Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-08
CARE OF THE BOYS
The Superintendent of Charities
Submits Report.
SUGGESTIONS BY SENATOR MONEY
Views Of Judges Scott and Kim
ball Of Police Court.
PLANS RECOMMEN DED

Senator Money of Mississippi recently ad-
| dressed the District Commissioners relative
| to the establishment here of some institu-
| ton wherein boys might be placed instead
| OF sending them to Jail the workhouse,
or even the reform school. The senator re-
ferred to the frequent Incarceration of boys
under sixteen years of age in the Jail and
workhouse, the evil associations of those
| institutions, and the consequent moral
degradation of the boys through such i'm
| prisonment expressing much interest in
the matter and promising to assist in the
enactment of remedial legislation. The
senator's communication was referred by
the Commissioners to Mr. Herbert w.
Lewis the superintendent of charities of
| the District, who today submitted to them
| a report thereon.
Senator Money, says Mr. Lewis has been
correctly Informed upon the subject,
which, Mr.. Lewis adds, has heretofore been
given considerable attention with the view
to the development of some plan through
the operation of which commitments of
boys to these institutions could be pre-
vented.
March IT, 1899, states Mr.. Lewis. the
intendant Of the Washington Asylum
wrote to the Commissioners giving informa-
ton concerning about seventy prisoners I'M
der tWenty-one years of age then inmates
OF the workhouse for males, deploring their
presence there, and asking whether some
arrangement could not be made for their
reception by other institutions. Thereupon
the matter was given consideration, and the
Commissioners addressed a letter to the
judges of the Police Court stating that the
attention of the Commissioners had been
repeatedly called to the considerable num-
Der of very young persons sentenced to
serve terms of Imprisonment in the Jail and
workhouse in lieu of fines imposed upon
them in the Police Court, the testimony of
the officers of these institutions being to the
effect that they are not organized as to
be able to administer reformatory treat
| ment, and that the effect upon boys and
girls of confinement in them must be invari-
ably bad.
Room Occupied at Reform school.
Recent inquiry wrote the Commission
ers to the judges, has shown that not ali
| the room in the reform school available for
! boys from twelve to sixteen years of age
| has been occupied, the crowding at that in
stitution having occurred only among those
of eleven years of age and under.
During the consideration of the matter it
has been suggested that whenever child
under sixteen years of age is convicted OF
any minor offenSe against the laws of the
District, the penalty for which is a fine, and,
in default, imprisonment in the Jail or
workhouse, it would be within the authority
of the court to hold any such child for fur
Their hearing and direct that additional in
absence of salutary control and adequate
support in his or her home in order that the
court might come into possession of full
knowledge of the surroundings of the case
and SO be enabled to apply remedy less
Objectionable and more permanent than
fine or imprisonment; and that whenever 1t
should be found that the child in question
was homeless, or was deprived of adequate
support, was habitually idle and disor
derby. the court could direct the filing of
new information upon which, and the pres
entation of proper evidence, any such child
could be committed to the reform school or
to the board of childrens guardians.
This sort of action has been objected to
because it involves the possibility of Gus
tody during minority, and is thought to be
in contravention of the rights of parents.
1t is worthy of notice, however, that the
duration Of custody in the reform school is
wholly within the control of the board of
trustees, and that the average time for
which boys are retained in the institution is
but little over two years, while the board
of childrens guardians may restore to home
and parents any child committed to its care
whenever such action will probably be ia
vorable to the continued weHdoing of the
child.
"Of course. any such restoration will be
subject to the judgment of whichever board
may have the matter in hand, and not to
the whim of the parent or in accordance
with a predetermined sentence and will be
determined as to time by the conduct and
progress of the child and the condition of
proposed to return him.
These agencies appear to offer compare
lively good prospects for success In effect
ing the reformation of children, and the
Commissioners therefore, without any in
tention of interfering in a matter wholly
within your discretion, venture to indulge
the hope that you will exhaust every other
resource before committing children under
sixteen years of age to the workhouse or
Jail"
Judge scott's Reply.
Replying to the letter. Judge Scott stated
| that during q service of six months in the
District branch of the Police Court, he had
| observed that very many children were
brought into the court, who In his tudg
| ment, ought not to have been there had less
zeal and better Judgment been exercised by
| those making the arrests, or greater care
| in preliminary examination been exercised
| by those preparing the information. In
many cases, where the charge of petty Of
| lenses was sustained against children OF
tender years. and it being their first Of
Tense, he explained to them the disgrace at
| tached to a conviction enJoined on their
parents the duty Of parental punishment,
| and discharged the child In other cases of
fragrant violations, where proven, he COM
| mitted to the reform school the board
of chiidrens guardians, OF imposed fines
according to conditions. In the United
States branch of the court less number
of juvenile offenders are brought in. and he
| therefore had less to do with this class.
1T seems to me there ought to be con-
stituted some tribunal said the judge,
empowered to institute the investigation
you suggest, equipped rs t" make GER
tain and definite the object had in view, for
it is quite impossible for the judges to per-
fcctly do the work. So far as possible,
have always put into practice the course
you name, but realize what little can do
| where so much is demanded.
Judge kfmbaIFs Views.
! Judge Kimball doubted the feasibility Of
| the Commissioners suggestion. and doubted
whether it would be the best plan to adopt
| to relieve the Jail and workhouse of the
| custody of children. The Commissioners
| suggestion, he thought, would require the
| Judge, where a child under sixteen is shown
| to be guilty of any minor offense against
! the laws of the District, to postpone the
| further hearing without imposing a sem
| tence, and commit the child to the very
workhouse complained Of. to remain there
| until additional inquiry be made. concern
| ing the presence absence OF salutary con-
| troll and adequate support In his or her
| home, or to give bond for his appearance.
There ara many reasons wrote Judge
| Kimball, which could be urged against
| this suggestion. 1t imposes upon the
| judges, already overburdened by the heavy
work they are compelled to perform, work