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Un ited J*af,es Oepar.tmenb sf Labu'Childrenb Sureau

Pu$ticatian Nc. 226

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABORFRANCES PERKINS' SecretarY

CHILDREN'S BUREAUKATHARINE F. LENROOT, Chief

INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENTOF DELINQUENT BOYS

PART I.-TREATMENT PROGRAMS OFFIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS

By

ALIDA C. BOWLERand

RUTH S. BLOODGOOD

,*

Bureau Publication No. 228

UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENI PRINTING OFFICE

TVASHINGTON; 1935

Fora lcby thcSupcr in tcndqnto fDocumcnts ,Wash ing ton ,D.C. - - . - "Pr ice25ccnt r

.-*


This page is blank in theoriginal document.

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Libraryo Georgetown University

CONTENTS

Pag6

i,,etter of transmittal- -Chanter I.-Introduction- - - - - - - - --Obiectives

of an institutional programReiults of institutional treatment-G;;{[ of the *ov"ment to establish separate institutions for juvenile

offenders- - - -Scope and method of the studY-

Cbapter Il.-Whittier State Sehool, Whittier, Calif------ i.- Statutory provisions goveriring establishment and operation---- -2 . The phys ica l p lan t - - - - - - - -3. Plant valuation and operating expense-i. Ad-inist.ative controi' staff 6rgahization, and personnel-

' 5 . Admiss ions , capac i ty , and popu la t ion- - - - - - - - - - -6. Reception and assignment proeedure-7 . The bov 's l i fe in the ins t i tu t ion- - - - - - - - -8. Physicdl examinations and medical care--------9. Psychiatric and psychological serviee

10. Educational program-classroom work- -------1 1. Educationai irro[ram-vocational or prevocational work- - - - - - - -12. Physical education and athletics-13. Otirer recreational and educational activities- -14. Relieious instruct ion---15. Credit system and disciplinary measures--16. Inst i tut ion records----17. Parole and discharge18. Plant and program changes in recent years- -

Chaoter I I I .-Bovs' Vbeational School, Lansing, Mich- -' 1. Statutor.v provisions governing establ ishment and operation-----2 . The phys ica l p lan t - - - - - - - -3. Plant vaiuation and operating expense--4. Administrative controi, staff organization, and personnel-5. Admissions, capacity, and populat ion-- ---------6. Reception and assignment procedure-7 . The boy 's I i fe in the ins t i tu t ion- - - - - - - -8 . Ph5 's ica l examinat ions and med ica l care- - - - - - - -9, Psychiatric and psychological service

10. Educational program-classroom work- -- -- - --11. Educational frogram-vocational or prevocational work-12. Phvsical education and athletics-13. Other recreational and educational activities--14. ReliEious instruction- - -15. Credit system and disciplinary measures--16. Inst i tut iol records--- -17. Paroie and discharse18. Plant and prograrrichanges in recent years--

Chapter IV . -S ta te Home fo r Boys , Jamesburg , N. J - - - - - - - - - - -- l . Statutory provisions governing establ ishmerrt atrd opcration----2 . The phys ica l p lan t - - - - - - - -3. Plant valuation and operating expense-----4. Administrative control, staff organization, and personnel-5. Admissions, capacity, and populat ion- - ----- ----6. Reception and assignment procedure-7. The boy's l i fe in the inst i tut ion---------8. Physical examinations and medical care--------9. Psychiatric and psychological service--

10. Educational proqram-classroom work--------I l. Educational iro[ram-vocational or prevocational rvork-- - - - - - -12. Ph5'sical education and athletics-13. Other recreational and educational activities- -14. Religious instruct ion---15. Credit system and disciplinary measures--16. Inst i tut ion records----17. Parole and discharse18. Plant and prograno-changes in recent years--

III

I

14

6I

t2L 2t416r72 l24262&2932343638404l4344i a

52525356o l

6162636666676870727374/()t l

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r00101104109r 1 11 1 31181 1 8r23124129

:.


rv

Chapter V.-State Agricultural^ 1. StatutorY Provisions go2. The phvs ica l P lan t - - - -3. Plant valtrat ion and o1

CONTENTS

Page

5. Admissions, caPacitY' an6. Reception and assignmet7. The bov's life in the inst

3. Plant vaiuatron and ope4. Administrative control,

13. Other recreational and

8. Phvsicdl examinations and mr9. Psiehiatr ic and PsYchological

10. Educational Program-classrt11. Educational Program-vocati12. Phvsical education and athlel

3434.to39404445A '

50525t)5861626565o ,6972

- - . ^ - 1 .\ t t r l a _ - - - - , - -

14. Reiisious instruct ion-- -i5. b";;Ju il'[.ii; ;;A di.;tpri;;t ;;;;u""* -- - - - - - -16. Inst i tut ion records----17. Parole and discharge18. Plant and program changes in recent years- -

Cirapter VJ-goiti ln"dustrial School, Lancaster, Oh,io = ^-^-ii:^---- - -

' 1. Statutori provisions governing establishment and operatlon-----2 . The PhYs ica l P lan t - - - - - - - -3. Plant vl luation and operating expense.-----i. AJministrative controi, staff 6rganization, and personnel'-- - - - - -

5 . Admiss ions , capae i ty , and popu la t ion- - - - - - - - - - -6. Reception and assigntnent procedure-7 . The boy 's l i fe in the ins t i tu t ion- - - - - - - - - -g. Fttysicut exaniPations and medieal c&re--------d. Fsvchiatric and psychological service-.

10. Eciucational program-classroom-*'ork - - - - - - - - - -

ii: E;;;;ii;;"r b.oEiu*-vocational or prevocational work--- - - - - -

12. Phvsical education and atbletrcs-i3: bti;;-6.ieational and educational activities--14. Relieious instruction---lf. C.",i'it sysiem and disciplinary me&sures--16. Inst i tut ion records----17. Parole and discharge18. Plant and program chang-es in recent years---

Chapter VII.-Recapituiat ion &nd comment'sr.-:------ - --

Siriirt"tv p.i"uiuio"t goi;"""ing establishment and operation-- - - -

/ o/ t )I 6R '

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293302

Provided by

report, and

the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

UNrrpn Srerps DppenrupNr ;;*l_"iffi.^",

Washi'ngton, December 22, 1934'

Meoeu: There is transmitted herewith pglt l of a report.on Insti-

rurional Treatment for Delinquent Boys. 'l 'his scctton ot the leport

i."f.^^o"tti"ufurfv *iin t5e plants anh progranl-s- of the five Stato

;;;it"ii;;;;hi;i *"'" i""i"h.d i.t th" stud!. The second,prrt u'ill

;";;i;-;; uo"l.vtit ;i ttf cases of delinquent bovs who had been

""a"t care in thLse five institutions and had been released 5 or more

vears prior to the time of the study.'"tfr."p..iit"i"ut' ptu"s for the studl'^u ere prepared under the lupel;

,i.ioo 5f d;r R.'Hunnu, d_irector b{ tL. Social Service Dir-ision of

ih; -Ctild;;'"'"

g ut"uul- uof H arri.on A. Dobbs, _ associ ate .professor of

;;d;;;;*tl" tn" 3.hool o{ Social Service Administrat]or_r, Univer-;iw;ibhi""do.- Atia" C. Bowler, then director of the DelilquencyIriii=i""

"i iE" Ctiini.n ;s B u re au, r{'as in_cha_rgq ot,t he .developmen t

of the studv. \Tith thc rssistance of Kuth S' I loodgooct ot tne

Dilision's staff, she has written the repor-t'""iti, J"tl;j;'r;t;-"i;a ioi study u-eie srate insriturions which are,"u.".""iuti"" of it""i^*t program. being administered il various

;iii l;^;j ']h;;;;;Gt.--lt *u." not expecied that conclusive judg-

ir.""t. .*fa Ue pu..eh'ot tttu results of. these pro$lfmfr but it is

b;lG;"d-;hut 1165.i"afi as this can give some indication of the

;;ffi, ;"4 aim""iti"r i"5.te,nt in them. " Although more.money and

thousht should be spent on prevention, treatment will stll l be neces-;;;,-.";;d;;;"d t"';;;sidei objectiveiv what is being done and howfi;'J,;;;.;;f; p";s";- can be tested iir the li 'es of ildir-idual boys."-bh;-a

[i],1.0",i g-u.; ;" -aclno"'ledges

*'i t h I ppre ci ation .the cordial.uou".ot io" 'ot t6" matry- depurtments,-agenciqi , and individuals. inthe'several States and in the United States Gorernment, In glvlng;;;; t" 1.r""ti"t .ont""* of information. .To .the s.uperintendents

""ii"it i" J;fi ;;;ters of the several institutions it is especially

indebted for their cordial cooperation throughout'Respectfully submitted'

Kernenrup F. LnNnoor , chieJ.Hon. n'neNcns PnnrrNs,

Secretary oJ Labor'


INSTITUTIONAT TREATMENT OF DETINQUENT BOYS

Part l.-Treatment Programs of Five state Institu-tions for Delinquent BoYs

ChaPter I.-INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES OF AN INSTITUTIONAL PROGBAM

In the besinninE, institutions for delinquents,_ whether.they were

f"t T"r""ii#"11""%a-rffi, *.t" conceived to be pla-ces for the punish-

;;;t "l

rnalefactors or ior the safe-keepulg_of dangerous persons'

Then the idea that removal from the evil influences ot a bad enYl-

;;"n.;;"*;;ra n" rtai]"t a""a"p"a. TI earlier days, when the word,,treatment" *u. u..dl iir *.u"lig *as limilgd. It"signified kindly or

";;f i;ili"s oi thulhila"uo i.r

"-r"tody. _ Today, among specialists,its siEnificanc-e is closelv aki:r to, i[ not identical .urth' the meanlng

"f tt E wotd "tteatment"" in the field of therapeutics'"- p""i.fr*"nt did

"ot.L.* to do juvenile delinquents.a great deal of

noo J,'--"S""i.t.v, i"t".".t"J'pri-d"ily in sel f-piotection,^ applauded[ustodv but iecognized the temporary qualrty ot lits enect'lveness.Societv also had occasion to observe that the after eHects oI the pre-

;;iti# t6;" "f

*rtodial care are frequently worse than the originatmiscoidu6t. But permanent custody seemed an absurdly rmpos-.iUf":u" lvell as e'xceedingly expens"ive-solution save for a ve-ryiiilii.a l"*n.t'-of L.ti"^-"""*rui. So "refonnation" became the

;;;h;";d oi ttt" "o--ittiog

courts ald institutions' But' it was;;;i;; i" t"tt in Eeneral termi about reforming boys than..it was toformulate and pul into effect, a pr-ogl.am that would actually. accom-;li;i; tli; .iJ.' itt"t"fore a p.tiod "of experimentation ensued'"'Brii 'r.ir;d rpp;;;;Aii-lto'b.li"t.d tldt ' igid.disc.ipline, prcferablvof * -iiit*"v'"nd.i,"t"i'*o-ta ilp" out bnd aid inculCate good habil,s.Otil";; ;a;-l1y enttruiiastic,-weie con-vinced that life in the country,close to ,-,'atrr"e, *o"id io*6horv result in bringing about a.spiritullt."iuInutio". Ott

"t. *eie certain that a first-class academic educa-

ii;;;;ld effeciivety reshape behavjor patterns.. Still others were

""* inJ? if'. l"y! *ui" gi"-"" industrial. traini-ng, taught trades,

;h;;;;rld;o-"ho* be."uUi"a to stay within the bounds of acceptedmodes of behavior.-

1'["" i""titutions that emphasized one or another or some com-bi"aiio" of th.." types of lraining came into being' There werei"Jii"tl""J where ffis ti"ea togetfre_r i! large.group-.undcr.a liSid,;;;ili1il;y ;Ait"u, ;["." boy. "*ut"hed to and- fro in long,.shuffiing,;i1"[t ii";: wh-""e it

" oot-,il exuberance of health-y boyhood was

;;;;;J;-i'"ptu*"4 it the name of reformat'ion' There were otheri;?;it"t#d#n"ru boys lived in small segregated groups in the country,

1

:


2 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

engaged daily in agricultural pursuits, with some time given to aca-demic study. There were still others where great emphasis wasplaced on industrial training. This particular type bas had such avosue that the term "industrial school" has come to be almostsyionymous with "institution for juvenile delinquents" in thiscountry. Unfortunately this type of institution frequently showeda tendency to specialize in teaching a boy how to do maintenancework for the institutiqn, in the interests of economy, without suffi-cient consideration as to whether what he was learninq u-or,rld be ofany use to him on his release. There seemed to be r belief tliat workin itself would cure behavior ills.

Whatover the type of training emphasized, practicall5 all insti-tutions for delinquent boys recognized that it rvas expected that theywould "reform" the boys committed to their care; that is, that theywould turn "bad boys" into "good boys." Recognition of this astheir purpose is evidenced by the unanimity with rvhich ilstitutionsmade the claim that amazingly high percentages of their bo1's "tnadegood" on release. But eyen a superficial acquaintance with some ofthe State schools for delinquents would have revealed to the inquiringmind that no clear, far-seeing, well-defined objectives governed eitherthe individual or the joint thinking of the stafTs actualiy engaged inoperating ma,ny of these institutions. Confusion arose when it be-camo necessary to resolve the general pupose into specific objectives.In other words, just what wa"s this pioc6ss of "refbrmation;'? Didit mean handlin$ court-committed bbys in such a way as to reduceto a minimum iscapes and violatiois of rules and-to produce asmoothly running institution?

For example, some of the so-called " training schools" were fine showplaces. Viiitiirg boards and committees siw paint shining, floorsicrubbed and iolished, beds unwrinkled and ipotless, lains anddecorativo flower beds'in perfect order. They saw qiriet lines ofuniformly garbed boys, grouped by size and ageion dresi parade, andoften they"Iistened apiriovirigly tb a brass bind ofiering^ a perform-ance to s6ow "what ioluta be"d'one with bad boys." It irav-all haveIooked well to visitors-except, that a few who ieally knerv "and caredabout bovs must, have wondered what was EoinE on under thoso sub-dued ext6riors and whether the permanent-effect of so much repres-sion and regimentation would plove beneficial or the reverse.

As a mafter of fact it did occur to many people, both inside andoutside the institutional field, that a large and shorvy institution rvascertainly not the main objective of the ivork in hand: that the indi-vidual boy, not the institution or the group, should hold the-centerof the sta{ti. Interesting experiments b6gario appear here and there.Repressioi, harshness ot dis-cipline, and

-mass handling began to give

way to moie positive methodi of control and more in'divi-dualizaiionof ireatment.

- Social research invaded the delinquency field and found

the soil fertile. There was much talk of "c&uses of delinquency."Scientffic studies threw some lisht on the connection between socialconditions and delinquency. To such movements the developmentsin the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and mental hygiene havegiven great impetri in re"cLit y"ears. ilut despite the progress that[ad b6en made. the delincuelcv committee

^of the While House

Conference on Child Health and Protection reported in 1930 that"there &re now'in existence State institutions for delinquents which

+i.


