The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-09
REFORM SCHOOL FOR BOYS
THE vIRGrNTI PRISON ASSOCIATION
MAKES IFS REPORT.
How the Money App opriatsd by the Log
isIsture Hss Been spsnt-condition Of
tho institution nj Laurel Station.

The Virginia Prison Association.
through its president Major Robert
Stiles, has submitted to the General As
sembly its report for the past two years.
During this period, the report. says.
the association has done substantially
nothing. except to superintend Its re-
form school for boys which you so gener-
ously aided at your last session. There
are certainly other departments OF phil
anthropic effort within the scope OF our
| charter some Of which ouah., perhaps, 10
/ have received attenti0n. IL certainly
cannot he claimed mat our criminal laws
! are perfect. and yet there are good rea-
sons why the association has not sug-
gested changes in our criminal system.
/ In speaking especially OF the Indus
trial and reform school for boys at
t Laurel Station, which IS uhder 'he super
vision and control Of the association,
/ the report says:
The appropriation Of $1,000 given US at
| the last session for the purpose ~I erect
| ing and equippng workshops ana Duild-
ings for the use of our schooi al Laurel.
has been expended. save anu except
small balance. which We are about 10
invest in Il printing press anu o.her APP
paratus and equipment OF ilttle cost,
but likely TO prove great benefit to
| the boys.
The amount expended in addition TO
and equipment Of our original building
might perhaps have been appropriated
TO better apparent advantage II we had
felt justified in deyoting ii to the cree
ton Of one or more entirely new dormi-
tories, or homes. But. IN order 10 at
tain the best results and TO get really
the fullest equivalent for our outlay We
deemed 1t best to add 10 our original
building, and to supply it with certain
very necessary adjuncts a large bake
oven, new kitchen cement floors. etc.
Repairs and additions of this character
are apt 10 show up less. perhaps. even
10 cost relatively more than entirely new
and symmetrical work. As 10 this part
or our expenditure, therefore, though 1t
was In our judgment wisely made, the
apparent gain TO the institutions and
our own satisfaction are not so great as
in connection with our new Workshop
The Work shop.
This is a perfectly plain but very
substantial and admirably planned and
constructed brick building, adequate 10
meet the demands Of the school as
workshop under any reasonable future
expansion. and capable Of being used
meanwhile. in part as dormltory Tor
the accommodation temporarily OF our
growing numbers. When the increased
cost of building i'm the country is taken
into consideration, we question whether
IT would have been possible 10 have APP
Piled the amount which this building
cost to better advantage. 1t is located
with reference 10 q systematic plan Of
our property, kindly furnished US by
Colonel W. h. Cutshaw. city Engineer Of
Richmond, and will, as we hope, hereafter
fifty close in the rear, a system Of perma-
nent buildings appropriate 10 our pur-
poses.
Industrial Education Of the Boys.
The Industrial education Of our boys
has proven to be a matter very diff
hcult TO arrange satisfactorily. Two
possible plans or schemes suggested them
selves, the ideal one being the develop
ment Of something approXimatns TO
separate schools Of technical instruction
i'm the ordinary mechanical trades. This
scheme would. Of course. require large
endowment TO put II into practical opera
tiOn and we are not have not been, and
1t is feared will not for some time be
In such financial condition as to realize
this great desideratum.
The only alternative was 10 embark in
some manufacturing enterprise which
should be self-sustaining, or even mod
erately remunerative, and at the same
time afford instruction 10 the boys in
some trade or calling likely TO afford
them a support after their discharge
Upon advertisement of our purpose IN
this regard we received several PROPOSE
tons from manufacturers. but all OF
them involved our assuming 70 some
risk Of a partnership in the proposed
business. All such propositions we UNI
hesitaungly rejected and refused to en-
terrain any which involved uDon our
part anything more than furnishing the
use of our building and the labor OF our
boys, to be regulated and controlled en-
tirely by our Executive Committee and
the officers OF the school, in return for
a proportional part Of the profits OF
the business.
We have at last succeeded i'm making
very satisfactory arrangements, meeting
the above conditions. and for some
months past have progressed favOrably
towards the attainment of tho two OBJ
iects contemplated, the Improvement of
the boys and the accomplishment OF
something toward sef-support 10 may
be we'll &C. add that the boys are divided |
into squads or details for work; that we
cultivate the farm 10y their labor, and
also make the clothing ana shoes used
i'm the school. but that no boy works
more than six hours a day. and each |
ono spends certain hours OF day in study
and in recreation.
Difficulties Experienced.
Among the most important lessons |
OF our experience are the following:
First. We lack a sufficient number OF |
competent officers This is a want that |
can only be supplied by the accumulation |
OF resources adequate 10 the payment OF |
more liberal salaries. As the work and |
merit of the institution becomes more |
generally known we look forward 10 an |
improved condition in this respect, but |
the present usefulness Of the school is |
greatly bampered boy our narrow cir
Second our boys are too old and too |
hardened when they come 10 ms. They |
are upon the average three or four years
older than the inmates Of the British
schools. and far more confirmed in vice
and crime. We have Of late ATTEMPTED
10 remedy this evil by declining TO re-
c"iNe boys over sixteen years of age: |
they ought not 10 be- over twelve or four
teen when received. But the fault lies
mainly in the present statute which
practically gives us only actual criminals |
TO tfdlh. As above suggested, the law |
should make IL the duty Of courts and
10 commit TO our custody
any child which. If he remains in its
existing gurrotludip~s IL Iii,oI.. -