The New York herald., 1921-10-04

mission. forty-six reported that children
under the age of 16 years had been
detained therein during the year. Dur
ing 1910 the number reporting children
Of these ages confined dropped to forty
one. while in 1920. with practically the
same number Of jails as in 1905, but
fourteen reported that Juveniles had
been detained during the year.
The total number Of children confined
has also shown steady decline from
year to year. In 1905 the number of
Juveniles confined In the county Jails
was 1918. or over "a per cent. Of the
jail population for the year. During
1920 the number Of children detained in
tenths Of one per cent. of the total COM
nitments Tor the year. The greatest
number Of children confined in any one
jail during 1920 was thirty-two. as COM
pared with 1905, when in one instance
458 children were confined In one jail
during the year and 3s1 in another.
The foregoing figures show conclusively
that while the ideal has not been
reached q vast Improvement has taken
place.
The causes of this Improvement have
been many. but doubtless the chief factor
has been the awakening on the part OF
the public and the committing magis-
trates to the injustice to the individual
child and the danger to the State which
may result from placing upon boy or
girl the stigma of having been confined
IN Jail. How often has a boy been
placed in jail as result Of some boyish
prank which went little further than
it was intended or expected to go? To
place such lad in Jail and subject him
to the communicating influences of the
Jail environment and to the ridicule and
gibes of thoughtless persons was often
more Of a crime than that committed
by the boy.
Detention homes are now established
In most large communities and the mag
istrates In these places and In the sur
rounding territory invariably take ad-
vantage of the law which permits tenn
porary commitment of Juveniles to such
homes. Perhaps the nearest approach to
the ideal method OF handling cases of
Juvenile delinquency is that in vogue in
New. York city. Under the provisions
Of the New York city children's courts
law children charged with Juvenile de-
linquency may be paroled in custody of
the parents and except In cases where
the child Ii held on q charge amounting
to felony the child may be discharged
on the recommendation Of the probation
officer without the child ever appearing
In court.
Even In those communities where de-
tention homes are maintained 1t Is occa-
sonally necessary to send juveniles to
Jail. This happens infreQuently and only
In instances of apparent incorrigibility
where some boy or girl has persistently
and maliciously violated the rules Of the
institution. No child is ever transferred
authorities-public and private-have
tried by every means in their power to
bring the child to a realization Of the
consequences Of his or her continued
misconduct. Cases of this nature no
doubt require psychopathic treatment,
but until the day when psychopathic
wards have been established In all To-
calities the Jail will be the only place Of
detention available. There can be no
question AZ to tho good which has re-
suited from the moro enlightened and
humane manner Of treating Juvenile do
linouency, and II Is believed that within
few years Mt the most the practice OF
placing children in jails will be as
obsolete as the use OF the pillory and
the stocks,