INTRODUCTION

represent almost eyely st?gg- in the development of principles an-4

il ;td;|" ",

f ;;;;r_."T ior rffif ar* -ro*-i

t t.,l fo, i n,q f,iril,iqn ai care.', I

Today, to be in agreem.nt wiih tire most pTogluj:i",E lh:lglt among

sraff members il ffi;ifi;i";r'6 delinqueirt 6oys, .the objectives of

ilih ""-ioitii"d;;;;;t

b. a"ttiiU.a sorirewhat as follows: An institu-;i"" f;;;ii;q;;; b"F .-"i-tr t* the,purpose of reeducating .thei;di;d;"i ,[irJ"i"trl#tt.a-to-itr care by rhe court. Reeducationhere means *";;iing;;A L.ouaut pa.le.ener than any amount of

improvement or increase in tiit "t"a"mic

iiistruction oi vocationalil;i;il *f,irn in;dii"i4""t

"LitJ is to receive. rr means resh,aping

nir-u.[-"oiol. puttu*r. It, means giving thoughtf"l -"1J91!ion to his

"rdhit"r-alm.Jti.- io thelnE tU"ut- np

--1{.3,t1i"=. healthvil;;i;;;l ar".iopment as well ,as g{gYth in mental equipment or

manual skill. it^-ruos givir-rg tne ci;n an oppor-tunilV to meet' and

L?ilrirr"" lii, ,od.r con"troltJd. gog{itions,.iribrder that he mav beiid#?Jr"Jl"" ledirecred and .fiilfi"i" u6t'r"ioi 'nuoogls that'willil;iifi"tigi- i;i:;q""..'p["Ele to others. It also implies makingoulte *t, o.ror;h"lr;;irâr.a that he has acquired sufficient reeduca-

;'ff;;;ffi;'trr, lig^F#b n.im to make those personal and socialadiusrmentr tnailiitt be 4ggest;ty if he !t !o lead a-fuller,-\apqiert

;ri* fr;i*tii.-ru;;A ii_il i;-io-""oia those conflicts *nich-naaoreviousfv Urouitrfhi"\;;d ;""1d again bring.bi.m, into conflict with5"Jr.i" i,id i; I";;;'*io i*plv that"all these thinss can be done for;ilîl'"Ji,i"ria^ U*"io ;id;.6il r."ii1y -nagrantly.

" Re-alisticallv the#.rii"'irili'l"t*r. is to discoJer-;;;f bovst utt6t. and 4abilities inrelation to tfte social -ttt.t"", uod thuo to go as far as possible in each

case towuta Uriiaing "p

u il;r;;"lity cipable of satisfaetory self-

direction <rr.rnont tn soe,ia,l cognized as the

? - --

"":n',n'ifilJi?,'#1ff*Ti"t*iri:i;&,1'"'fouth,ir:il"€*f&flth ;i ;L iltifiiJn, -ot

Ttr "r*tiut. .publii. agencies, sho.q[d should-er

;il;rp";lbiii# tr'r *siSti"g in" "niia

durinf the first {ifrcult weeksand monthr

"i-'udi"r6;tin the- communily to which he retulqs.

For life in thai;;il#ii/difi.*H *uoy.rJential features from lifein even the mo#i.l;;l;fiottit,rtio4*, qnd the-transit'ion irs noteasy'ffio"*#"f,lfT;il ltti *u*. communitq' from,yHqh thelov came, thechances u,r, ouris;;;fiGl thu tu*t d'estructive influences a*d fo19e9which were ro"iti"U";i;;f";6; i" Utinging about his original conflictwilt still be operative."

tior"iv ;rG;il;Jhr.r developn, ents with t"tP,g:t^1o, institutionalobiectives a,re i[.

"n""giog uttit"ies towar-d the child and his bebavior

#|;iffi. -l;"il"k

"iffg *mr to reach the point,where i! w-qs

i#J#ffih,r:hu;";Aiig-;n%.* ofiro*', su.ch as steali"g' TYIl,kc&uses * ororrr;;r t["sê und.erlyigg pirysical fevers. A ph.ysician

d.oes not treat'thr l;";tl tio tt.uts tie pnytrcal disorder ofwhich the

fever is one -dpil;."^ i"iitia iuitrio"ihe psychiatrist and the social

worker are atterilfii& to g.i u*ay fron the tieatr-nelt of the offense'

Thev seek to discover and treat itte psycho-social disorder of which

that specific act is bt! u sYmPtom.' --x';;';-1il.;l""ti.ir-#ort'.-io- ondersta+d and -help the juvenile

delinquent, rvorfers-regarded and studied the child as ? more or less

ir J" tth ild rii ;;i;;. - Tfru

"pp to *tt, *

"s b e comins more

-scien tifi c, bu t

t Th" D.lirS*nt Child, p. 298. Wbite Eouse Couferenco on Child Eealth and Protection' Century

Co., New York, 1932'


4 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

the nhilosonhv was stiil circumscribed and child-centered. Inevitablythesie studiis" led to a realization of how inextricably the child is

"*luaa"a in the social fabric. This in turn pointed to the necessity

of widenins the sphere of interest of the institution. Ib bccameapparent tflat an institution could hope to approach its gorl onlywfen it was able to *nderstand and help each individuat chtld com--iti"a to its care. This could be done only through a careful,.v-putn"tic, but' scientific study of the child. , Such a study would

"ir".ia"r the'child not only in relation to himself but also in relation

io utt t[o." factors in his Lome and in his comnrunitl- $-hich had hadu ourt io shapins his previous behavior and would ivield a po$ erfuliniluence in deteiminiis his future.

When the individual" child has becn carefully studicd,. treatmentbelieved to be appropriate to his situation may bc der-ised'-.But,a".oit" tn. tdoui."t made bv social, psvchological, attd ps.vchiatrictertur.h in recent years, theie is stii l^too .little- l;no$ledgg.oi rvhat-*ti". a particular"human being do the things he does.. There{ore,anv treatment plans, based on

-however thorough a study, !)ust' as

v"[, U" constantly observed in progrels and. carefuliy modified or[nu'"g"a if they fail to work the changes for which they were designed.

RESULTS OF INSTITUTIONAL TRDATMENT

If, then, it is agreed that the primary objective _of injtitutionaltreaiment'for de[frquent, boys is io to r6eduiate and redirect thesebo.Vr u" to enable them to ret]urn to normal 5ssif I living.frqe o{ super-

"i."io". it becomes pertinent to inquire to what degree existing institu-

tions 'are

achieving success in approaching that -go.al. A need toannraise the results of institutional treatment of defnquent, boys rni6t'm" of fact exists. In the words of the delinquenc.y committee ofthe Whiie Elouse Conference on Child Health and Protection:

There is verv little authentic information available in this or other countries,ueu.Jios1t"-ierutt. of parole. Nearly every institulion makes its claim, butiirEre

"lu-i*r "re usually iuperficial, moit of them based on couduct durinq the

o"rioA-of rrurole, or in iome cases, only on conduct immediateiy following release[o-11" .o-*"riitv. Adequate findirigs can be hed only years after release;,i"n-n"A-i"gr--Gt t.t".e.durily trace"many winding ways through Iong andsystematic effort, at great expense.z

Now and then during the Years some frankly thoughtful individualin the iuvenile-institutibn group has expressed doubt as to lio$' manyA ;hu' 6oys subjccted to"institutionai treat,rncnt. are perrnanently4"io"-La"" or iinubilitrt"a. But, no large-scale-fntrsn:1ive study .ofd;;;-r"lt; of institutional treatment, was oi record. A limited stu{fof the subsequent careers of 103 boys who had been committed to theWtritti." Stdte School in California in 1917 was made in 1927 byot-"" E. Knox, secretary of that school.3 Most of^the boys had beena*uv {.o- the'instituti6n and had been released from paro-le 99per-

"i.i,i" for some time. All of them were lcnown personally to Nlr. T(nox,

""d -u"h information was procured directly from the bovs themselves.

Oiti"'' dat,a were obtained {iom probatron and parole officers_and fromot-t

", om"i"ls and individuals, largely by correspondence. Mr. Knox

felt that returns rvere fairly 6om"pte1e 6n 80 ol the 103 cases. Tbe

3 lbid., D. 320.i'f"ii,'nrEi,i E.: Follow-up of 103 W'hittier State School Boys Ten Years after Admission' Journal of

luveniie hesearcn, vol. 12, nos-. 3-4 (September-December 1928), p' 261'

"1-;


INTRODUCTION 5

returns indicated that 58 percent had made adjustments that couid

be rated as aYerage ot t.itt"t than avc-rage success, 4 percent had

;a;"p;";-ua1urtfiru"f. Lut could hâLdly le rated as total failures,

and 3g percent, rru,r'""-il i"t"Uty failetl and_had.repeated specific

ffil*;;g;;il. "

fhi; .-"t[ JraV ias presented-as "suggestive,rat'herthan conclusive", and the hope was.-expressed that more rnt'enslve

-i"Ji* *iif,Iarger ";;t;;.;fi""*itu

delinquents might be carried

out,, both at W[ittier. and elsewhere." il-iSiO-Shelclon

""a bt""""i T. Glueck made available in "500

C"i-i""i Careers', tii;t;fitr;f iheir research into the bistories of

;i0 b;F ul}a yotog "i"n

it'tt" n"a been committed to the Massachu-

,"ttr-ii"tor-aiory,"whohad spent so_me time under treatment, there,

;;";h;h"Jb"#giv;Lu n"irt discharge at-least'- 5 years prior to

ifr" .i"au. Thev f6"nJ tir;t;? the 474"parolees.abou1 whom in{or-

."ti""-it". ;bi;t;;;;;i- percent "wcre officially ]<ngwn.t'o have

committed serious breaches of palole conditrons, lnclu.dlng,tne com-

-i..i"" oi tt"* c.i^"i-;; Froni data obtained on social adjustment.rt."o"""t to discharge fronr-parole it was apparent that 333 (almost,

sb ;i;."r) "f

tfrl"+iE"-* uio"f *hom such data were proeurablerr"a'."--itt"d

-;fi";;;.-that were either ofiiciallv recognized or were

discoveled by the investigators-.4"'fir.." finains.

"h"ii;?;d--ti.e "o-placency of both professional

o",rî"-r) gi"iiir]"*t ^l.ii-l;d

ur."êd'that reformarories really did

r"forn,, oi p"iûn";tii- -;;h"hitita

te, a. f ri rl.v subst antial,IroPortiono{ t l re

'bo.rs rrn, l 1-orrng t t rcn conit t r i t tcd to thcrr.care' , l l i { ,constr-

t , r te, l , ,1r, i , , . t "

.ontpi&. t" t . t .ul of . the.proport ions opt imist ical ly-u,,a,r,-*., .o,'-oolil"it*d ur instituti6nai-treatmenl "successes";;; ;i;iluilr;-]" lo"""ii"pott" or in connection witb superficialt 'surveys." 6

"tniJ'Uu**achusetts study had been_ concerned with ildividuals

ola""Tn .v"".i, "oa.otl..qu*tttly

in experience, than those wlth rrhomif." l".titrti"Lr iot i"rdnile delinqu'ents weie working. . Only 8. ofthe 506 cases about,-whom age in{ormation was avarlable were less;il;;i6 )';;"14; the time 6f th.it reformatory commitment' Theaverage ige at conrmitment was 2O y-ears-. -Mor.eo.ver' the relormatorymethods 6f treatment were markedly diflerent lrom those rn vogue;t;;J of t5e instii.,tiotr. for youngler delinquents. Thereforg, then;;*g;

"f tfi"t.t"ay co.ld not"be aisumed torepresent the.probable

ort.ofru of treatmenl in the training schools for juvenile delinquents'Y"iin"l"ttu"u of drawins conclusio"ns from incomplete data had been

""i;i;i ;;t.6

"lcutlv th;t it might u-ell give pauie to €nyone about'

i;;;i"- a belief or a"claim that fu to 85 percent of the boys rvho pass;[";;gh ltui"i"g ."hools for juvenile delinquents -qhe successful.""iltTi:"ri-""i. und .lo not again come into conflict with man-madelaws.-

The temntation to draw- a much-to-be-desired conclusion fromio.o-pllt"-6"ia*"." seems to be irresistible. Althgugh_parole serviceil;t;;;i ;"ivei.ulty so inaclequately supported tha[ close acquaint-ancc with the actual daiiy life and activities of all pat'olees IS Impos-.ili", th.." claims of sucdessful adjustment are often based solely on;ht;t;;;ption that all parolees aie "get,t'ing along all right" unless--,

Cto".t, Sl"non and Eleanor T.; 500 Criminal Careers, pp.85, 16?' 169, 184. Alfred A, Knopf, New

York, 1930.5 Ib id . , pp .4-6 .


6 r'rvp srATE rNSTrrurroNS FoR, DET,TNQTIENT BoYs

their rnisconduct, has happened to bring them to the attention of theauthorities anfl to oc."=ion their rettrri for parolc violation or theircommitment to another correctional or penal- institution in the homeState.-

St,rai". of this kind can lay no valid claim to being a representationof the ultimate results of t6e treatment given. The arbitrarl. timelinft necessarily set for the purpose of t-he studv automatrcally Je-;ilt;i. ihe;*,i"-g of. the nnaings. Some boys that u-ere havingdifficulties during ihe period cov6red by the iesearch observationsmav eYentuallY ieach a reasonabl-y satisfactory adjustmcnt. Othersmay go along"fairlr- rvell during ihe observation periotl l 'eratrse nocombination

"of circumstances happens to occur that lrit. tlreir par-ticular .weak spots hard enough fo breah through. - In otlrcr words,these studies make no final aiswer to anything. Nevertht'lcss, the_yshoulcl provide a useful basis for an anaiysis

-of treatnicnt nrethods

currentiy used, with a view to initiating modificatiols or lle\\ nleeslllesthat seeii to oiTer more direct progress toryard the avo$.ed objectives.

rn" study rvhich 'rvill be describ"ed in thrt".report v.as undertahen inthe belief that an analVsis of the results of instrtutional treatment of<lelincirrent bor-s u'hich"rvas bascd o1 patient,, thorough,,intorsir-e, a.ndesteniir-e fieltl ' irrvcstigrtions u-orrld bc.genrLinely use{ul to. institut,iontnanaqements nnrl to 6liters interested in methods of treating juveniledelinauencv.

A fi"ld rinit of the children,s Bureau followed up and obtained in-forrnation about the subsequent, careers of 751 boys who had beenuncler care in five different State institutions for juveniie delinquents.The descriptive nraterial, the statistical analyses,.Sn$ sqch interpre-tations as ieemed warranted by careful study. of all the data are pre-sented herewith. l'or converuence rn pubiication and in use forrelerence plrrposes, the report- is- issued in. trvo parts. . The first part.o"tui^ (in the sii ehapti'rs following this introduction and a briefitut"*"ni relaiive to m6thods used in the study) a description of theolants ancl treatmcnt proErams of the five State institutions ineluded,i"if

""rioi" commenti on"facilities and trcatment methods in use in

institutions of this character. The second part is devoted to a morodetailed account of methods used in the field investigations, to _pre-.."iution of the statistical analyses of the case-schedule material, toai."u*.io" of possible interpretations of th-e analyses, to illustrativecase studies, artd to generaf tomments on the findings.

GROWTH OF THE MOVDMENT TO ESTABLISH SEPARATEINSTITUTIONS T'OR JUVENILE OFFDNDDRS

The first separate institutions for the treatment of juvenile offendersin thls count'ryo were knou'n as houses of r-cf-qgg, qnd.ryerg estab-lished in the cities of N.ew Yor\, Boston, and Philadelphia in 18.25,1826. and 1828, respectivelr-. Some authortties considcr the Phila-delphia institution historically the second, bec.ause^in Roston therewai not a sepafrrtc building ior juveniles until 1837. Part of theu"it,ri"e o.".riri.d by the holse of correction for adult offenders hadbeen uid to hotrse ihe iuveniles until that date.-

tn" movement for the establishment of sueh separate instituttonshad bugun as early as 1819 in New Yorh City, when the Society for-o

S*"ruf *".I" existenco in Europe. See The Care of Destitute, Neglected, and Delinquent Children,

by Eomer Fo lks , p . 109 (Macmi l l sn Co. ' New York ' 191L) .

-t


INTRODUCTION I

the Prevention of Pauperism, reporting on conditions at Bellevue

Prison, stated:^-;Tr;.;l; one great school of vice and despera!t-"1,;-:,t$ confirmed

and unrepentanf, criminals we place these nolrces-rn gurlt-tnese un-

i*;o[;;;'[1a.u" r"t- 10 to 14 years of age, who -from

ne'glect' of

oaretts. from idlene..'o" -i.Ltt"i", huo" b6en doomed to the peni-

ientiarv bv condemnation of l&w." -"'filir'.J&"i;;;;ii"r;a-its study of the s.biect and in 1823 came to

th;;*i;;ioir ttat pauperism and-vice "ooid

be considered mainiy

;;; t" i;;iii"* *no|u "'nii[;-h"d

been delinquent from al early

;;;. 'Th;;t.*ifi"g

""i.* .."*t to itu"" been that poverty and crime

;:; t^b,;"""fi;;;i&;? i"Jt.l" n"man ch-aracter. These investigators

;;;; il5|r;Lu& "o-ai.iuot

g6*pre of rhe recognitio-n that was to

;;;; ;i ;h.;";;;"ti; ""a

."6-rt factors.underlviig delinquencv and

;;i-;,";;;f ilu p*.*i_duy. idea rhar,it is to-some extent poverty

and its attendant, ";;i;;?t"'d

utogt"t that begel-delinquer'rcies' In

;"f;rrh";;;p;;of tl"society it was sho-wn th;t the most dang^ergus

;"i#;"[;i"th;ia;t"rrua ["".,o oeglecred, untraing_d boys of the city

streets, vasrant ""i

;i;;-to- pe?ty thi'every' How to reach this

ilqr'il;;;.;h;;;";i.il iu.v uia io sol'e' -In

this same vear thesoererv reorEanlzeo

"r'i1'. $".i"iy iot the Reformation o{ Juvenile

ilii"{";;t'.:- A ""*-ilI..

*-ur ippointed to prepare and report. a;lil'il;;;-i".1itrii"" i"r i"".rit"'dfl"trde_.r, -and. ine opening of thefiSiitftt n"'f"*" * i;";;tv 2r, 1825, resulted' As ther-e were 6 girls

#;;"th;s "fli1itl"-bti"dh;il

by-the police as the first' to receive;il;;1 ;d."";;-i;.tt"ii",i,'tr-' " "dcei.ity

for separarion of girls and

il'.;;";-fu;"di"t"ly;;;; ;;d a. '"pu*te building was erected foririd

""iil' *iiffiiil; ;".";:"'3t;;;*iion'of sexes was n-ot effe-cted in the

;T;f. ;;;' ;ilii;;;li;'t i"Jtitu tions- unt il several veart la-t e r'Importance *u, uiiu"rruJ5t fi;4 1he New York

-aqd Philadelphin

t"#;tilii"i. t"o'oi"iai"g care for dependent and ne-glected. childrenii,rr" ,".i".'iir.;iyi;b;;ffi" a"ri"q"""ti. Five types of c1ses, lnclgdingil.- a*p"na.ot!, *"r"-ii.i;J bt iti" committee- under rvhose guidanceih; NJ;^Tlrf. gor." o1-n"f.igu was established, as those to receive;;;.1"i" il'ii"a;p-hd;-trh;?it was placed upon the fact that theii"i.. oi i'.fng" w.a's not a flace of punishment,8.-

ffr... ear.liist instrtutrons we'e ialgery local in cha,racter, both int"rrlio.i ."ri.a and in source of frnancial suppo-rt. Those in Boston

""i^F[i"a.rpllu *.." municipal enterprises

-and remained such {or a

;;;il.-;i;i"t" etia" from'a small ippropriation ol-$2.0c! bv the'sffi;;; iSti;;d

""tl"i*o1tt"r State funds,^the New York House of

Refuge was supported by private funds during the first 5 or 6 years'' 1.1" ti.p.. ..'e:'..1. To furnish, in-the fiIs1 p]ace, an. as}-lum in which boys under a certain ag€, who

*iti ;i:.T','l::'"; :hi;:i5:;r'fiT"**ili;;'Hl,n;1-"',1o11'.",1 ',%'i'.-ll;l.'i:i:lii-"'$'l'i'if":'i'%'!'Jf-i'3:

ilil*i:*tt{r.l:;d"1"-i*;*il'-:lI'*'*:"tts*i!pg*"-v'iq:1i{{q+,t';"fld1;:il:fi*fffl$;1*f'""r.l3r;rli*ii"'#"'J"#f;t#_*'liilllx"*1,*rr*,T{i{';1l;f'l'ift:.#s1'.ilJ.{}*'#f;s*"xffis+*;*":."?#ll:T'8itfi:3i j,'1Jifis13$'1i!: +L

-iiitiii'i'] coooiii"' oir'o o; t'riiii'ai!'ri"'g'lioi"-piii*' oi-trb expiratrcn

gi$i;;:ln"f::J:lgiT*llf;*it fiii,""t';lll:"*l X,':i."i:'H:ii:.liHl?.X11'JilXi:3iif'j:1S f"T#''"1[11]3;1%:ttr"tf'?$;iit'HL'.1,'gf#'"glgtiiP;di;l]l;3,T:$3.'** :'.":'":'::':l,b€€n

Yirtuous'"

-H1.I"""'$$'$:i#''r'. -*ry'V#*.j:i*::il'il i#i!!:"i,91".8iffH;il;i3lt f3Ji;'':ir;ittil:ll*::i.'li'J""i"l$i#nTlf*5y,,'tryitlitlst',fel,tlg:?;ii?i#i"rfl*".1-lL$,$fl-!ffi;i{i{i{n##*lt}:ll:"it$i"S.:Xi;;'f,$tri$+ii;"'"%W"m,ltf'.nifJ.l'lffX#"i3f;il3iT['3frf;Sil1p . 2 r 1 .


8 F',IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

It then became a State and municipally supported institution. Lqgalauthority to receive children from iny city6r county in the State hadbeen Eiv-en in New York as early as 1826, so that the territory servedwas n-ot as limited in New York as in the other institutions'

The administration of the New York and Philadelphia institutionsrvas under private control, and it is of significance- to note that itremained so in the New Ybrk House of RefuEe until 1931, and thatthis is still the case at the institution in Penisylvania u-hich is theoutErowth of the old house of refuge.e The establishmcnt of othermuiicipal institutions, Iikewise calldd Houses of Refuge, for the careof iuvenile offenders 6ontinued, and such institutions l:ere reportedesti,blished in New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and St. Louisbetween 1845 and 1854.10 In the meantime, in other sections of thecountry the movement, for State provision for care of jur-eniJ.e delin-quentiin institutions was starting-, and its growth through establish-rirent of such institutions strictly inder State managenlenb u'rrs rapid.The first of these was the Lyman School for Boys a[TVestboro, Mass',opened in 1847. By 1865 s6hools had been 9pe4ed in Mtssachusetts,liew York (Westein House of Refuge at, Rbchestel), Peq+sylvania(Western at'Morganza), Maine, Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, NewHamoshire. TVisconsin, and New Jersey.

A ieport'made in tg0O for the Interirational Prison Congress listed65 reformatories for juveniles (including some private and local pub-lic institutions).rl

The American Prison Association reported in 1933 that there werein the United States a total of 111 State institutions for the care ofiuvenile delinqucnts; 52 were for boys, 50 for girls, and 9 for bothboysilnd Eirls under the'same manasemlent,.r2 Ail the 48 States and theDistrlct of Columbia have institutions for jyY"ql" delinquent{r, .'Twoinstitutions, one for boys and one for gltp, tinoyn as "NationalTrainins ScLools". provide care for iuvenills ii the District of Colum-Training Schools ", provide care for juveniles in the District of Colum-bia andreceive ali6 some committ'ed for violations of n'ederal lawsoutside the District. Sepalate i'lstitutions for Negro.boys are main-tained by scveral States. In a few States no provision is made forthe carebf colored iuvenile delinquents. In most of the other StatesNegroes are cared ior in the inst^itutions caring for white children-in some cases in separate buildings.

It is impossible in this brief slietch of the -development, of institu-tions for juvenile offenders to trace in detail the changes in theoryresardins" the programs offered in the treatment oI young personscJmmitt6d to these institutions as these chanEes occurred' Neitheris it possible to give a full account of the gra-dual separation of these"es'th"ough res"ervation of certain institltiooj- for boys only or theestablishmeit of separate schools for girls. This would necessitateoutlining to some exient the history of various individual institutions.The stat'ement can onlv be made in Dassing that many of the earlierinstitutions, private, local, and State^, care-d for both -boys and girls,some providiirg separate buildings for the boys and the girls, others

, Glu. I\{i l lr S"hool for Boys. maintained by the State of Pennsylv€nia and the,City of. Philadelphiaunder a Driyate corDoration.

- For changes in the New York l louse of Reluge see p. 136 of this report.

r0 t,ocdl public i botb cit y an.l county) and prisarc inst itutions have continued to bo a part oI 1 tle pro-gra mofinit i iutionat treatment;fjuvenile delinqu'cnts, and ot l,he present t ime there are a lnrgc number ofsuchinstii;aio;i. AtiniJrepori, ho*ever, is cdncerned. with Staie institutions, furtber detail regarding othertvoes has not been included.-"ri-Ctrrtton.

f. f .i fuienite Reformatories of the United States. Ilouse Documonts' vol.01' Dp.227-228'Washinqton, 1900.

t-st"tii^tib Nritional Penal and Correctional Institutions of the United States of Amcrice and Canads'compiled by the Ameriean Prison Association, New York, June 1933.


INTRODUCTION 9

aarins for all in one building' The.first S.tate institution for-boyi was;h;S-t;;;;;f;;;;"[;;il"i'r"v' (qo,rv the Lvman school for Bovq)

;hi;h;;.-""*;;fii.h;J;; rlt'tbt'g, ryass', in i847, a' has been stated;

and the first separatl-strt" ilrrtid"ti* for girls'was the Ildustrial$"fr"rli"" Clit.,

".tu[Ulfr"a i" ttt" same Stat"e at Lancaster by a law

;iî8fi- At ah" pt.r""t ti-e all except 9 States maintain separateinstitutions for boys and girls.13*iil;"st"d

S"h6i i;;B;;J at Lancaster, ohio, whic\ oqened in

tS;d:";";l; " i"*i"g poi"-t i" in. general plan foi such institutions'

i;;:#;';i;;u"r i" ui'i'ig the-cotta[e plani that is, rcll!i19]v small

"liir-hi "h;G"s io,i,;il? i.ptr..J ?t dtot'i.t.r congregate method of

housing. This ventu;;"1;6;tit"tional cute raisdd -a

controversiali#.

"? tu-;hi"h;; th;;;t; ;ffective method of treatment' t!"

cottase or the "o"gi"gul;

pr"". - ttt" former l''as become ggner-aily

#;;?;d ;';h"";fi;i;.ti"au'a, although a few state institutions;iilfir;; tfi

"ooer"gut" plan, and iir some institutions the cott'ages are

;fu[; *t t" pi""Tae ii. eff6ct congregate housing'

SCOPD AND METHOD OF THD STUDY

The studv of institutional treatment for deiinquent boys, undertaken

b"'ih; ihif."."[Bd;;;i""i"a"a (1^).a study oi the plqtts and treat-Hd;ffigr;;"f * i"f

""t"a g"o"p- ot'i".tituiions for delinquent' bovs,

""J iz'l &'.u"" ttudvli a gtofip 9f bpvs. who had undergone treatmenti" ifr-"'i*lii"tions"selecifd, and wh6 had been released frrm super-;'iri"" #;it;il;;id;i"" 6i a period sufficient to permit- a demonst'ra-ii.i:"

"itr'li"^;i"t ;# ;;;""iit ;d j u_stments th it might reasonablv

fn ".opi.a

as indicative of their piobable future careers'""F;'";t; 1,]; J"ti;ilL; ;";h;d'oi studv included -q -I1Fit of severald";l;'";;h

"iin"i"rlit"ti""s by memb"ers of the Children's Bureau

:,;',fi ,' "d;;tr- tU"r"-"i.itr-

"u""tui observations were made as to the

if.,1ii.#i-"i?tri;; ih;;i;"autar or care, the training program,ândtfJ;;;#"ffi;Jph;;;;i til instlurion. Data were obtained from;ii; ?;;;;d;;;a iff;Gh i"i"""t"*. with members of the institution#;fi ;;;;"i"g tn" pivsicaf plant, the program -being .carried out'

"i,,a t[" p"iia"E uoi iitir"

"i tt. inititutibnsl Information was also

;;;;t"d" iolu" u" p*rifi", io rno* how the nresent institutional pro-giiii.iin"; ft"*it;;"-"k.ii"g rt the time the bovs included in thecnse studv ,u"r" u"o"d1"r1;;;ffi""t.- In connectioi with obtainingi"""ri""iit.ti"i-t* lnu

"uro study one.of .the investigators.-spent'

;;;;[";;bl" "taitl"""t-time-ai

each institution. - It was possible to;;;if";;li;i;;;i";'il; ioiu"

"u"tigr pen-od as shol'n bv the record

Jtua?. thi;;A;;;];;;?r"", *iitr"t"g niembers rvho were_there at thatii'it]' tn" rfl?riJg"-"iiir -t .U the institutions generously coooerated*"ile ;;;p;;"ti,;;"ii.i,".i"r ;';!J?ii"* req"uested' Annrial andspecra,t p'nted ,"pori" ,;;; ;;t;"ited.for material' The statutes ofit"-h1'""St.ilr ";6t"

*"i"*"d for the information on larvs governingiil"

".t"fii.hment and operation ofeach institution'*

rhl;-;;ft1;41.;ii;g ;ih tn" p. tu."t' and program","i ll9 schoolsthem;;lv;;;-ut

"r "o itlt""."G'being an eihaustive treatise on theii;ffi.'"i't .i*pi' prêsents a geleral.picture of each institution asi;;b;;;*a; a;'i"A ;;;ffii'"tv-u'i"t oiJit, to field norkers trained in

ililolnoEG.sippi, Nevada, New rlampshire, Nortb Dakota' Pennsvlvania' South Dakota' Utah'

and vermont.

nl

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown Universify

10 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

methods of observation and having considerable experience in con-nection with delinquency problems and institutional life.

For the case study the method was that of an intensive follow-upon each case. This included obtaining data from records and personalinterviews with locai officials, the boy's family, and the boy himself .Data obtained covered the boy's preinstitutional history, his institu-tional treatment, his parole and postparole history, and }fs situationat the time his caso w'as studied. From the boys intervierved an ex-pression was souEht as to their attitudes toward the institution and itsirogram as it ap-peared to them during their period of care.'

T:he followind State schools for delinquent-boys l'ere selected fortbis study: Whlttier State School, \4rhittier, Calii.; Boys' \-ocationalSchool, Lansing, Mich.; State Home for Boys, Jamesburg, N.J.;State Agricultural and Industrial School, Industry, N.Y.; and Boys'Industrial School, Lancaster, Ohio.

The original plan had been to select only schools which rvere quitegenerally thought to have developed programs of especially highstandards along progressive lines. It was soon realized that a studywhich proposed to show the results of institutional treatment of delin-quent boys rather generally should include schools that would berepresenti,tive of thi varyiirg standards of care and training givenbi State institutions throughout the country. Selectio"n wasinfluenced to some extent by this consideration.

The desirability of representation for the various sections of thecountry was also considered. At the outset it had been hoped toinclude 10 schools, which would have permitted of wider geographicalrepresentation than that, covered by the 5 schools finally included.The curtailment of this original plan became necessary because ofthe considerable timo found to be required for the case studies ineach State. This accounts for the fact that no schools in the South.Southwest, nor in that section of the country lying between th6Mississippi and the Pacific coast were studied.

Institutional population was another factor entering into the selec-tion. It was essential to select institutions in which the numberplaced on parole during a specified period would yield a sufficientiumber of'cases in eadh State so tfiat a]l cases sludied might bereasonably comparable as to length of time since release from institu-tional supervision.

Only iiistitutions operated and maintained exclusively by the State,and caring for boys only, were considered for inclusion in the study.

Selectio'ns for the case'study were made on the basis of 150 casesof boys who had been released from institutional supervision o\-er acompbrable span of years from each of the five institutions. Becauseof the differences in policies and legal provisions relating to dischargefrom narole in the different States the selection ll'as made so that theperiod between leaving the institution the last time and the beginningof the field study in each State would be comparable. tr'or the institu-tions in Califorhia, Michigan, and Ohio it was possible to make theselection by means of taEing cases discharged irom parole 5 yearsor slightly more preceding the beginning of the study in the respectiveStatei. In New Jersey and New York the period between the boy'siast nlacement on narole and the date of studv was the decidins factor.

All cases were ielected in chronoloeical order from either- lists offinal discharge from parole or lists giving date of last, placement onparole. The only exclusions made were cases in which the bov's

t

Provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown University

INTRODUCTION 11

death subsequent to release from the institution was noted during thecourse of the studY.- -

E;;* unori *u". *uae in the case study to obtary as acourato anda"tuif"i i"f;;;";io" ubo"t each boy as wai possiblo throug| rngpection;i;;;;;dr ;;d thtongh interviewsl tne iilerview with the boy was;.;;Ja;-u"a tnu nfi4 agents. spent ̂ untiring effort in many_;9-1t^":i" t"r"id b"y; u"d obtui" iitervie#s. Sourcesbf infornationincludedin. t."otar""t ifi-i"rtii"tion and rec-ords from the followiqg: Tocaliuvenile courts; ad.ult, courts; State and local bureaus of identification;tt;";ii;;i^ild

-;ah.t i"rlitutions, mostly .correctional or Ppnal

i"Jitlrti""i i" *uich subsequent care was.-given. rn coilununitiesil;; social-ser"i.. **.i""g.t *tte o-peratin-g' cases were. cleared.todetermine whether the boy or his family wPs known to socral agenclesuitl.r-p1iot to

-or-subs6quent to his institutional commitment,.

H.r"i.ai;i;U ;.girt.ti"g agencies rvere not ins.pected,"lyt. those ofug.".i.r which nilght bJ expected to gbow- evidence of delinquencYproblems were always

"oo*oiiii. .-fF boy's immedjate ?amily;;il6t"i;;.d i; ;fl c&ses in which it was practicabl" io do so.O;[;;;]uii"* frequentli gave valuable- assistance in furnishi.pgsupplementary d;#;;d-"i""locating_the boy and his own f3-ily-."-tr;;t;;;i"; .*.t.ir.a by tbe fie]d agentsnot to embarqss in al,'** tnr Uoo o. hirl;*iitby Jtutiog tqe reas.'.*for seekinS 1n{grmationto ieighbois or others who might not be famrlrar wrtn rus derurquen.cYffi;;;?:""'i'Lr rume care was exercised !o avoi,{ in g,nq.way jeop?Igil-i,,u th", boy,s

"-pto't"ent or his social standing in the community.

iL'"'iii*"t6"roo,-.1n,'"ptoyers, either former or present, were seldomioter"iuw"d, although it, wbqld have been adlaqt3'qegY: ;9 Ilany;;; il'""iify tn. Boy's work history as reported by his family orhimself .

tL. nAd work for the ca.se study, which included a total.of 751 casesr'*"^, t.g* in ffit.qpg" -i oz g an"d' was coqrgtgtgl .* JSly_ 19'32.

The "asents wlo did the follow-up snfl iJtterviowing. were y,oynqmen. a116f whom were collego gtaduates and-some.ol w.nom -had nad

;.;il# ;; ;.r{;;G ;f ,otiur- w6rk. Aq ?pplicanr's p;grgg+aliry.yas;;;"f"t&

"6"tiduted in selection of tfe figld ag.ents._ I_qin making

il;-ililiut uppro;;[ "nd

in conducting-interfrews was deemed very#""iliuft.-fl;*tf. was started wiih a staff of two field ug.uqlt.ffiffi

"in?'""-Ur; ;; increased tii four. - The record work at thei"riit"ti"or uoi'-; ;;rid*r"Ut. part o-f the work connected with

"h";kd; ""J-i#i"t;"=;q *itn local and State authbrities and

,"""ri"n" roU..q"oro-ffiirco"d"rt records was done by the s-up.ervisor;;"#;f i,ffi;""k, i"-'-t-"?ih-;Fl';anent stafi ,5f tne Chi|dren'sil;;;":

"^b ;; ;.;io;L; the -insti

tutions concerned L !y, o-ther S t ateu*"ri.r u"a i"ttitutioni, and with few excep,t'ions,by local county;3d;i;; idrirr',-;;r-i{d.ty *i"qp apd proved most valuable. x'orrhe most part iil, i"-itilt 5i tu. noy! and rhe boys themselves;ffi;d;"d tlthi"Uv *- rooo ur tn.y uiderstoo$. the purpose of tho;fi"d;-"fh;;;ffii'. ;fi;few instances i'. which a flat refusal toA;;"th" i""ii a i"i"t*-ulioo w as onco'n tered'"^Cnl"iJJiJn, of the case stuJy, witn. & more detailed dis-cussion oftn"- ih.iti#"oi.u*, ut La;[ iortitotion and rhe methods used initril*i"g;il ;;t;. tnto"gh' are given in part 2''a

;I^ttt"tir"d rreatment of Delinqucnt Boys, Part 2-A Study of ?51 cases' U's' cbildrta's Bureau

Publication No. 230, Wasbington' 1935'

76870+35-2


Chapter II.-WHITTIER STATE SCHOOL, WHITTIER, CALIF.

Except as otherwise indicated in the text, the statement's made inthis chi,oter refer to conditions existins at \4hittier State School inNovember 1931, when it was visited foithe purpose of securing mate-rial for this study. It has not been possible to revisit the five insti-tutions included in this studv immediatelv prior to publication of thereport, lt is u'ell therefore-for the read6r-to bear-in mind that tbeprbgrams in 1934 and thereafter may reflect many changes. n'romiepdrts received from California it w6uld seem that, this ii especiallytrue of \4rhittier State School. These reports reveal that a citizens'advisorv committee was appointed in the spring of 1933, and a rnan ofconsideiable training and eiperience was ai,pointed superintendent atthat time.l The committee and the new superintendent, inauguratedcertain changes in policy and new activities which they believed wouldconstitute significant developments in the training program.

r. srAruroBY PRoYISro*3*B$IBIdKNG DSTABLISHMDNT AND

The first law authorizine the establishment and maintenance of aninstitution for juvenile delTnquents in Californii was passed i! f 889.The institution was called th1 " Reform School for Juvenile Ofrend-ers", and its purpose was outlined by the law to be for the confine-ment, discipline, education, employment, and reformation_ of- j uvenileoflenders.

-I! was to be governed and supervised by a board of trustees

consistins of three citizeis appointed bv-the Goveinor with the adviceand cons-ent of the Senate.

- -This early law provided that the insti-

tution should be for the care of both boys and girls, specifically statingthat the buildings and grounds rvere to be so arranged as to provideseparate places f"or the ionfinement, care,and educition of eicb sex,so-that, there could be no communication of any kind between them.2Bovs and girls between the ages of 10 and 16 were accepted onconviction 6y ony court of compltent, jurisdiction of any crime whichif conrmitted bv- an adult would be punishable by imprisonment inthe county jarl oi penitentiary. Childien to 18yearimight be acceptedunder ce"idin

"nnditionr. The law specified that comniitments t<j the

reform school should be for terms of not less than 1 year nor more than5 years.

?rovision was made in this first law {or payment for care of childrenat the institution. \44ren any child was committed at the instanceof his parent, guardian, or other protector, the cost of keeping him,including the co"st of trai-rsportatiod to and fiom the institution,'was tobe paid"wholly by the parent or guardian. In the event that the

r On May l, 1933, Judge E. J. Milne was appointed superint€ndent. Ee had been in educational work for25 years as diiector of physical education at ths University of Utah and as superintendeDt of the industrialsch-ools in Nevada and Utab. Ee had also served as judge of the juvenile court in Salt Lake City, Utab.IIis appointmeDt is roport€d to have met with approval in professioDal and educational circles in California.

I California, Laws of 1889, p. I11.

T2


. WIIITTIER STATE SCHOOL, WHIT"TIER, CAITIF' 13

parent or Euardian was unable to pay becaus-e of povert'y or other goodi.a.on. half of the expenses were to be paid by the county ol.conlmrt-*"riJ"Jfne-other half by the State.

-No amount was specifi.g4, b.ut

th" b"u"a of trustees was &pected to estim_ate as nea.rly as possible theactual cost per month o{ keeping each chrld at the rnst'ltutlon.--i;l;

oi inierest in connecti,Sn riith the institution's estrblishment toooiu

-thut, the sum of $200,000 was appropriatcd for .th9 erection,

"q"ip-""t,-ana maintenuo." of the buililings and grounds for the first

2 years."The nrerent name of the institution-I[rhittier state school-was

"d;;l;,iiliS9&

- At the same time the law st,ating thepurpose of the

-.iitrti; *u" .truttg"a slightly to read_, " for the discipline, education,;;l;y;;;i, ref orm'ation,"and" pro tectibn of j uvenile delnquents' " 3"'

i;;ilil ibzf in. potp6t" was restate-d bv-amending the qtle of the

"rfii;;i'*t T" t."a, ; e" act to establish-in the State of California

;";d;;";i""ui iniiiiution for tho care, supervision, education,.train-i&]ir"6tfi;;;d ;;ployment of bovs."a This amendment is st'illin effect.--

in.t" 6us been one change in the form of supervising gove,rnment.fo-ibdi it* i"riit*ion paEsea from the control of a local board offt.t".; io th" supcrvisibn of the State department of institutio'ls,;.1";

" us creuted'in that year. This .depdrtment succeeded to the

ooir-". uoa- artfi, p.r.por6*, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of theboard of trustees.s-

io f gf g a separate institution for girls was authorized, and the \ren-t";;$h-;oi toi Girts (as it was renalmed later) at Ventura, Calif',.wasopened in June 1916. Thereafter the \fhittier state school proYrdedcare for boys only.6'-Cn""n#Luo""

l""o made several times in the-ages of childrenu...otufi.

- in igOS, when both dependent and delinquent children

,"isliiL;'u"cepted, ih" Io*"t age limit was madeT years for_both boys

""[-sirtr, Gtti uo ,rpp". age liriit of 1€ years for boys. and.18 years for

;il'i.:- Th; ;ther clianges"hu-rre varied the age Iimitations but sllghtlv'tjnder the present stat"utes, boys 8 years old but not over 16 who are*"ra. of tlie iuvenile couri, miv be committed to the school'7

Si"ce ea"tvin its historv the institution has been able to carry intoeffect the piinciple of indeterminate stay. Commibm-ents are made;;iil th" 6ov stiall reach majoritv unless sooner di,tcharged by theinstitution. "statutorv provisionior this was made in 189-3, and;;;;t i;; .hort peridds'when slight variations were made eflectivei6"t-t"t* u-""a'"al it has remaiied in force. Under further legal;;lh;rilt, parole and honorable discharge are provided_ for underili;;-ilfi't;gulations approved by. the superintender.r t . and .the Stated"purfu,""t-of institutibis, respectively. Thus the determination ofih6 neriod of institutional'carir and parole in individual cases rests*ittt'tn. uA-inistrative officer of the institution, with the approval ofthe State director of institutions.8

3 Califomia, Laws of 1893, p. 328., c;ii?;ili;: L;;;;als2i,-p. 868. (Deerins's Gen. r,arys 1e3r, acte255.)I d"iii"oi-nia1 t i"'i ;r l"erlib-. lb4-8.

' (Deeri-net-Polilical cqde le3l, se-cs. 366-360e')

o California, Laws of 1913; p. 857. (Deering's Gen. Laws l93l' 8ct rl77')z citi:toini.il l-awi oi tgos, i. eo- (Deeringis Gen. Laws 1931, act 3966' sec. 8.) .s

-C;iiid*ii,-G;s olla-gd, t. s28.

'tDieiiigrscen. Laws 193i, act 9255' s€c. 18')


T4 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

Until 1895 no statutory mention was made of payment for the careof bovs committed to thb school. In that ye{rr a law set $11 as theamorr"ot to bo paid by the committing county. This r-as increased to$20 in 1921'e

2. THE PHY'T'AL PLANTLocation

This institution is immediately adjacent to the city of Whittier.an attractive and prosperous community of 15,000 population- about40 minutes'drive fiomihe heart of Los Angeles. \\'liitliel Boulevard,a part of the arterial highway between Los Angeles and San Diegoncairying heavy traffic almost constantly, bounds the institutionErounds on the north.-

The school campus had been attractively landscaped rvith flou'ersand shrubbery natlve to southern California. The grace-and beautyof many pepler trees, mingled with stately palms, made the- placeverv atlrictive. The buildinss were somervhat scattered and rverearringed along winding drivesl As a mattel of fact, the institu.iion.whicli had ndu-alls no'r fences, was not unlike a college or privateschool in appearance.Acreage

The land owned by the school, totaling about 226 acres, was leveland was quite typicai of the fruil and trulk raising sect'ions -of south-ern California.

