The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-08
THE YOUNG IN PRISONS
Report of Superintendent Lewis, of
the Board Of Charities.
A Plan TO Prevent the Association
of Boys and Girls With Men and
gesIed-"An intermediate Prison,
with an intermediate Sentence"

Senator II. d. Money. of Mississippi, re-
Gently wrote to the District Commissioners
relative 10 the general subject of the i'm
prisonment Of boys with men of confirmed
criminal habits. Senator Money. stated
that he had no bill TO offer in Congress,
but would introduce such a measure. and
seek TO have it passed II the Commission
ers would have one prepared.
The letter was referred to the Superin-
tendent of Charities for the District. who
this morning reported a bill to the Com
missioners which he thinks a legal solu-
tion Of the problem as presented in Wash
ington
In his letter transmitting the bill, Mr..
Lewis says that Senator Money is correctly
informed regarding the frequent imprison
ment of boys under sixteen years of age in
the District Jail and WOrkhouse. He fur
Their remarks that the subject has hereto
fore attracted a good deal of attention
with a view to the development Of some
plan through which commitments Of boys
to these Institutions could be prevented.
Mr.. Lewis then refers to correspondence
on the subject by the Intendant Of the
Washington Asylum by Judges Kimball
aud Scott. of the Police Court in which
the facts are set forth regarding the asso-
citation Of boys and girls with men and wO-
men hardened in crime in the penal iBsti-
tutiOns of the District These authorities
agree In saying that the present practice
in these matters call loudly for reform.
Judge Scott says in the letter quoted by
Mr.. Lewis that during the six years Of mis-
service in the Police Court he has ObSery-
ed many children brought in who in his
judgment ought never to have been there.
had less zeal and better judgment been
shown by those making the arrests. or
greater care in the preliminary eXamina-
lions.
Judge KimbaIl informed the Commits
sio1ers that in his opinion the proper
remedy was TO enlarge both reform schools
so that they can take all defendants who
ought to be sent to them. and provide 4
separate place 10 conhne minors commit
ted to the workhouse in default of the
payment of fines, and that in all cases
where minors under sixteen years of Sge
are within the provisions OF the Board of
Children's Guardians Act. information IN
der this act be filed and tried as in other
cases.
From the Superintendent report it was
learned that there were in April 1893 boys
in the workhOuse who had served nc less
than six terms in that institution, and
that the cause of their frequent arrests
was chiefly crap shooting and a general
disorderly course OF conduct due TO lack
OF salutary home restraint.
Mr.. Lewis after referring TO these Cpin-
ions on the subject. goes on to say that
the difficulty appears TO be not so much
in the want OF proper agencies for the
dealing with these children, as in the con-
ditiOns which produce in Washington an
unusual number of Juvenile delinQuentS. in
the demand for the maintenance Of a high
degree of good order in the streets and
public places Of the city and in the pc
remptOry character of the process by
which children are too often dealt with in
the PoliCeSCOurt
Mr. Lewis remarks that he has hesitated
until recently to propose a bill 10 provide
a remedy for the reason that other equally
important and meritorious measures, long
pending are not yet pushed TO conclusion.
and some of them are even opposed by
those who are always afraid of every
proposition to change practices long es-
tabIished no matter how little they may
be adapted 10 the accomplishment Of the
present purposes and because success in
such efforts depends very largely upon the
assistance to be derived from the support
CT the general community, which does not
yet seem to be largely available.
Concerning young men and women be-
tween inc dSto u SiAitIsH anu lNiL - years.
Mr.. Lewis points out that the practice
which is meeting with wide approval
throughout the United States. consists of
their commitment when convicted Of seri-
Gus o1enses, to an intermediate prison,
upon an intermediate sentence, from which
they may earn a conditioned release or
parole and fnaldischarge by diligence and
good conduct These intermediate pris-
ons are between the Reform School and
Pnuffpnfiary hal h. tn
most effective agencies in existence for
the reformation OF young criminals.