The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-28

! At the present time there are nearly
| 400 inmates of the reformatory. These
young men are doing time Tor their
! first criminal offenses. Because of their
| age and the opportunities offered at
| the Hutchinson institution for a possl-
| BILE reformation from the life of crime,
| the boys are not placed in the Same
prison with the more mature conVlctS
and criminals. Governor Hodges re,
allied all of these things as he walked
through the reformatory few weeks
ago. Suddenly he stopped before
bulletin board.
'sWhat does that mean?" the COVER
nor asked Superintendent Amrine.
why that's the showing for edu-
cational advancement of the inmates,
ives the reply.
You don't say So" exclaimed the
governor. It's almost unbelievable,
isn't t?'
Record of Education.
On the bulletin board was the fnfor-
nation that 26 per cent of the inmates
of the .reformatory either never went
to school day in their lives or never
progressed beyond the first reader.
Nearly so per cent never passed De-
yond the second reader.
Less than 25 per cent of the inmates
passed the fourth grade of the common
schools.
Only 5 per cent of the young men
in the institution have received
common school education.
But one inmate among the 400, has
had the advantage of college course
For ten minutes Governor Hodges
stood and looked at that bulletin
board.
isn't it awful" he said. "And there
are actually some people who still
contend that ignorance doesn't breed
crime But say and the governor
turned to members of the penal board
who had accompanied him on the
trip "say, but there is a great chance
to do something here-and we will do
it, too
That was all the conversation about
the educational facilities at the re-
fornatory for that time, although the
governor looked in on the institution 8
school room and saw % or 80 whites,
blacks and MeXicans studying from
first and second readers and making
irregular and uncertain chalk marks
on the blackboard in their effort to
discover the answer to simple little
problems in the beginners arithmetic.
Sunday afternoon the governor was
again riding on the train to Hutch1n-
son. A state Journal representative,
who was with the governor and the
penal beard on the recent inspection
of the reformatorY, was also on the
train. Suddenly the governor turned
to the newspaper man.
I'VE are going to change things out
there at Hutchinson" said the execu-
tive.
How is that?" asked the reporter.
There is going to be a night school
at the reformatory and every boy and
young man who goes to that institution
is going to leave with the best educa-
ton that the state can possibly give
him in the months that he is an in
mate of the prison.
But you have no appropriation for
a night school," suggested the re-
porter.
THAT doesn't make a particle of diff |
ference" said Hodges. Those boys
need better training and we will find
some way to give it to them" |
Howe Youngsters Friend.
Senator ]. w. Howe, of Abilene, is |
slated to succeed NJ. F. Amrine as |
superintendent of the Hutchinson insti- |
tuition. At Abilene, Senator Howe is |
the friend of every youngster in the |
town and bought local newspaper that |
he organized a boys club and has made |
the organization one of the very best |
in the west. BY being a boy among |
the boys, by providing the amusement |
and entertainment that appeals to boy
ish ambitions and desires, Howe drag
ged the Abilene youngsters out of the |
pool halls and alleys. In less than six |
months these same kids were willing |
to fight for the boys club, because |
they knew it was their" club.
Now, Governor Hodges plans that |
I1OWS just the HldA " IctUOle the |
night school. The governor believes |
that the inmates-many of whom ran |
away from home to escape the school |
room-can be interested in the need |
of common school education under /
Howe's management of the institution. |
Figuring that the average man stays |
in the stitution about Is MONTHS" said |
the governor, Il think we can make |
some wonderful changes in the figures |
on that bulletin board by the establish
ment of night school. And the night |
school is one of the first things the |
n tor