- it was in a very productive area, oianges and v'alnuts

beins the primary crops in thaflocalitv. Except for tlre 4E acres usedfor ihe nuitdingi and their surrounding grounds, the- land 'w'as allunder cultivatio"n, 130 acres being plante-d in orange rnd walnut treesand the rest used ?or truck gardeiiile. Xlost of the necessary vegeta-bles and small farm produc6 for the use of the institution were raisedon that, acreage.Administrative offices

The administration buildins, which was completed in 1929, r't as averv attrac[ive structure of frodified English d-esign, bui]t of browntan"estrv brick with a steep tiled roof. The interi-or was beautilullynnisled and provided larg-e, well-arranged ofHces for the administra-tive and business departhents, the plicement department, and thestafl members detail'ed to \Vhittier Jrom the Ca-lifornia Bureau ofJuvenile Research (see p. 29). There rvas a spacious lobby or recep-tion room attractively and comfortably furnished.Boys' residence quarters

There were 11 cottaqes in use for hbusing boys. These cottages,like the otlrer buildings 6f the institution, were of bricli u-ith reenforced-concrete constructioi. The newer ones were of the same modifiedEnslish architectural style as the new administration building, yetwiti enoush individual-variation to avoid the sameness which toooften characterizes an institution.

The cottaees were t'wo stories in heiEht' tr'our had individual rooms;the others hid dormitory quarters for the boys. . In a new cottage thatwas nearinE eompletion both tvpes of sleepinE arrangements were pro-vided. indiiidua[rooms for about half thebovs and dormitories for theother half . This cottase was to be the residence for the youngest boys.

The interiors of thelottages, except in the "lost privilege" (dis-ciplinary) cottage were quite-attractive. The furnishings were brighu

e California, Laws of 1895, p. 122, and Laws of 1921, p, 8?0. (Deering's Gen. Laws 1931, act 6083; act 39dds e c . 1 1 . )

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health

-=

Library, Georgetown University

. WHIT"TIER STATE SCI{OOL, WHIT'TIER' CALIF' 15

and cheerful, and the walls were painted in pleasing colors' The

ii"id ;;;;;*"r" u "*iriill

*itil """it"ii

able chd irs, bo6kc ases, ta bles,

;1""t'., "u"a

no*"rr. -"s';;"

il"d hr"ptu.." at one' q"d q{ the room.

friti,,ini J.".o"a^ too- *". ri.a for'rougher pl-ay, these living rooms

#;"#t i;.:ii;;;h";:- ih";;;;;'ua 6" the bbvs ror their reading'J;,i;;'i;";;;;"1 ["'id;"'";.^ Eu'n '"ottugu 6ad a,radio' rvhich;;;t;ti;d-up rvith the Eentral radio at the power plalt'

The one "*""ptrorr'ii

thf ;";;;;I atmosphere oi pleasant home-

Uk;;;;;,li" lf".t prioil"g.Y'"ottage, the rooms of rvhich were very

iriiiiiii"iii'"i.t'"a.-- I'Ii;r'a;ilii"ry Et.'L mds were in the center and{';#?";i;;il i"lini"' l'^il;;t;i* hetti:rg, which gave it a cagerike

aDDearance."t$;;i;;;;'facilities seemed wholly adequate and in good condition

in all the cottages visited.

Staff residence quarters

A number of the stafi (more than }alf) resided off- the. glounds in

th; "i;;i-Whitti;"';;'iti^ "".tty

.obotb. ; .housing f acilities, on the

#;#it, i;"'rt"li;;;il; were hot extensive, and in fact , had n_gt

B;;;-;;.a;aie to meet the needs. There w&s & very attractrve resr-

d;;;"1;;1il;;ffi"|;;i.rtl"ira i" rs2to''" of the older buildings hadt;;;"*-;.1#i"to "partments

of one and two rooms_ f_or staff mem-

;;;;; il"11y ;;;h;';:-Cr'. .otiog. super'isors and housemothers

bad pleasant rooms t"Jn*itlttp"t!i1'-t cottages' The nigh't su-pen'isors

iil;d#ii;"ffi ; ;;tL*.'to i"t'i't' thev were assigned for dutv'

Dining-room antl kitchen facilities

The dining-room and kitchen facilities for both boys and officers

*"r" "u"-irui?r;a

i" ;; U"iiai"g. A new building for this purposo

UJa U"l" "i.""a

t."L"tly. - It ivos uety attraetive, ryLod-qr1 rn style

"ri ;ri,ioiil."t.- tt. t-""itding was of'the.l-story. BoglhF cottage

;#;;;;i;i;i"g'trr" tg*, uuiii ing' of the institution. There wero

separate cllnmg too-". fJ. om..tt?"a boys, but-one central kitchen''"3"];l;. th;-kilchen nla-ai"i"g 'oo*t,"t!'t bakery, e.quipped with

tll"th" ;;t;;o a"t" ?ppri;";;;;;?a the cold-st ora ge an d ref rigeration

plants were in this building.'Chapel and assemblY hall-

fn" chapel building rvas used both for religious services -?"q ?t.1eeneral assimbly hall ior entertainments,.motion ptctures, and Yarlous

ffi;;;il; *iii.rt tn" ""iit"

."tiool pop,ilation migll t b e in altendance'

rhT;;ild;;;;'L;a-o"a 1rr"t"'*as a small b-alcony. seats werein"" *ii"lti""a." ifr""t.i fofJfi .*t.. The stage waslo arrangcd_as;;il;it",bt. tot.r." i"

"otltlaininents and small dramatic productions'

Hospitaldn" hospital was one of the ne\l'er buildings,. hry!-g-b^Tt erected

in 1g2g. It was "

,irort"airTu""" t-- the main group of buildings

and stood rather ";;;;:

-if *or of cream-colored stucco and was

iiu-?'* ' l '; i;;; ';;;; ' l ike all the other buildinss' Tlrere were 18

rndrvrctuel rooms' ,ii-;;;h; giound floor,.and no wards', Each room

;;; ;;;ipp,ed as'a ii"rp;i"f r?"", "nd

had a radio operated_from tho

;#.i;|;trif .t.ti"ii""ii-t "l".litution

po\\-er ho-use.... AII the eqyip-

ment was modern';;J-.;i; -to

le comple.te. - Facilities for minor

opl"utio". such a. tonsittectomies were- aiailable' The dental office

;i;;;;l;-*i" r'".pii"r-^-T;;;;-;;' a hospital diet kitchen in which

t't* *""tt for the p'atients were prepared'


16 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

School building

The school buildinE was centrallv situated in the main group ofbuildinEs, which conJisted of the chapel, trade units, gymnasium,dininE ioir-, and kitchen. ft was erecfed in t922, a l-story buildingwhicK pronided pleasant quarters for the acrdemic school. Thevarious- classroonis were fuinished with tables and chairs instead ofthe old-style desks. The library was located in one of the very light,airy rooms of this building.Shops

Except for the general shop erected i+ 1929, the building's housingthe trade units weie among tlie older buildings on the grounds. Thcrewere no outstanding feat-ures in connection wit-h these shop units.They were fairly wel-l equipped !o1t1a{e work.- Printiqg had alwaysbeen one of the featured [rades at \Yhittier, and tbe print shop, in a sepa-rate building, was equipped with modern machinery, including linotype.

Farm buildingstr'arming at Whittier was that, typical of southern California. The

farm buildings, though not exteniive' were suff-cient for the needs.Farm eouiprirent wii sood and included tractors and up-to-datemachineiv

^desirable foi this tvpe of farming. The farm unit was

located s5me little distance from-the main grounds of the institution.

Gymnasium antl athletic field

The gymnasium presented a contrast to the other buildings. fthad be&i built in 1g14 and was not in good repair. One of the wallswas cracked, and the floors in places were-in-very bad shg,P.e' How-ever. the buildinE was kept cldan and orderlv. Much of the sporlsotoq.o- was carr'ied on out of doors almost [he year round, and theivrinasium was not, used extensively for basketball or other lportsE"ot *u. primarilv for floor work in gymnastics' In the spring of1933 an riarthquake rendered the buiiiiing unsafe for use. The ad-ministration reported in February 1934 fhat a ngw gymnasium, tocost about $50;000, was in procels of erectio4. ft was- designed toafiord amole room for indooi athletic work. It was to be dedicatedto the memory of former Superintendent X'red C. Nelles. (See p. 19.)

The athleti"c field was a verv fine one, situated at one end of thegrounds. An outdoor swimming pool adjoining the gymnasium wasio .,ru practically the entire year". This, like -the-gym.asium,.did notr""^ ,t'p to the "general standard of the physical

-equipment in other

things.' Howev6r, new machinery recentiv installed provided forfilteiing, chlorinating, and warming the water.

3. PLANT YALUATION AND OPERATING EXPENSE

The valuation of the physical plant at \4&ittier *Lig]t appearedon the inventory as of June 30, 1931, was as follows:

Lands- $70,897' ooBuildings- 9s+,7,q!' ?4'Equiprricnt-- 234' 165' 47

T o t a l - - - - - - - - - - 1 , 2 9 9 ' 7 9 3 . 7 1

As a matter of fact this valuation w&s not particularly significant,thouqh it represented the amount of money invested in land andimpr6vementi. The land value was the amount for which the acreagehah been purchased. The building item was the total of costs of


' WIIITTIER STATD SCHOOIT, WIIIT'IIER" CALIF' LT

construction for the various building units. No allowance was madefor deterioration in buildings nor foi changes in land valu.es'. --

The following figures oicosts of operation were supplied for theyear ended June 30, 1931:

salaries----- $145' 858' 13Mate.iat and supplies- 94' qgg' g?S".ui." and expense- q4, 1g?.99Fiopeitv and dquipment (replacements)------------ t4, 048' 32

Totat___-___ - - , rgr6r,Li?

As the average daily population of tbe institution was 330, thoper capita costlcost ier'b-oy)-of op-eration was $905.07. The -periaoita'cost pe" vbut w-as fisui6d on

^the basis of the items in this list'

Ii ' included^cos[ of replac6ment of equipment during the year, butno charge for items prbduced and consumed'

4. ADMINISTRATIVE .3#r%LkffAFF ORGANIZATIoN' AND

Administrative control

As the head of the State department of institutions, which 'was'

created. in 1921. is director of institutions for the State, this officer hasultimate responsibility for the management of the Whittier StateSchool. Twb local p6"roos were still"designated as trustees. Theirduties were advisory only and in practi-ce purely nominal.

No other State department possessed the power to exelt admrms-trative eontrol. The sttte department of social welfare had the rightio rnake investiEations at the school and to make recommendationsbased thereon td the director of institutions. The State departmentof health and other State services were reported to cooperate freelyat aII times when their aid was requested for particular purposes, but'they had no legal power of any t<ind in connection wiih the manage-ment of the institution.

The director of institutions, with the approval of the Governor,appointed the superintendent, defined his-duties, and fixed his salary.Iir^practice the superintendent was permitted to assume full resp--on-sibility for the schbol,s operation. Practically the.only responsibilityu.rotd"d bv the director^of institutions was-for the approval of thegeneral poiicies and for certain specific duties with which he wasEirectlv tharged. tr'oremost amon! these dutie-s.was approYal of theschool"budgel before it was forwar,lled to the chieJ accounting officerof the Statdto be presented to the Governor and the State legislature.

Personnel: Number and duties

In 1931 Whittier State School employed 111 persons, of whom allbut 2 (the physician and the dentist) worked fu-ll time.to More thanhalf resided olf the campus. Positions listed were:Sunerintendent- - - -----1.fidil;;;;i"i;;;I;;t - - - - - - -Secretary to the superintendent rrP:lg{gf l lhe sehool----

r0 A communication from Whittier State School indicates that on Feb. 15' 1934, thero wer€ but 90 em'nlovees. The reductioD in personnel was the resuli of a drastic cut in tho school approptial"ions. It wulbe iroted that this repr€sent3 a lg-percent cut in personnel. Unless tho school population sbows a markeodecrease this will me-an an unfortunate change in the very favorable ratio gf boys to personnel.

u As tho secret ary bad many duties otber than clerical and stenographic, his was an lmportant slaEDosition.-"ri'ij6imns

tisted definitely as vocational instructors on the pay roll were _he instructors in automobil€meclmics, aviation, carpeitry (2), electrical work, masotry, painting, plumbing, and printing'

L

School teachers----Vocational director- 1Vocational instructors I

1


18 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUNNT BOYS

I{ead group supervisor--- 1Group supervisors-- 38Housemothers - - - - - - - - - - - 8Physician (part-time) - ILibrarian---- IChaplain- 1

Dentist (part-time) - ---N u r s e s - - - - - - - - - - : -Tradesmen or foremenPlacement off icers-Clerical wotkets 15

Other personnel 1a.

Io

I38

1 3

Trvo workers whose names did not appear on the institution payroll gave fuil-time service at this school. One rvas the psychologist,the other the psychiatric social worker detailed from the CaliforniaBureau of Juv^enile Research for continuous duty at \\'hittier StateSchool. Other members of this bureau gave consiclerable but irregu-Iar time to clinical service for Whittier boys. Nine students fromWhittier College in the adjacent city, who were tlaining for Y.M.C.A.and physical-etucation rvork, gave 10 to 12 hours' serYice a v'eek(mainly supervision of recreation and extracurricuiar activities) inreturn for room and board in the cobtages.Personnel: Salaries

The salary scale at this institution ranged from $660 to $4,000.Salaries for certain positions were as follows:Superintendcnt- - - - - - - - -Assistant superinterrdent-Med ica l d i rec to r (par t

t i m e ) - - - - - - - -Nurses-Principal of the school---School teachers-- - - - - - - -Director of vocational

training-

Vocational instructors- -$1, 440-$1, 800Director of physical edu-

c a t i o n - - - - - - - 1 , 8 0 0Head group supervisor-- 2,040Group supervisors- - - --- 1, 020-7, 440Housemothers - - - - - - - - - - 660Placement director------ 2,280Placement officers- - - - -- 2,040-2, 100Clerical workersls------- 780-1, 440

$4, 0oo2,820

1, 8001, 020-1, 080

2,2201, 140-1,980

2 ,700

In addition to salarv. the staff members in residence received fullmaintenance, and cerfiin others had one or more meals daily at theinstitution.Personnel: Appointments and removals

Appointments at this institution for all positions except, tlrose ofthe stiperintendent, the assistant superintendent, and the ihief p,lace-ment officer were under civil-service reEulation. Horve'r''er, the Statecivil-service commission had held only a few exatninalions to createeligible lists from which permanent appointments might be made.Only 19 (17 percent) of the total number of employees were re-portedto liave Dermanent civil-service status. AII others were rated as oftemporary civil-service status. It v-as stated that the civil-servicecommission was beginning a, more active prograrn and that plans wereunder way to holdexam"inations for the crdation of eligib-le lists forpermanerit appointments. On n'ebruary 16, 1934, it was reportedthat S+ (93 percent) of the tobal number of employees on that datewere under permanent civil service.Personnel: Terrns of service

Tenure of the superintendency at this school since 1912 is shown bythe followins list:

13 This srouD includod emDloyoes who supervised boys at work but were not designated as instructorssucb as baker,-barber, sboemaker, laundryman, head farmer, orchard man, gardeners, and superv ising cook.

r{ PersoDnel included in this miscellaneous group were as follows: I seamstress, 3 bousekeepers, Ihousemaid, I "institution handy man",2 institutiarnar cooks, 1 storekeeper, 1 power-eqxipment laborer,s ta t ionary f l reman,and 2 d iD inq- roomsup€rv isors . Someof these ind iv idua lsd j rec tqdboysdo ingqa jn .tenance work for the institution, but theh activity seems distincuy remote fuom the specific trainingprogram.-

r5 Six did only clerical work, two (the bookkeeper and tho information clerk) had additional duties.


