The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-26
FAvoRS A REF0RMATOR
sUpt. Ashmore Thinks 1t Pressing
Need in Chatham County.

Superintendent of Schools Otis Ash
more heartily favors the plan for the
establishment of a reformatory for ju-
venile criminals. made the subject of
one of the presentments of the grand
jury of the Superior Court and indorsed
by Judge Barrow from the bench.
In the line of his investigations, Supt.
Ashmore has made this question a close
study, and has reached the conclusion
that they serve a useful and beneficent
purpose in the administration of the
laws of the state and in saving young
offenders from lives of vice and crime.
Il trust something will be done in
the line of the grand jury's wise and
patriotic presentment," said MI. Ash
more, when told of the step the grand
jury had taken. In my experience in
the schools 1 have come occasionally
across boys and girls who NEEDED to be
confined in such an institution, end 10
be thus removed from the vicious at
mosphere in which they were living
into pure and morally healthful sur
roundings.
I'm the courts such instances are Of
frequent occurrence The officers Of
the law have two courses between
which to choose-either to send the boy
to the chaingang, where communica-
ton with hardened criminals in brief
time serves to make of him criminal
for life, or else to turn him free. Ger
tainly the latter course is bad enough,
but l firmly and honestly believe it is
better to let a boy of tender years, who
has committed a crime, go absolutely
free than to send him to a place where
his last change of ever becoming
useful and respectable citizen of the
community will be irretrievabiy lost"
Mr.. Ashmore does not think that
the establishment and conduct of
reformatory would necessarily be OF
great expense to the county, but he
does think its advantages TO the COM
munity would be almost incalculable
He favors the adoption of indetermi-
nate sentences and the release on pro-
baton plan, which have been tried
with great success in other states.
by this plan a boy sent to the re-
formatory may be released if his be-
havio has been good, at the end of a
stated period. He is then placed in
charge of some respectable person or
family, expected to exert consider
able degree of influence and authority
over him. If he continues to lead
proper life he is left at liberty; if his
conduct is bad he is returned to the
reformatory.
by this means the lad has always
before him an incentive to good and a
deterrent from evil. In healthfui sur
roundings, with the examples of good
men and women before his eyes and
with this punishment impending as a
result of departure from right living,
in a majority of cases he learns to
fcrsake wrong and cleave to the right.
AS he attains maturer years this has
become a habit of mind and gradually
he does the right from principle and
not through fear.
Il agree with Judge Barrow that the
present system of herding Juvenile of
tenders with old and hardened crimi
mails is horrible l sincerely hope and
trust that the movement inaugurated
by the grand jury will not be suffered
to languish, but that a reformatory, of
which the county stands in great and
pressing need, will be its final and
speedy result"