The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-20
REFORMING BAD BOYS.
The Splendid Work Done by
the State School.
Hun IN soUALID HOMES.
Statistics Of the Institution Culled
from the Annual Report.
Causes of Committal.
snecinl to he Jersey Ctr Mems.

Special to the JERSEY City Neies.
TRENTON. March 20, 1S90.-The twenty
fifth annual report of the New Jersey
State Reform School has been submitted
to the Legislature. President Nathaniel
S. Rue says that the sooner an inter
mediate prison is opened the better it will
be for the inmates of the school, as there
are some there who should be under
greater restraint than it is possible. I'M
der the present family system, to en-
force. He hopes that the county author
tiles, who are not complying with the
law relative to the separation of jatls OF
minors from adults, will be reminded OF
their duty in this regard. IT they could
be made to realize the bene fits to society
that a compliance on their part would
insure he is certain that neither trouble
nor expense would be spar ed by them TO
do SO.
THAT this school is for juvenile delin-
quents is made apparent by the tact that
of 143 of those committed during the year
The average age is but a fraction over
thirteen wears, and hence the greater the
necessity for not sending to this place
those that should be confined In an inter
mediate prison, and there are many sucn
who are not only ent here, but are like
Wise mmlL TO INC 9bAbo 1lASon ~
want OF a more suitable place.
He further asks for a chapel at a cost OF
81, 1000 and a new family building at a cost
OF IS, 900.
A provision of the law governing the
institution, he says, should be amended
so as to make it the duty Of committing
magistrates to ascertain the ability OF
parents or guardians to pay for the main
tenance of such juveniles as they MAY
commit to the institution. Another
amendment recommended is one TO pro-
vide that no boy committed should pc
discharged before three years, SO that
they might be instructed in one of the
mechanical arts.
Ira Otterson, superintendent, in his re-
port, ~says:-From the reception of the
first boy, July 6, 1867, until the present
time, there have been q total of 2,O52 boys
committed to it. During the fiscal year
there were 145 committed. The number
gone out during the whole period is 1.6s0,
leaving 372 as nlnat at the present
time. OF the whole number gone out, so
far as we have been able to reach, or get
tidings of, we are pleased to say that a
very large percentage are industrious
citizens. He proceeds
ION the whole, we believe the greatest
source of trouble and danger to u boys
after going out from the school, lies in
the miserable, filthy homes, and in too
many cases the drunken parents, to which
Q4QL ~ w " NASSAA% ~
temptations of the street or saloon, if
boys could feel they had a safe harbor
into which to run for cover and help, in
good homes, in which examples of tenn
perance, cleanliness, honesty and industry
were set by the parents, we would, we
feel, have tut few boys returned; in fact,
as to that, If all homes were of this char
acter we would have but few boys COM
mitted to our care.
1--WE nave never gone into any of the
poorer quarters to look after a boys con-
dition. nor has visiting agent ever re-
turned from a visit among their homes,
in the cities, but there has been brought
to light dwelling places of humanity unfit
for the comfortable quarters of the lower
species of domestic brutes. Yet, in the
face OF all this, after trying to, and In
some measure succeeding in teaching a
boy habits of cleanliness, and when by
his proper behavior he has attained the
grade emitting him to go out, we often
feel obliged by the advice n influence
of those who should know better, to return
boys to these .unclean' abodes. We have
more than once seen boys shrink from
the first contact after being released, but
as in other matters, familiarity breeds
contempt, SO too often is it insthese cases,
the boy sinks to his former level, and
enters again the list OF criminals, or,
firing of his miserable home, quits it to
join the army of tramps.
of tho boys sent TO country homes, q
large majority do well, and we venture to
state that a comparative table of fnan-
clal savings would be greatly in their
favor.
"The school is crowded beyond the &C
-commouations. The electric light plant
has been put into operation.
''rhe offences for which the boys arc
committed are for petit larceny, go; break
ing and entering, 25; entering and lar
ceny, II; vagrancy and incorrigibility. 10;
incorrigibility, 8; assault and battery, 6;
disorderly conduct, 4; grand larceny, 8.
and false p%retenses, malicious mischief
ana arson, 2 each. Ninety-three Of the
inmates were born in New Jersey, and IL
il New York"