The evening times., 1897-06-09
REFORM SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Judge Kimbalrs Views of How 1t
Should Be Conducted.
Sepa rate Family Buildings for White
and Colored Girls Needed-Laws
Need Revision.

Relative to the boys and girls reform
schools in the District Of Columbia, Judge
Kinball, of the police court, has writ
ten Senator McMiIIan, Chairman OF the
Joint Committee on Charities, a letter, con
tanning suggestions as to the future con-
duct Of the shcools. The letter is as
follows:
Dear sir: l have received your let
ter OF the Sd instant, asking me to make
statement of my experience Of the
workings OF the reform school for girls, to-
gcther with any suggestions | might see
fit to make as to the manner in which the
school can be made an efficient institution
Shortly after my appointment as Judge
Of the police court | saw the great need
of reform school for girls. and dill all in
my power to secure an appropriation to
erect the necessary buildings. The money
appropriated by Congress was, In Iny Juds
mcnt, not wisely expended, and in place
Of two family buildings, each capable Of
caring for fifty girls, but one was built,
which could accommodate only bout
thirty inmates, and no increase has been
made since the first appropriation That
| bull ding was speedily filled. There Is
| great need Of the erection at once OF at
| least two family buildings, one for young
white girls and one for young cOIored girls
| A ii is ROW thc one building is occupied
! by cuIored girls exclusively, and there Is
| no place To send white girls There shO uld
be an entire separation of the younger
girls from the older.
The judges Of the police count are fire.
| uuently very much puzzled to know what
! to do with giIls sent TO them for trial. TO
send them TO Jail oil the workhousc keeps
| tfen confined but short time, a nd allows
| them to associate with older women, who
! speedily teaCh them lower depths OF In
| iquity, so that when they are discharged
| they are worse than before. If, on the
| Of her hand, the court let's them go with IA
| warning tley get the idea that they can
| commit Offenses without feing punished,
and are speedily again IN tie tolls, The
| class Of girls Of which am speaking Caa-
not be turned over to the BoaId IF Chill
! dren's Guardians, as it IS q fficult. if not
| almost impossible, to find homes for such
| girls. The two iBstltu ons are intended &c
/ provide for different classes OF cases.
There are in the District q large num-
/ bcr Of girls just entering downward pa1hs
/ who could be saved by a properly sUn-
| Quoted reform school, but with tlsa pres mt
| In nstitutiou alone there is no POSSIBILITY If
| help I therefore most earnestly urge an
! appropriation sufficient to build at once
| two family buildings, and that a third
| building bc provided Tor in one year there
/ after.
There is great need of changing the
/ Law to apply both TO the girls and Toys
reform schools by which The trustees may
! be authorized TO grant tickets OF leave,
| rcvokabIe by the board. so that should a
! boy or girl show that he OF she is not
reformed the ticket could be revoked and
/ the per son rccommitted. The boys, Is
/ the regulations are now in force, can. for
/ good conduct, be discharged in a little
/ more than two years after commitment
| They are committed. when under sixteen
| until they arrive at the age Of twenty
! one years A boy committed at fifteen
| would be seventeen when discharged 10l
! good cone duct and beyond the age Of re-
| commitment. and no matter what ne dC IS
/ thereafter ne cannot be again sent 10
the reform school
This, in n V Judgment. is entirely wrong.
| l believe in a revokahlc ticket OF leave fo1
| good conduct where it is shown that there
I is a proper home to- 20 to, or one can he
| found him by the trustees or the ROa rd of
| Childrcn's Guardians, with the necessary
| supervision Of his conduct thereafter With
out such power OF recoInmitIBent up to the
I age of twenty-one years the discharge at
the end Of two years, in my judgment, aC-
gIired By my experience as a police court
judge, 5 il. most cases a mistake. They &c
back into the life, and many of them are
| speedily in the police court again and can
not be returned to the reform school.
Il thToughly believe that the girls re-
| form school should be continued, and by he
| erection of sufficient and suitable build
! inGs would become of great benefit to the
class intended TO be reached by it,