19Wr{TTTIER STATE SCHOOT,, WHTTTIER, cALrF'

March 1912 to MaY 1927, Fred C'Nelles. (deceased MaY 23, 1927).

Mav to August 1927, vacant.Aiil";t rsZT 10 Afril 1931, K. J.

Scudder.

Anri l to Julv 1931, Claude S. Smith' -lfiu^ ibaT io Apiit tos3, George c'

Sabichi.

The following figures indicatetime u'orkers:

the length of service of the 109 full-

Less than I vear - - - - - - - 3 ! | 4 years , less than 9^- - - - - - - - - - - - . , :

5 i!l i!; i l::;ffi; i--:---------: ^s

I N"iieportea--l-- 4

Among the 32 new appointeff in 1933,in ad$iti91l-"-11,"-::-p:::i-tu;dil;ili; .,"oii'ilil;ffi; om""r. as the assistant sup.erintendent,i["l"""lib"ui ait."tdt]-itr" ait".tot o-f plaeement (parole), I llace-;;";;ffi;.,. ti" air."f,ir;'iphy;t."t "a"i"iio",

the chaplain, 3 schoolteachers, and 3 trade instructors.Personnel: Qualifications

A iimited amount of information as to the backglqynd of educat'ion

""J ltp"ti"""" Jp"tto-"""f *u" mude av.ailable'

- The man-who was

.ro"ii"l"rAent in rgsi hud been_ a practicing physician and- surgeon

i;ffi;;;;;;;.' .'

H i." ;,i'"*ti"" "t

*brk inclu"d dd i c on siderable nu m-

ber of sraduate "o"tt.Ji"-t"Lai"itts

uttd-tt'rgery' He was-lationali""t rtE.ia-,,?,t""f'tf* 8i.6""g"'Cirt and had'be6n interested in bo-ys'

{';;t:^'N;";;;;.i;;;' i"' i'Etlt"tional .adnrinistration o[ in profes-

;l;;;i ,o"iut *6ri. of a"y t ina appeared in his record.lo The assistant

;;";;;i;;;ent nt tlrnt trme was r nrgtt-sehool.graduate with some

"ri"i.ii"il,"i;

^;"il;"; d ;;k-"; J with

-considerable_ experience i n the

bu'iiness world as an employer of boys and men' He ltcd done some

;;rk ffi;il;B;t S.""lJ"ria had se"rved as assistant organizer for a

fraternal order.rT^-Til;;*ci'at oi the acad.emic school was a !r-oman. She u'as a

"".-"f-i"ii""i';r;4.;i; *lith .o-" ye.ars' experience ,in the public

;;t;;i;.- Ali tti" ^u*Ulrs of her teaching stall had had universill or

;;;;;-t"h;;I- i;;i"i;;-u"a ptiot t ea chin{ experience' .AlI held St a te

i"".fr".J ."rrificrtes. o

ilfri;* eligibleJSr tlie Caliiornia State teach-

"rr;r"^i"",-and their service at tfris school counted toward advance-

;;"i;il'S#;';l#n;ti"tr uoa toward a life certificate for tea-ching.

ti;Lil irud.o-" rp;;iili"ing and experience irr correctional work

for sneech-defect cases.^"td"""""iJti""rf -Jir*t"r appointed in 1131 u'as a.high-school $rad-

uut"-*itf, Urr.in.rr-"oli"g" lirii"i"g. He ha{ experience as a factory

U.u".f, ^""aEer in -".n}"i"-t ele[trical work. The records suppliedi"'iftt'i":fi;;;; il;;;il';l;'ui"i"g * "*p"'i""."

in the vocalionalffi;hii[ fl;i,1.'f-'Th;"p# tat ti.t"a6vocational $stryc!9r1, o-f whomonlv 2 u ere report.d'i'" h;"; had prior experience as vocational*.h".t"...

" Tli;;;L;t. *"." described as having had pra,ctieal expe-

;i;;;;-;;ork-"o i" in"it Itua".. For -examp-ie,- the instructor in

-"il-"lif" me"hanicr'wu. iirt"a ur having had u,high-school education

6rnresard to the newsuperi'i:&Slfui{{ji:!-l""ilii*.iiif3";l*fit:.,81}Hl|l{ X,J.o,jl; gt?iff:i

frt,"-'*[iiT:i{.i%il:x[]J,lli#"'ullit'i";Tti:i!":l"i"l"'**H;,"r,i:i"'JrJif;B,,T;sE igsr?t,u.nll".:g[J*itd*l'.1'"i6irt :fnU-*1U.."$-#:ilTi{li.ffJ' ?'.tt;'';e;i'romia iori oumuer or vears.

18 In February 1e3a tbe instituiio;';;';";6iiih; i'biiiocitiglii h-irect"iiemeined- but a short tlme Bnd

wm succeedod by 2 professronatl-y-i.iiiii'i"en recommended ly ibo University of Soutbern Colifornie'

Later tbe position was abollsneu.


2.T FIVE,STATE INSTITUTIONS FON, DEI,INQUENT BOYS

and havins boen assirtant enEineer with the United States ShippingBoard. niiht, foreman, and tlactor driver. Other members of thestaff not, d-"efinitely clalsified as vocational instructors also gaYe sometrade training. They too were practical tradesmen.

The directSr of phvsical educdtion had had normal-school and uni-versitv traininE and 6xperience as a teacher of physical education andas co6ch in pilblic high schools. He had alsb been an aclive BoyScout, worker.

The stafi included 38 sroup supervisors and t head supervisor. Sixof these supervisors were des-crib6d as having had unir-ersity or collegework. Nohe had stopped short of the eigiith grade, although 8 hadhad no formal educatjon bevond it. The background of experiencein this ErouD u'as exceedinslY dirre".e. Eight hrd had experience inother siirilai institutions. Tu'o had had hospital experience as attend-ants, t had been & nurse in a soldiers'home., and l-had served assupeivisor in a school for Indians. Noninstitutional experience inthis group in prep_aration for.boy supervision ran the.grmut o.[ occu-natio"ns fiom ion6hine, dairvins, soldiering, carpentering, mechanicrl'trades,

plumbing, pipi fittirig, 6hd truc\ driving to such activities rsthose ihat fall to-riie lot of- teaclters, larvyers, recreation directors,postmasters, real-estate salesmen, automobile salesmen, press agents,i,nd professibnal ball players. One of the 8 housemothers had been ateacher and 1 a trained nurse.

The placement director appointed in 1931 u'ho 'n'ould be knorln inmost schools as director of p-arole (see p. 44) had a high-school edu-cation supplemented by a business'couise. His experience was thatof a ranche^r.tn One oi the tlvo placement, offi.cers had had r-rniversitvwork and experience in "produition control, United States Army."The other nia haa 2 vears in college, with experience as athleticinstructor and in operating a businesJ of his orvn-(type not specified).Personnelr Living and working conditions

Except, for the cott'age personnel, housing for the staff was said to beinadeqiate and unsati"sfactorv' As has been stated' more than halfthe emplovees $'ere not in residence at the institution. Since thepleasant liltle citv of Whittier is immediately adjacent, this meant noirarticular difficulty. In many rvays it seemed advantageous. ToLat'e .o many of iti employees"rvith-their families bring a variety ofoutsid.e cont iets into play"tended to mrke the inst i tut ibn an integralpart of the life of a nbrmal comrnunity. It complicated the salaryquestion to some extent, as is inevitable rr-hen somo employees &re onfull maintenance for themselr.'es and family, some on full maintenancefor themselves only, some on partial maintenance allorvance, and somorecerYlng none.

For t[ose who boarded at the scliool there r,r as a pleasant diningroom in the nerv central commissary building, escept that cottagemasters and matrons ate in the boy-i' diningloom.

- Service in the

staff dininE rooms was cafeteria.Cottage-masters ancl matrons had quite satisfactory quarters in the

varrous cot,taEes.The nersorinel at this school suflered none of the social isolation

sometidres found in State industrial schools' They participated in10 On May 1, 1933, a woman rc8s eppointed director of placomgqt. She had had charge oi ryelfaro work

among tne lmbtoyebs of an automo6iie comparly for 5 ylars. She received_ber traini^ng in the scbool ofiociat iervice ai tne University of Southern California ana bad done advanced vork at Claremont Collego.She E-as formerly social work6r at Pacific Colony, a Calilornia State institution for mental defectives.


. WIIITTIER STATE SCIIOOL' WIIIT"TIER, CALIr" 2L

diverse social activities in the life of the small commelcial and college;;ffi;;ifi ofwtittiu". Only 40 minutes distant, bv wav of a wide;;;;.i b"il"rru.d, Iay Los Anfeles, with the amusements and educa-ii""ui and cutturhl advantagei of a big city. For those without carsrf in.i. o'*'n there *u. both"b,rs and iiterlrban car service. \\'ithin;;*;;";h f"r outinss lav the beach resorts along the Pacific Ocean,o" in" canyons of tfie nearby mountains. Under the new manage--"* u ;;;i*;ti"g, with ddncing and cards, was being held monthly,;;;b";; of tt

" p#s;;ii;f ;;d "their fa-miiies being.inr-ited' The

;;ilil;r"tiotr t"it that this social gathering coniributed to thedevelopment of Eood stafi morale.-"W;;ifi-to"a-itiont

r'ere reported to be reas.onably.good' Thep..uiou.

""a-ini.ir"tio" had made an efiort to build up t]qe personnel

i;"" ;i;; tlat, would permit an S-hour u-orking day,r*ith sufficientiir".-on uUo*utr"" p"i week, to be put into effect. The executivesfr"a t."iir"a inut tt u work was diffic'itt, complex, and trying_and thatlonE hours and duties were in the long run rr-astefid, ltnce they were;;;t--ilil"i"uttf to bring the individ"ual worFers to the point w'hereil;il.;-"i .t"ei"faf,ieue and nervous strain they _could not gir-e thehighesb quality of service of which they u'ere capable'

Stafr organizationThe staff hacl been previously organi?ed along dePaltrnental l ines'

Tl,e-Jata in an organi"'utio^ chirt sipplied to sliou- lhe departmental;;tt";;"i ihe ffi.e. of administratiri-e responsibility ale reproducedon page 22.Administrative leadership and stafr teamwork

stafi meetings, rvith planned progra,ms for discussion of institutionalooii.i".

""a pr?6l"tr,=,'were noihe"ld regularly in 193L,.but l 'ere said

fo be called',,lts occasion demands." The nelv _syperintencient, rp_-obint". t in 1933, str ted that he conferred u' i th his immedi l te staff6""h-r""iri"S re'garding routine matters, and that once each rveek hernet u-ith the"supervisors and trade instructors.

5. ADMISSIONS, CAPACITY' AND POPULATION

Intake provisions and policies

Both tire legal provisions for intahe and.the policies adopted bythis institutioi ma,le possible sonre restlictions in accepting Pgl-s ativt-titi l"i. The sclrool'u-rs able to l'eject boys of too lowintelligenc.eto profit by the training offered ar_rd.boys rvho were too old to assocr-

"id*ith tde younger b6ys or to fit int6 the traieing or disciplinary

Drosram at this school.' Aithoueh the leEal age for commit'ment was between 8 and 16 years-,

to-u loy-. remain"erl "i

th" institution past tlLe lge of 16 or. er-en 17;; ; . - i l t " t"rverebovsu'ho beeame l6 before t l ieyu-ere el igible lor"parole or u-ho had been returned as parole violators''-lr

t*.f.r oi o"V boy who had paised his fifteentir birthday to theP;;;;S;h;oi oi ihauitry (an institution.for b-ovs 15 to 2l vears ofug"i *-*. po.*ible rvithout iurther court action, older bo.Vq w{t didnotffi i";; t[;

-piog""ttr at Whittier might be transferred to Prestr,n.20

Such transfei, #'ete often made in the" case of parole violators rvithouttheir return to Wliittier.-rEJir-*"iu,

oeering's Gen. Laws 1931, act 3966, ssc.8'



22 r.IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

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, WHITTIER STATE SCHOOIJ' 'Wf{ITTIER' CALIF. 23

Owing to the provisio! in tle juvenile-court, Iaw that childrenshoulcl iot be c&nmitted to the i"nstitution unless tho judge rvassatisfied that their physical and mental condition tvas such that theywould benefit fromih"e training offered, it had been possible to adopta definite policy in regard to ihe exclusion of subnormal boys. The,chool deciined to acc"ept any boys having an intelligence quotient ofiess ihan 25. This ruie wai apirlied in cases of boys frorn counbies*hi"i. had facilities for adequate-mental examinations and case studyprior to the boy's commitnient. Boys of border-lile or presumablyiorr- intellieenc"e from count'ies lacking such local resources \r-erefreouentlv"accepted for examination and observation at the institu-tiori. T6ose found to be definitely feeble-rninded were returned- tothe county for placement elsewher6. Thg new. ma,nagement empha-sized the iact that no boy was refused admission because of a fixednumerical minimum I.Q."and that admission was refused only after

"ui"tJ study of each iase by the C-alifornia Bureau of Juvenile

Research in Loilaboration witli the stafl of the Whittier State School.- Boys sufiering from contagious or infectious diseases, incllding

r-eneieal d iseasef tuberc u losis,"and even scabies, w ere -not ac ggp!ed.,Tu-o tvpes of voluntary admissions \^-ere permissible at \Vhittier:

first, bv ihe probation plan, urder which a boy might be sent as a partof lris "probation treatment but without any formal commitment;."con,l, by "voluntary" admission upon request qf-Parents or guard-iuo.. .io,[.r an aqre6ment made with them' However, no suchinformal admissions had been made for several years'

Capacity and population

Tvhittier State School had a capacity of 350 boys, with a populationof gtS on November 9, 1931. it wai stated that the average dailypopulation for the veaf ended June 30, 1931, rr'as 330' The poplla-iioh ut this instiiution was predominantlv \\-hite. there being only asmall number of Negroes and Ilexican Indians, The available figuresfor race were thoseJor the 215 boys committed during the y_ear endedJune 30, 1931. Of these 215 boys,-170 were rvhite, 23 rvere {egro, and22 rrere'Mexican Indian. Theie figures may be taken as indicative ofthe proportion of the racial groups in the average-poqulation. NoChiriese or Japanese boys rrcre committcd.during 19-31,.but such boysoecasionally ti-erc receii-ed. No information was obtained from thisschool concerning the nativity of the inmates.

