Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14
COST OF DETENTION HOME
Interestinw Figures for Taxpayers
Who Are Compelled to Foot
the Bills.

Detention home cost the taxpayers o.
Douglas county si1, S4.es last year.
On account OF the probation officers the
county paid out A.5O7.es.
The Detention home on Tenth street, es.
tablished to make effective the work of the
probation officers. incurred a total expendi.
ture for maintenance for the year OF Sc.
1884.
With an average OF twenty-eight children
in the home for the year, this represents
a weekly cost OF about S455 per child, or
$3.50 "a month. or ga a year.
The new Detention home, not yet occu-
pied, had cost, up 70 the close of 1903, a
total Of 81, 4oe.h. The total outlay author
lied for the new institution, by vote of the
people, is $4,000.
Above totals are revealed by the recently
submitted first annual report Of County
Comptroller Solomon. Adding together the
expense. Of the probation officers and the
old Detention home, we ave 81, 8l.e3, or
almost N,0Oo.a month for the whole year.
The number Of cases brought into court
by the probation officer and his assistants
was $50. OF this number sH were new
cases, and 4S we're old ones. The number
OF boys, appearing in court was Sis, and
girls 40. OF the total number SIS were
charged with being delinquent. $40 were
neglected children and 152 were dependent.
Operations of Juvenile Court.
Those committed by the juvenile court
to some institution or other numbered 4O7.
OF these 902 boys and 1874 girls were sent
to the Detention home during the year,
IS went to the Child Saving institute,
eighteen TO the Industrial School for BOYS
at Kesrney, seven to the Industrial School
for Girls at Geneva, elsven to the County
hospital, nine to st. James orphanage, Ben
son; three to- the Home OF the Good 'shep-
herd, three to Salvation Army Rescue
home, two to the school for the Feeble
minded, Beatrice; one to the Nebraska In
dustrial home, Milford; one to the School
for the Blind, Nebraska City.
The report of the prohibition officer
shows that los children were placed in
private homes; also that a large number
OF cases cared for wholly or partially by
the probation officers were unrecorded.
In October last the largest number of
delinquent children enrolled in any one
month at the Detention home was fourteen.
July was the heaviest month for total en-
rollment when there were thirty five chill
dren being cared for. There was a monthly
average of pupils during the year of
twenty-eight Those meeting the require
ments as to personal conduct and educa-
uonal qualifications are sent to the public
schools. and the rest are taught at the
home. During the year one child had pneu-
monia, there were a few cases of diph-
iberia, no other serious sickness.
On January l, 1905, there were four de-
pendent and fourteen delinquent children
at the home. On December 81, 1908. there
were six dependents and twenty-three de-
linquents, an increase OF eleven.
Six adults are employed at the Detention
nome. They do the cooking, baking, make
Clothes, washing OF smaller pieces, care for
the children, and teach the pupils detained
In the home. Each child shares In the
work SO far as its age and ability will
permit. The inmates are taken, at differ
ent times during the year. to art galleries.
lectures ana theaters. and excursions are
also organized for their amusement.
New Detention Home COminr.
Work of remodeling OF the old Green
homestead, Fourth and Bancroft streets. is
now under way. There is also being erected
on the new Detention home site n ho,,cr
house and a laundry. outside the main
building. IL has been found that even the
partition walls Of the large house built by
MT. Green are of brick and the matter of
remodeling is no small job. When the work
'snah be completed Douglas county will
nave one of the most complete institutions
OF its kind In the country There is TWEEN
ty-four acres Of ground surrounding tho
buildings, bought at what the county COM
missioners consider ar advantageous fig
ure' but some OF the tract Is unavailable
FOR any purpose other than to furnish some
sand' possibly. Years ago a quarry wal
rawLAA
WORKED on part of the property, but was
long since abandoned. There Ia a very fine
view of the river and part OF RiyeryieN
park.
Following is a tabulation OF the cost of
the new Detention home property to Jan.
uary l last: