The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-06
GOOD PROGRESSES SHOWN IN WORK OF
 PARENTAL SCHOOL
Community Council Finds Former Avenue F Jail Ad- mirably Adapted For
 the Purpose

At the meeting of the postwar com fnunity council formerly the woman's committee of the council of defense) a number of recommendations looking to the better care and training of boys and girls at the Parental School and Deten- ton Home at Avenue F and Fifth street, were made and adopted.
 This body of men and women are bend- ing their efforts toward community bet torment and to the coordination of all organizations doing social work in Bir mingham.
 Mrs S. D. Weakley gave a talk on the Girls Training school and displayed sam ples of mending, hemstitching, crochet ing and other work done by the girls.
 The report on the back to the schoof' drive showed good results. One hundred and forty visits were made to the Powell school, the report stated, and as a result 15 children had returned to school.
 All women willing to help in the Big Sister Movement to aid girls who need guiding are requested to send their names to Mrs Chappell Cory.
 
 report:
 Your committee appointed to report on the Parental School and Detention Home begs leave to submit the following: The school has been visited number of times and we found there about 50 boys and girls-boys to the age of 16 and girls to the age of IS. Some of the' children were dependent children but the ma jority~ were delinquent and are held there juvenile
 "The place we found to be admirably adapted for the purpose for which it is used and with some necessary improve ments can be made a model home.
 we were informed that the city fur nished the building which was formerly the city jail The county and city boards of education, under the supervision of Dr. Phillips, furnish a teacher for the white boys and one for the colored boys, and the cost of maintenance, which is / the largest item is borne by the county board of revenue.
 Tt seemed to the committee that if the place could be made to look more like a school and less like a jail the cooperation of the parents would be more easily secured. Parents do not want their children to remain there as it is.
 From the standpoint of economy it would be well to keep children there who are found to be delinquent, since if they are sent to the Boys Industrial Home they must be kept there for term of two years at rate of $150 per year for each boy whereas if they are kept at this home they can sometimes be re- turned to their homes on probation after staying a very short time in the deten- ton home, thus saving large sum an- nually to the state.
 The committee found the old hunks formerly used by prisoners still in use. ,11o.o ;r fxxyr bath tubs for the 50 children, and an in- sufficient number of chairs and dishes.
 "In other words, proper equipment is badly needed and throuogh overhauling of the building should be at once begun if the place is to take on the appear ance of a school.
 We understand that showers will shortly be installed and the plumbing put in frst-class order
 ''We therefore recommend the adop- ton of the following resolution
 Resolved, That it is the sense of this r aeting that the community council of Jefferson county go on record as com- mending the splendid start for the bet torment of conditions among our depend ent and delinquent boys and girls and we commend the spirit of cooperation between the two city and two county boards that has made the work possible, and we strongly recommend that the fol- lowing changes are imperative if the work is to be effectively developed
 '1. The building should be put in san itary condition by painting throughout, screening, and putting the plumbing, in- cludng shower bath, in order
 "2 By providing further equipment, in- cluding beds in place of hunks. chairs, dishes, etc.
 '.3 A paid worker for delinquent girls. '4 Certain necessary partitions should be built.'