In his report t"o the state department of institutions for 1930 thesuperintend'ent pointed out that the age level of boys received durirgrecent years hari become practically sGtionary, as l'ollou's: 25 percent'averased 15 vears; 35 percent averagect 14 Years; and the rem0rnrngErouilconsisied of boys S to 1B years.2' The age distribution of t1eiopuiat ion of 316 boys in resir iencc on one day of 1931 (Nov.9)i.'n. n. follows:

age Number Percent age Number Percent

Tota l - - - - J t o 100.0 3984936011

12.26.29.19.

15

l0

0 .31 . 63 . 2

:r Fifth BionDial Report ol tbo Dopartment of Institutions of tho Ststo ol California, 2 years ended Juno

30, 1930, p. 146. Sacramento, 1931.

i1


24 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

In addition to those in residence, the school has still under its legalsupervision the group of boys on parole, those absent on approvedledve, and those"who may tLchnicdily be absent without leaie or inoscape status. On Noveirber 9, 193f 3rt2 boys were on "placement,"(the-term used at, this school for parole) and 13 in escape status.

The movement of popuiation for the last fiscal year before theinstitution was visited (ended June 30, 1931) was reported as follows:Populat ion July l , 1930--------- -- 329

Received during the yea,r--------- ---- 357

By new commi tments - - - - - - - - - - - 215R-eturn from placement (parole)--- 72Return from escape-- 70

Los t dur ing the year - - - - - - - - 348

Released on discharge by court order--.----- 30Released on discharge by order of superintendent------------ 8Re leased on p lacement - - - - - - - - - - - 222Released on i,pproved absence----- 7E s c a p e d - - - - - : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 7 4Transferred-- 4D i e d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3

Popu la t ion June 30 , 1931- - - - - - - - - - - 338

6. RDCDPTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCDDURE

Reception

Boys were usually accornpanied to this school by a probationofficer, though sometimes deputy sheriiis or other larv-enforcement,offi.cers brought them from counties having no special juvenile-courtfacilities.

Upon arrival, the boys were received and interviewed by the schoolsecretary, who made the necessary official records. He had a friendlytalk with each new boy, in the course of rvhich he explained the educa-tional opportunities wirich the school offered and^something aborrtwhat was^expected in the way of cooperation from the boy in returnfor these opportunities. It was stated that whenever possible eachnqw.bo.y was greeted personally by the superintendent at the time of'admrssron,

tr'rom the secretary's office the boy was sent to the hospital. Therehe remained in quarantine for a few days. During that period thephysician gave him the initial medical examination. \lhile in quar-'antine

the"bov remained locked in one of the hospital rooms. These,rooms were all on the sround floor and had abuldant liEht and sun-shine. His meals u'erJserved on trays from the hospitaltiet kitchen.During this quarantine period the

"school chaplaiit also made his.acquaintance and established friendly relationship with him. As soonas lhe physical examination was completed and the record showed himto be free from any contagious or infectious disease, he was releasedfrom quarantine and tranifened from the hospital to the receiving'cottage.Beceiving cottage

Boys remained in the receiving cottage 4 t'o 6 weeks. Dt.tqgthat lime thev were under close observation and subjected to studyfrom six difr-erent points of view: Vocational, educational, social.


, WIIITTIER STATE SCIIOOL' WHITTIER' CALIF' 25

recreational, psychological and - psychiatric, and religious' This

;;itil" *uJ t6rJ uttruEli"e and h-ad somewliat less pleasant Sving

;;;;;il,t;;. th"; ;h" "ottug".

in which the bov.was to. spend the

maioipart of his institutional st,ay. I'he rdea back oI tnrs was very

il,?"itJl"a i..pJ*t"i. il*ur based on the belief that it was g.ood

;;;;[;l;;fdr tie bovs to feet that by the behavior which hadresultedi"fi"ir. f;dil;;;1 tJihis-institutioi for further educal,ion ther,h,1{i;;; th; tigfrf to certain social privileges and that, theymightreclarm;;;G;-;r,d -otu

-'f-*"a"-'ond p|rtonal pleasures by

-their.good

;;;j;A;;J.-.oop".utio". Boys iir the reieiving cottage, did notminEle with the 6ther boys at the school. - A spectal teacnel gave

;hffi^iil;tio" o" nour"and a half each dqy. -Boys.from the_ re-

;"i;id;;i;;s; dia uf the laundrv for the institution and 'spent what-

;;;;1il;";;;"'-"io;J;; outside hetails working about the grounds'

Service cottageThis institution had an unusual provision in the wa_y qf an inter-

-Ji;;"^;;-tft"-u"i*""" the rec'eiving cott'age,,and the regularresidence cotta"Ees. It was known as "service" cott,age.- lJoys came

ilil"il;;i th."r"."i"i"g "oilug"

and remained about 6 weeks, still;;d;;;b;"r"utiot and-study." Tlrey attendqd a.special class con-ir"t.a U"

" tcacher rvho canie to the cottage for- that purpose' The

uJ". aiJ'"tftn" rrii.n." and dining-room work and other routlne ehoresir"""r *[i"n liitt"

"t * irod"-truining value could be expcctcd. The

""rr"." U"nina tni. p".ioa of aennrtiroutine serviee was that, having

|;;TJ th;ttime, all'boys u-ould then be free from such maintenance;;;"i""

""i """iO devoie the remainder of their stay to school and

;;";ti"il t";ilinc.- The executives felt that it, was a very successful;Ir".--"It;ui--i"f"""d to have elements o[ ps.vchological value ontir" Jnuoto ttt"t release from drudgery and tranifer to more pleasantIiving should be earned.First assignments

$hen the boy was rcady for translgr to.one of the regular cott,ages,his caso was tdken to th6 clinic. The clinic group consisted of the;"o;;;t";6.ot, th" vocational dircctor,- the-sehool.principal, the

"fiiJirrrut"isoi, the chaplain, the psychologist, the school secretary,

"iiJ'""iiitt""-itun "t""iruers who'h"ad a.n lJnportant relation to the

l"V i"-in" r"fioot. The group me-t ryge.]{V for the careful considera-tioh of permanent ui.igrit""otr of individual boys to cottage, school,ir;;", a|d general sociil treatnrent pr_ograms. The school secretary;;;;ir;.d f;;;;;h

"u* u t"--uty of th6 information he had obtained

il;i;-iil".;i"* *ir,5 the bov wfien he w-as first admitted, together*ifn

"" ""tline of aII informaiion he had obtained fron the probation

"ffr."t, ttt"

",]--itti"g ""urt,, or any ot'her source' The p.sychologist

;h;;;itd;d a supplemfintary ieport which had been__carefully preparedil-;d;;;; u".f

'*rri"n indtuaba the results of all examinations to

#rri.i Ui" ["y h"d been subjected.. These fipdings included.not onlyirt" ."r"tt.

"i tn. physical "examination and -tha psychologieal tests

;;; ;i;;';h;i"iott iutio" obtained on perso!alitv trait-s and.behavior

"r"ni"-..- The case wa. di."u.red at'Iength irliormally ald franldy'

but of the discussion grew the decision as to what the boy's programof activities should be."^

C;;d;; ".risn-eni-*as

based. primarily on age and physical devel-opir""i.="Ottr:!" iu.to". considerdd in thii connection were the boy's


26 FIYE STAI.E INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

mental status and his prcvious conduct. Consideration was alsoEiven to his personalitv problems and the likelihood of his making aEatisfactorv social adiustment with the personnel and the boys in thecottase to 'which hc was to be assigned.

Assisnment, to school srade wai based on the result of the teststhat hid been given him

"by the special teacher rvho *,'orhed with thebovs in the rec-eivins cottage (see p. 25) and on her observations astoih" school level af, which"he couid do rnost successful rvork. Con-sideration rvas given, oT course, to the grade he had attained beforecoming to Whitiier, but the assignmenfwas by I)o nleBns a-utomaticand w"as based on'a considerat'ion of the boy's real needs in theeducational field.

AssiEnment, to vocational training was likewise based on the resultsof cert"ain tests which had been given, the boy's own interests andwishes with respect to a trade, an? conslderation rvhether or not thetrade clesired wbuld be likel.y to lead to better opportunities for himin the community to which he would probably return.

In addition to" these specific assignmcnts this sanrc clinic alwaysdiscussed the recreationul life of t[e boy and his particular needsalong that line. - Suggestions were offered and a tentative treatmeni;proEram mapped out.'-l-.iuff

*6,i-tb"" was aDpointed as each bo.y's counselot, to remainhis "first friend" durins his entire staY at, ihc school . Cottnselorswere erpected to keep ii close touch with the personal problems ofthe bovi assigned to ihem and to be easily accessible to them at alltimes for advice and help.

Aft." the clinic g.o.,p had reached a decision as to the variousassignments, the bof himself was called in and introduced to his newcottase supervrsor and his counselor in a friendll'fashion. _ He wastold ilst ruhat his proEram was to be and why these plans had beenmadrj. The atmosirhe-re was friendly and informal.

7. THE BOY'S LIFE IN THE INSTITUTIONDaily routine

At \Yhittier state school the boys lived according to the followingschedule:

Risine be]].Breakfast.Reoort to school classes, vocational training,

or work detail.Return to cottages.Dinner.Report. to school, vocational training, or

rvork detail.School dismissed.Vocational classes and work details dismissed.Supper.Activities on cottage plal'grounds'Activities in cottage living rooms.To bed.Liehts out.

General atmosphere

The general atmosphere at this institution was one of relativefreedom-from restrain-t. There w&s no outward semblance of prisonor reformatorv methods. Bovs moved about the grounds singly, inpairs, or in small groups. Oicasionallv the visitoi might see them

I

IIIi

)


'WHITTIER STATE SCHOOL' WHITTIER, CALIX'. 27

moving in cottage-group lines, but even then there was little of theformal"military-tyle o^f movement. Boys and officers .addressedeach other in much the same way that teichers or rccreation super-visors in schools or on public playgrounds do when they meet,.Cottage " family" atmosphere

Each cottage had its supervisor and housemother, who werehusband and

-wife. These officers were expected to represent, as

nearly as possible the father and mother character in t4e boys-' Iives.Cottdge gioups were of reasonable size, varyingfrom 25 to 30 boys.Although-that would be a rather large family in a normal community,each co"ttage father and mother could know quit-e i+timately all thebovs in thiir charse and have time to give some individual attentionbo Lach one. No distinctions as to race were drawn at this institution.Colored, Mexican, and white boys lived together iq tb" same "family."It, rvas dtuted thai little or no difficulty of any kind ever arose fromthis mingling.Arrangements for sleeping

Four of the cottages had individual rooms' The rest cont'aineddormitories. The individual rooms were attractive and popular.The dormitories were light, airy rooms, well equipped as. to-beds andbedding. The sleeping

"arringements piesented the principal evidenceof diffeience betwe?'n ihis schbol and schools for nondelinquent boys.A niqht supervisor was on duty all niglrt in each cottage to keepstricf, rvatch over the boys, botfi in the dormitories and in the singlerooms.Arrangements for eating

The new commissary building contained a Yery attractive boys'dinins room. There each cottage family ate as a unit, with the cottagefathei and mother at a small table close by. The dining room hadcafeteria service. Food was of very good quality and apparentlyabundant. A sample menu for 1 we-ekls repioduced in appendi-x A,page 289.Sanitary arrangements

Bach of the cottages had adequate sanitary arrangemerlts. Modernplumbing with facil-ities for shower baths was a part of the equipment,in each one.Living-room and playground activities

The cottage living rooms were attractively furnished and. had ahomelike atirosphere. It was slated that the boys.not only wereallowed to make the same sort of use of the cottage living rooms asthey would in their own homes but were enr"ouraged to do.so,.. With.o inanv bovs present, of course, there had to be a certain limit onthe am5unt"of bctual ihysical rough-and-tY-ble play, just as wouldbe necessary in a private home. Favorite living-room activitieswere games-of various kinds, reading, Boy Scout work, and otherhandwork.

Each cottage had its own separate playground- tttg scllooi ideal,contemplated"plenty of time bbth for supervised and for. free- play.An interesting^ exp-eriment was going on ,and^ was proving. highlysuccessful. T-he nine students from Whittier College were aiding intle program. of .play supervision under the general guidance of the.direCtor of physical education.

76870-35-3


28 FTVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

Miscellaneous arran gements

In the cottages with single rooms each bov had a place for his

o.r*""i po..*.Eior.,r. in thl cott&ges having "dormitorids individuali*il;;;;" i"r"i.nla ro i[ut

"u"6-boy mig[t.have a,place !o \.""q

ffi';l"tliiil";d th";; p".r"""t"p*."u.iott."ot tittte value but f'll of

il;#i;;'i;"" ;h; idH;;;: .:!;v;- *"'u p"'-itted to have their

o*"^"io?ni"g as the"institution did not use uniforms'- Smokine ivas not permitted at any time or-place' .,6"ilr"t|ti|it h;d;;"iloi "ytt"-..

Th-e monitors were bovs

,.1"" Jt*d [t ;[; "o

ttag Js"p;;;il;tr ;;d given resp onsibility f o.r certain

;il;; $;"i;;;;"-h "t'.*i"g ittat lhq dormitories and the living

rooms were liept t" g;o;"*aiEio" u"d.bhat the lawns were.properly;;;;J ror.

- i,itrrorif,ies were not convin-ced rhar the monitor. pl?"

