The record-union., 1896-12-01
REFORMATION OF JUVENILES,
Adina MitCheIpS Recommendations to the
Governor.
A Special Report on the Whittier
School, of Which She is One
of the Trustees.

A special report on the Whittier
State School, and considerations touch
ing the reform of Juvenile offenders by
Adina Mitchell, one Of the trustees of
the institution, has been received by
the Governor and will be appended to
the regular report as a supplement.
Trustee Mitchell is of the opinion that
the work of reforming the juvenile de-
linquents should be reorganized on off
ferent lines from those now in opera
ton, and that it should be one Of the
essential parts of the plan of education
and should begin in the public school
system, which if enlarged in certain
particulars would diminish the number
of youthful offenders.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
To this end there should be a system
of compulsory education. In European
countries, the report relates, this sys-
tenn has been long in successful opera
ton. All children from, say to IA
years should be required by law to
attend well-equipped schools, either
public or private, and their guardians
should be held responsible for their
presence under penalty Of the law. The
kindergarten and Sloyd departments
which are being inaugurated into the
public school system furnish proper
plans for the smaller children of GER
tain classes and is a most excellent in
novation.
A NEW IDEA.
The trustee contends that no boy un-
der IA years, and no girl under II
should be admitted to the school, CIV
ing as a reason that it is only in rare
and abnormal cases that children un-
der that age need the discipline of a
penal reformatory. There is at Whit
tier a large number of small children
committed because they have become
outcasts or their parents or guardians
have connived to get rid Of them. These
should not be in the school. 1t is not
the place for them and the important
question is, What shall be done with
them?"
This is the remedy recommended.
The Board Of Supervisors of each coun-
ty should be authorized and required
to provide Board Of Charities, one of
the duties Of which should be to act in
conjunction with the educational au
thorities so that provision for the per-
sonal necessities and educational re-
quirements of these children might be
met. This would keep the small chill
dren, as yet untainted, from being
thrown in contact with elder ones, al
ready stepped in crime.
TRUANT SCHOOLS.
To relieve the intermediate stage be-
tween children who are simply incorrig-
ible and those who commit petty GRIM
inal offenSes, there should be eStab-
lished 'Truant Schools" Primarily,
the report states, truantism is the cause
Of incorrigibility and youthful crimes.
and the matter is one which should re-
ceive the attention of the school au-
thorities instead of police or criminal
magistrates. Not until truantism leads
to actual crime should the delinquent
be handed over to the penal reforma-
tory. While truancy itself is not in
itself crime, it is the almost certain
road to crime. Restrained, corrected
and disciplined the truants should be,
but not by the force Of the criminal
machinery of the law.
The moment boy or girl enters the
penal reformatory, no matter what may
be the cause for commitment, they are
marked, and soon forced to a recogni-
ton OF the IaCl. Inere SEOulQ therefore
be established and operated under con-
troll Of the educational authorities,
truant schools, patterned as far as
practicable after those in successful
operation elsewhere.
SUGGESTIONS.
Many of the methods used in the
Whittier School, the report relates, are
already obsolete in the foremost reform
institutions throughout the land. The
| classification of the pupils and dormi-
tory accommodations should be i'm
proved. AT present the boys are all
housed in the main building, and the
| remedy lies in the establishment of the
segregate or cottage system for the
smaller boys and dormitory barracks
for the elder pupils.
TIL erection of new trades building is
thought to be absolutely necessary for
successfully carrying out the aims and
purposes Of the school, and in it should
be taught the fundamental principles of
trades and trades, rather than branches
| of the same. In the shoe department,
as an instance. the boy should be taught
everything connected with the craft in
stead Of one particular thing.
| SCHOLASTIC DEPARTMENT.
| The scholastic department Of the