Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-08
DETENTION HOME IS
SHARPLY CRITICIZED
Simply Jail, Not a Home, Says
Health Officer FIan-
nugan.
NO ESCAPE In CASE OF FIRE
Discomfort, Bare Walls, Inadequate
Supervision and Crowding To-
gether OF Juvenile DelinquentS
Give 1t Traditional Jail Character.

Considerable criticism of prevailing
conditions at the Juvenile Detention
Home located at the corner OF Twelfth
and Marshall Streets Is made by Dr.
Roy x. Flanagan. Chief Health or
fcer, in a report transmitted TO the
Administrative Board late yesterday af-
ternoon. IT Is expected that the re-
port will be referred to Mayor George
Ainslie by the board this morning. since
the detention home is directly under
his control.
In tho boys section of the home. DR..
Flanagan describes the institution az
simply a Jail. and as such declares it
to be a success. AS home or a place
Of detention under the best auspices. it
IS failure, pr. Flanagan reported.
Despite this fact In recent months
several boys have escaped from the
home. The girls quarters arc in slight
iy better condition. but improvements
arc recommended.
Perhaps the most serious complaint
is made against the condition OF the
windows In the boys section OF the
home. Several parcs OF glass are
broken out. and cannot be replaced
because Of the wire netting. while the
windows cannot be raised. In addi-
ton. tho wire frames are bolted
through from tho inside frames to the
OUTSIDE. ana III event Oh UEc lHtTe
rs no possible escape
TEXT OF REPORT OF
CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER
DR. F!annagan's report. which will
be forwarded to Mayoy Ainslie th!a
morning by the Administrative Board.
is as follows:
I'm response TO your request have
to-day. in company with Chief San
itary Officer Bowry inspected the Juve-
In nntn ion ratf I, N-tF-
shall Streets. Tho home Is located IN
an old dwelling. and, though it is kept
in as sanitary condition as its con-
s;ruction admits, there are q number
of points which l believe deserve i'm
mediate attention.
The first Is the bathing and toilet
facilities for the girls. One tub and
one toilet Is all they Lave. There
should be q shower bath for them and
an additional toilet. The boys have
q shower bath and one toilet.
There are 40 seating arrangements
worthy of the name In the boys quar-
tcrs. and the beds are insufficient as to
number and quality. There are sew
crul broken panes OF glass IN the
window OF the room occupied by the
boys. and, owing 10 the way In which
the window guards arc fastened. IL is
virtually Impossible to repair them, the
ineide wire frame being bottled through
TO the outside frame. The windows
cannot even be raised. AS far as the
boys are concerned. the house Is simply
jail. and as such /, liz u success.
AS home or place OF detention
under the best auspices. 1t Is fail
u!c. discomfort bare walls. made
quatc supervision and the crowding to-
Rether OF Juvenile delinquents Of all
degrees give II the traditional Jail
character, There are seven boys now
!ncarcerated-all bright youngsters
who cannot as yet have become in
corrigIblc.
There are six girls, all OF them
entirely too young TO be past rccla I'M
ing.
The lack OF facilities for proper
amusement and helpful occupation is
marked, and. in my Judgment. should
DO remedicd. The city should, ! be-
lievc do the little more that is necos-
sary TO change this place iron, a jail
TO home
The custodian ard his wife and
daughter are apparently doing the best
they can under the circumstances
They have no servants at present All
the work, even the washing. Is being
done by the custodinn's wife. with
such help as the delinquent girls can
be induced TO render"
(S!gned) ROY X. FLANAGAN
Chief Health Officer"