Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-18
PLAN OF JUDGE De LACY
Submits Draft Of Bill to the Com
missioners.
CHILD CORRECTION SOUGHT
Head of the Juvenile Court Discusses
at Length the Advantages Claimed
for the Institution Suggested.

a detention home" to tie located al
18th and f streets. to take the place OF
the present house of detention, which
Judge De Lacy called "crime against
childhood" recently. the judge has framed
| bill to be presented at the next session
| of Congress. Not much help is expected
from the District Commissioners. who
have left out of the estimates any men,
ton of new quarters to take the place OF
the present dilapidated house of detention.
Tho bill is now in the hands of the Com
missioners. who decline to make any COM
ment upon 1t. If the Commissioners
should ignore Judge De Lacy's request to
have the bill introduced the proposed
legislation will be sent to Congress by
Judge De Lacy, who has worked up con-
siderable interest in a new building. Sew
eral lawyers and other persons have been
agitating the subject recently.
Judge De Lacy believes that children
who offend the police regulations are not
all hardened criminals by any means,
and that the first incarceration Of child
by the big bluecoat has terrific i'm
preston upon the young one. Therefore,
instead of locking the child up in condi-
tions such as are now existing at the
house OF detention. through plain lack
of space and money, it is proposed to
have a thoroughly modern home with
a separate bedroom for each juvenile
prisoner. The home would have other
modern ideas. as Is shown by the judges
communication to the Commissioners:
Need for Custodial Care.
Experience shows the need Of provi-
sion for the temporary custodial care Of
certain children who only by the loss of
liberty can be made to realize what fol-
lows continued violation of the law. The
period required for this salutary lesson
would, of course, vary with the individual
Those periods are too short to permit the
child to be received In any existing insti-
tuition. Existing institutions properly OBJ
ject that the scope and purpose Of their
work almost always require longer
commitment of the child, certainly for
a period of at least one year; that to
receive short-term commitments would
conflict with their methods and lead to
Generalization in the discipline of the
children who are required to remain
longer in the institution. At the same
time the commitment OF any child, where
needed. should be for as short q period
as possible, both in the interest of the
child itself and the taxpayer who must
pay the bills.
ut is believed that for short terms such
q
viate the necessity for the long custodial
care Of many children who now must
needs go for an indefinite time to some
institution at the expense Of the COM
munity. The root Of the reason for the
bringing Of many such children into
home may be q broken home; the father
and mother have parted: one or both Of
the parents may be addicted to the in
temperate use Of intoxicating liquors. or
the parents. for one reason or. another.
may be negligent Of their duty to correct
the child.
Not . Criminal Commitment.
"a commitment to an institution for
Juveniles u not q criminal commitment.
Therefore. when the government IL called
upon to thus correct the child for the
want OF proper discipline in the home, it
would seem the court should be empow-
cred, In its discretion, to order the parent
to pay. wholly or In part, the expense OF
the care OF the child in the institution.
This power is now In the court in the
case Of dependent children. 1t would be
wise to extend It to the cases Of delin-
quent children. for the nurture of the
child Is the burden primarily Of the par
ents and not of the Community.
THE proposed detention home might
easily perform the dual function of caring
court and receiving all children arrested
who now go to the present house Of de-
tention. One institution could very we'll
serve both purposes.
Such an institution should provide for
the separation OF the sexes and allow a
separate sleeping room for each child.
Children of evil propensities should not
be placed together in dormitory. They
might eat at common tables, where, I'M
der the eye OF q skilled superintendent
and a kindly matron. rudimentary train
ing In table etiquette could be impaired.
Teachers to be detailed from the public
schools Of the District might carry on
ungraded classes, so there would be no in.
terruption in the school work of the chill
dren. At the same time, the space suggest
ed would allow both for a school garden
and 4 playground in connection with the
proposed home Of detention.
The present house Of detention occu-
pies rented building at an annual cost
OF $500. This is per cent of the es-
timated expense Of the proposed deten-
ton home. The present quarters are not
so well adapted to the work as would
be q specially designed building and,
moreover. the proposed Improvement
would undoubtedly answer the needs of
the District for the next fifty years. 1t
should be remarked in passing that chill
dren who have fixed homes ought not to
be arrested. except in cases of absolute
necessity. Such children OF known par.
eHt88c WOulQ Ordinarily RESPOND to the
Omcers instructions to appear at court
when necessary. In other words, It is
incumbent upon the community to pro-
vide for q detention home for the care
Of these juveniles, and the effort should
be to keep children out Of the detention
home and to minimize the use Of the de-
tentfon home as much as possible
The Proposed Location.
"The proposed location is most central.
easy of access from all parts OF the
District and admirably placed for the
quiet requisite for such home, while
light and ventilation Is assured by the
beautiful triangular park opposite the
indicated site. All the arguments for an
artistic, well located, well adapted public
school building are OF redoubled force
when We consider the need of q proper
detention home to care for the children
who are brought to court. Most of these
sadly need the ideals of the beautiful,
the good, the true. Imbued with such
ideals they must become good citizens.
'The Juvenile Court should not be To-
Gated In the same building with the de-
tention home. The crowds having bust
ness with the Juvenile Court, would toe
much invade the privacy OF the proposed
home and rid It OF it's distinguishing char
actefistics and usefulness. Besides, the
outbreak OF q contagious disease among
the children might render more difficull
| the efforts Of the health department &c
arrest the spread of contaeion.
| Recommendation for a building IN o.