualify
the inmates for honorable and pTOtita bic
employment. Boys between s and Is years
of age Will be admitted. They Will be
clothed in uniform, but not in convict dress
or stripes. The rules and regulations will
be such as will stimulate boy to obtain an
honorable discharge. q The establishment
Of refOrmatories or intermediate prisons
where criminals under a certain age may
be received, and, by system OF labor, edu-
cation and discipline, seek TO secure their
reformation, so that when they have earned
their discharge they may enter the world
again prepared to Withstand its tempta-
lions and to follow some legitimate kind of
labor and 81 To study the management
and discipline of the State prisons and
penitentiaries with a view to suggesting to
the board any Improvements that might be
advantageously introduced into the prisons
of this state.
A MATTER OF DISCIPLINE.
A careful examination OF all the Indus
trial Schools visited showed that the great
defect in the institutions managed on the
cUngTegate plan was that they lacked the
influence of family life, and therefore the
cottage plan," where the inmates are
divided into classes, according to size and
form, and from twenty-five to fifty placed
III q cottage, has been recommended, and in
some instances adopted. Rules are made
reducing, for good conduct, the time for
which a boy is committed, and the board
may, at it3 discretion, give a-bey an honor
able dismissal If they consider that he is
sufficiently reformed to justify the reward.
Or, worthy boy may lie paroled, and bound
by articles of indenture to some RESPONSE
bic person who will educate him and have
him Instructed in some useful art or trade.
If a boy is incorrigible he may be re-
tn sued 10 the court and more severe
sentence imposed. A boy in any
State Prison. undergoing sentence for less
than life, can, upon proper showing OF
good conduct, be transferred to the Indus
trial School. According TO the report, the
Boys Industrial School Of Ohio classifes
inmates, according to the offense, into three
grades. For certain offenses included in
the first grade, upon entering he IS deblted
with 1000 dement's, for the second grade
with 5000, and for the third grade with 1000
dement's. For good department the boy is
credited with ten merits day, and II he
has a perfect record for three successive
months he receives 300 merits extra. II he
gives information of an intended escape,
and II proves correct, he receives 800 merits.
When all Of the dement's have been can
celed he is entitled TO leave of absence for
four months, and if he continues 10 behave
properly he can have his leave-of-ab-
sence card renewed every four months IN
til he is Of age, but if he should misbehave
himself he is returned to the institution and
charged 1000 demerit marks in addition TO
the number originally debited against him.
The discipline is that of the family, school.
workshop and farm, and the boy has every
inducement and encouragement to reform
thrown around and about him.
THE COTTAGE SYSTEM.
a synopsis Of each schools plan of OPP
d
review of Mr.. Deyin's work, but it may be
said that in the reforming of wayward
youth, the cottage system where the family
plan has been adopted has proved the
most e1ficacious. One idea is to impress
upon the minds Of the inmates that they
are not felons, Outcasts, or inmates of a
prison, but that they are members OF
family. Each family is under the super
vision Of three persons-a man and his wife
who reside with the family, and lady
teacher. who also resides in the same build
ing. The inmates sleep IN single beds,
hich are always kept clean. The food is
Of excellent quality, prepared in the best
manner. The tables are clean and inviting.
Each inmate has two suits of clothes, one
for week days and another for Sunday.
Every Sabbath afternoon the pulpit is
filled by minister from some church, the
Catholic inmates being under the in
stTuctiOn of the Sisters of Mercy.
Corporal punishment is a last resort
above the hips. Friends can visit
the inmates. and they can write letters.
The use OF tobacco and spirituous liquors
is strictly prohibited. Bathing and clean
illness is obligatory. In the House Of Ref
uge, Philadelphia, the time allowed for
work, play, meals, attending school, and re-
firing Tor sleep, and which may be laid
down as a criterion, is divided into periods
as follows: From April 1st to November
1st, seven months: school, hours: WORK, Z
hours, meals, I12 lOuTS, ueY0tlOnS, 81
minutes play "a hours; sleep, 81
hours. From November 1st to April 1st.
five months: school, 3 hours; work, 8 hours;
meals, ~ hours; devotl0ns, 30 minutes;
play, 81 hours; sleep. 9A hours. Each
period is denoted by the ringing of a bell.
u concluding this portion Of his report Mr..
DeVlin says that the success of the school
will depend on the Superintendent An in
stitutiOn, well conducted, will run itself.
The Superintendent must be person who
knows what is necessary in the manage
ment; who will select proper subordinates
to attend to the details, and gently, but
firmly and numerically, correct any devia-
ton from the straight line Of duty. To
him, in a great measure, must be left the
question Of what trades must be taught,
and in this regard Mr.. Deylin recommends
such trades as require little or no machinery
for their practice, so that an inmate can, on
his discharge. earn living by his hands
without the aid OF costly tools.
REFCRMAToRIEs.
Mr. Devlin's report of his visits to the
various reformatories or intermediate
prisons, to be fully appreciated, must
no rood in dafail This class of insfi-