#"."id"ir"ui.. irr"i *.r-. -"*."io"s

of both advantages and dis-

advantaEes in its use''"o;il;;";h"*.'"r i[i, boys' life, particularlv with reference to educa-

ti;";;d !;;;i"l;A;"*'"tii"", itttt be treatied in the sections dealingwith those subjects.Outsiile contacts"

B;;.;; permitted to write twice a month to relatives. There

was no restrlctlon ut ii ift" ""mler

of relatives to whom they might

#tt;;;;;Ji,;"*Jp;ilili;"&srequiiedb"lg'.utl1v^lo,uldcommuni-cate with anyone ;l;:-"ilth oritgoing and incoming mail was;;";;d. i-fii. a"#"*ur"p"tlor-"? _n"V the night mrrscs at the

tiri,liif . tni." *#"o'li-iiutio" o" th.d incoming mail,.e_xceot that,

the -c

en sors m igh t *ithh ;1 d';;;"i..t i"t.- *ii i-.tt' ;ttgV-?"lt it wou ld

;;-";;i; t;-i;Tth" b;y iu"u. The probable effect of .the communr-

"Jtl"ii ""1fr" Loy *uJui*u'. i6" pti-'u.y

"oosideration in determining

whether or not to *itililoid;"i;;tii"il#letter. Boys were permitted

;;;i; ; p;;k ;;"t il&*'"r' tI"";; il' these p ac k afes were 1 nspected

before thej' were given to them'Relatives *"". p.i-itiffio

"i.it-the boys as frequently-.as they

d.;i."a;îh; ;;iy i;t'i;ii;;-l1i"g lt ut thev must come during thevisitinE hours, which were '[rom 1 to -1 on "saturdayâfternoon andi.iiir'Tolii *i""-"i"i"gîo-+ i"-the afternoon on--Sundav' Bovs

""#t"i""a in.i"

"irit"r? uitn"" on bhe grounds, if the weather was

il;;;il;; in the school rooms at other times'"^Xif--r,itir

-of o"triae contacts of a wholesome charact'er were

.""."""g"[ Uy tfr" "dili"i$#i""

- Manv of the men's service clubs

in nearbv towns *;;;';;h i"[e"ested. in bhe school and visited it

i'if* i..'g*,;+1il " B"yJlto-

-ttt" school occasionally-rvent, in groups

to serve luncheonsi"'Ji"ir.", uitn" -.",s clubs. -The

atmosphereon such occasions *;; ;;iJ;;le t"ie"aty and informal, and the boys

were treatea io t tuJf, 1l; t;;; fu"rr'id u". ufY Sroup. of community.ttr*i n.vt would be for performing that kind of servrce'

8. PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS AND MEDICAL CARE

Hospital facilitiesA l lmed ica lwo rka t \ f h i t t i e rS ta teSchoo lwasca r r i edon in the

"#i;;t;ii.iiiaiiri.'rot' tp""i"r .examinations which necessitated

X-rav or laboratotyt;""k' ii-"-i"iitiii"s at the Murphy Memorialii"#trf i" wrritti"i were i,vailable'


;''

WHITTIER STATE SCHOOL, WHITTIER, C.{LIF. 29

Hospital staffThe phvsician in charge was a part-t ime emploree' He hnrl I

p"iuui";; i l i i ; ; in the rdiaeent torvn of Srlitt ier. The nursing staff

i;;;;; id ; i ih""" gtudu"t" r,ur."., one of *hgry.was a surgieal nurse'

il;il;i;;;l"u* gii"tr bv a dentist'rvho rvas a f'Il-time State employee

uJ-J"""t"d all- ercepl 9 days of each month to \\rhittier State

School.Physical examinations'Bach

new boy was given a complete physical examinll ion al the

hosoi ta l before [e was admit ted to the receiv ing cot tage._ lmmuntza-

ti#, i"r typnoia, diphtheria, and smallpox were part of the rorrtine.

Tuberculosii and yenereal-disease tests rvere glven only ln cases ln

;-hi"h-'rhe phvsician suspected infection. The findings were.entered

"" ., ' pil ' l i ' .ui-oat"l"ntion blank and made a part of the .hospital

""."ra.. " A summary of these medical,f indings was always. incl rrded

as part of the report-Ior the clinic which met to discuss assignments.

Corrective workIt was understood that comparatively little correct'ive treatment

of ur op*rutir-e character was 6eing done. It was stated that boys

;lth l i ;; i ; physical handicaps iere not usually acceptcd' The

committing "buirtV

was supposed to _arrange for such. correclion

il l;;.- .;"?ing a"boy to $aitt ier. Hou'eve.r, correction of eye

Jim.rtt i* *hich could be remedied by provision of proper glasses,

and of foot troubles which called for arch supports or' ,other mlnor

"o.t".iiu" rvorl< was part of the treatment program, -and eaeh boy's

"oi-".lor *0. l""rpor-,i ible for keeping track-of the follow-up cal'c he

"i.a"i.- tt th" ph'y*i"ul examinatibn indicated that the boy was under

;;Gh; ot ;" o6..i of special diet, the phy_sician issued instructions

i;; i;;"i-;ot of th. piop*. kind'to remedy the e.xisting condiLion.

Ch""';h;;i;ut-.au"uti, j" iepartment, rvas particularly interested in

t^""oiiE"ir""t of ph.ysical^development. -(For

further details see

the'seciion dealinE wilh that subject, p' 36')

Dental workDental work was done as found necessaly hy !h" dentist on the

stat" p"y roll *ho devoted the major part of hi-s time to this school.

Other medical careThe physician called regularly every day at the,hospitel. A daily

siek cali was a part of the routine. - Boys from all the cottages were

"""i ly tfr"it

"dttug" supervisors or hortiemothers for examination or

tlisoeniarv treatmeht af that time. Boys needing attention at. any

;it".;;r-"" ;i a.t were accepted rvhen sent over by the supervising

officer. Boys wiih acute illn-ess received excellent care'

9. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE

Clinical facilities

Psychiatric and psychological service at \lhittier State School was.uooii"d Uv ttre-Cdtiiornia

"Bu.ear, of Juvenile Research. The work;f itil;di"irutlo" was begun in 1914 as the result of q sludy of.the;;i;;tif, ltiiti"i Stut" Sch6ol conducted b;r members of. the p.sychol-<)si, departmeniof Stanford University. lis work r.tas limited to the;;,,I;i ion of \\'hittier State School-until 1921, when it' became aSiit" 1"t."" *itt, a State-wide program. This included consultant

E


30 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

seryice to any community in tlle State on recluest in addition"to serv-i;;.1;ttie St"ate instituti"ons. In 1923 the Slate.Iegislature failed touoo-or i" t" funds for t l re work, but i t r tas cont inued as the depart-

"i"";i;f

';""*n

"t \\ 'hittier Stote S.l,ool, its-.slal1 being greatly

;;A;;",1 and the work curtailed. It rvas reestablished as a State bu-'."""1" fSig. The sfafi consisted of a director (u-ho was a psycholo-

ni.tj, * psvchiatrist, two additionai clinical ps5'shelsgists, two psy-Ei,ii i ir;. social u-orlters, antl t5e necessary clericrl assistants.--O;;

"f ihe clinical

'psvchologists and a psychiatric social worker

*"i"^"r.lg""J t"T"U"lirl"Ja"i' it_$'hitti"t Stale School. They had a

. joint office in the administration building.

Psychological tests

All the nerv boys rvere gil'en certain Psycbological tests as a matterof ,.outin.. A varietv of Tests *ere r,reh,'princifal fl]nong them_beingih" Si

""to.d rer-isioi of tl re Binet-Simon' test,._lhe Stanford "achieve-

-""i f .rt. the Terman sroup test of mental ability, the Stanford atti-i"J":i"t"l-li;;;iy;i; t?st,

'ancl the Arthu.r performanee scale' The

;;ri;;i psr-cholosiii state,l that the mediari intelligence quotient ofthe popuia[ion oflhe school at that time l.as 91'5'

Psychiatric examinations

The psycliiatrist for the bureau was not examining _all new cases'

Thil;;;i"; s".oic" had been cliscontinued a few mon-tbs previously,*rrull.*i" huadquarters of the bureau had been removed from \\'hittierStrtr

"S"n""i t6 om"". in the city of Los Angeles. Fince then the

o.n.fririri.t had examined only tiiose selectedlor such spe.cial study-UJ irc t"tiaent psvchologist af the school. The cases usually chosen

f.ir;;t;ifi;ric e'-.a-inatiin included boys of the seclusive, aloof type,uov's r,rittr outstancling mental or emotional abnormalities, and boyswhb had distinct sex problems.

Personal histories

The psvchiatric social rvorker was neu-ly appointed and was com-

"o.uiil-if i ine,xperienced. It was the intention that her u ork u-ould

[" iup"tiired fiom the leadquarters of-the bureau. One of her duties*u, i5 .rpptement the sociaf history of each individual boy, as it hadU."".."i'ii by the committing eouit, by pe-rsonalintervieu's with theb;v; ih;-telries and by visitiig the liorires from which they.had come;-"16;;;.;Lssible. If was sta"tecl that she was able to visit most ofthe iro-eJ of boys committed from Los- Angeles County. These*""ity constitute"d a considerable part of the total commitments fromthe State.Application of fintlings-As

v'as indicated in the section on assignment procedures, the sum--ori""a results of the psychological and psychiatric e-xaminationswere used in practical fashion in the clinic's considerat'ron oi the. assrgn-;;;1;i;;#boys wLen they were ready to lea-ve the.rec.eiving and."r"i."

"ottages." These findings were considered in assigning boys. to

""ftoot era.lefto vocational tralning, and to coLtages and in P]annilg

for all ;xtracurricular social and recreational treatment of the rndr-vidual boy.-

fn aaaition to the use made of these findings in connection withotiEinal u=.isnments, this school had a system designed !q provide fort -.Ti"g watZtr o,re. the progress made 6y the individual boy and the


wIrrT'TIER STATE SCHOOL, WHTTTIER, CAr,IF. 31

difficulties he encountered. The counselor was expected to reportmonthly on a blank designed for that purpose to the research depart-ment. "That blank (reprdducetl in appendix C, p.318) contained,space-sfor entries shou ing'how many cont-arts- the counselor lrad made u'iththe bov during tlie month; w-hat problems had been discussed rvithhim; \'hat his "phvsical condition was; what his social adjustment wasin relrtion to oih"er boYs, to his teaehers, to his cottlge officers, rnd toother superyisors; wlietirer his recreational activities seemed to bemeetins his needi; rrhat relationsSips he was maintaining rvith hisfamilviand rvhat the counselor's opinion \r-as as to his progress orfailur"e to progress. These reports, together rrith repo_rts. from tcachers,shop instructlors, and other oifi.cers, gave a basis fof clinic discussion ofneeded moclificaiions or changes in t-he original assignments and treat-ment plans. It rn as intendJd that the rlsearch department shouldplay air important part in assembling the necessary material and inter-breting the boy's needs for program changes''

Tlre"researcir denartment-wai likeu'ise concerned rvith tle person-ality problems of the boys and their relation- to social a-djustment.Ea6h tottage supervisor reported to -tltq resident psychologist on ablank for tf,at prirpose certain facts rvhich might serve-as evidence ofeach boy's progreis in social adjustment. This blank provicled anopportuirity foi the cottage supervisor. to register his judgment notoiriy ur to "a boy's average- conduct rating but, alqo as to lfs attitudeto*lard the cottrge super"r. isor rnd touard other boys, the att i tude ofother boys tou-ari him, outstanding personality_ traits, personr.l hubits,type of

"eompanionships and frientl-ships rvhich he u as seekin$, a-ndoiher items of .imilor iature. These rlports obYiously were of valuein dealing l.ith conduct problems and social attitudes.

Althou"sh there u'as no formal procedure by which the bureru per-sonnel rvdre consulted in connection with deCisions as to disciplinaryaction, the files of the bureau u-ere alrn-ays accessible to the stafl officerwho vjas responsible for discipline, and there seemed to be a cordialunderstanding and working relation betrveen his ofiice and that of thebureau.

The very considerable amount of information u-hich tire bureaunersonnel 6ad accumul:rted as a result of the original e.raminations andih" {ollow-up uork done u-hile boys uere in tle institution rras matleavailable to ihe school placement

-committee when an indir.idual came

up for consideration fdr parole. (X'or further detail as to its use inthis connection see p. 45.)Attitude of other staff members toward clinical services

Stafi members who had been at the school for some time manifestedconsiderable appreciation of the value of the service renclered by .th9research staff aid a tendency to use the clinical service in practicalwavs in connection with detei'mining their orvn attitudes toward indi-vidual boys, particularly those with

-dis tinctive problems'

Research activitiesThere had always been a great deal of research activity in-connec-

tion with the wori of the Bureau of Juvenile Research at \YhittierState School. The results of many rndividual studies had been pub-lished from trme to time. In 1931 no special research project wasunder wav. but the resident pst'chologist *hose tinre u'as largely fil ledwith service to the bo5's of the institution report'ed that she expected



to start work on a study of leading disabihties very shortly. Theresearch progren of the California Bureau of Juvenile Research wascarried on from its headquarters in Los Angeles.

10. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-CLASSROOM TVORK

School staff

The school staf i consisted of the principal, three high-school teach-

ers, three elernentarv teachers, one^social-science instrrtctor, and one

insimctor in "musrc and expression." The last hacl had to ceaseteachins music and devote hei time to regllar classroon rvorli becausethe nuiber of teachers was insufficient. \fernbers of the teachinggroup regtrlarh- attended the various teachers' institutes and otheracadeir ) ic associat ion r r reel i t tgs.

School day and school yearClasses rvere rnaintaincd the vear round. Tire scirooi da.y u-as

from 8:15 a. m. to 3:15 p. r r r . , wi th t hour and 15 tn inutes out for [henoon rneal and rest period.

Attendance requirements and enrollmentAll boys rvho l-ere not yet 14 years of age and those u-ho s-ere 14 or

over brr ihad not conrple ied thc four th gr-ade at tended school a l l day5 davs a rveek. The others spent half t[e day in school and the otherhalf

-da5' in vocntional or other work. No boys u'ere. excnsed frotn

attenriance except on written request of some-supervising officer orbecause of phyiical reasons. The hospital and the lost-p-rivilegecottage (see p. +Z) sent their population lists to the school daily to bechecked aqairrst absentees.

The school enrollment and the tirne of school for bo-vs enrolled onNor.ember 6, 1931, u'ere reported as shown in the following table:

Boys enrolled

G r a d e

.{fternoo}'

1 ).'

E l e \ e n l h a n d t e n t h g r a d e s - . - - - - - - - -T e n t h a D d n i n t h g r a d e s - - - - -N in t h aod e igh , h g radesE i g b r b g r a d c - - . - - - - . -Ninth, eighth, and seventh grades ---Se[en lh g rade .S i x t l r a n d 6 f l h g r a d e s - - -Four th to f i rs l g rades .Ungraded

I The difference betn een the school enrollment (288 on Nor'. 6, 1931) 3nd the total t)opulation ol the insti-t ion on approximately the same date (319 on Noy. 9, 1931) is due to the fact that boys not released lrom thereceiving dld serviceioltages lor assi!nurerrt to school grade were included in the total populrtt ion, and alsoto olher conditions of iostitutional l i fe.

Courses givenOne of the teachers Jreld classes in the receiving and service cottages,

which the boys in those tu'o units attended for an hour and a half eachschool da1-.

-This teacher made llarticularly careful observations and

Time oJ school for boys enrolled in specif,ed school grades on Nou' 6, 1931


WIIIT"TIER STATII SCHOOI,,

records which w€re used by the clinic

WHII"TIER' CAITIF. 33

in placing new boys at theirproper levels in the classroom work'"'i[ *iiiU"

"ol"J tfrJ*o.f. *u. being given in all grades through the

*l;";;;i; ""J

tn"t tfrlt" *u. un ung"id""d^class foispecial cases. In

;i,; iil;"l"d class *;;; pffia- uti-novt of 14 vears br over wlro had

;; ;;?^;;;r"i"a trt""iSutih gtudu." According to the cn.rollment

ffi'#: ; ;fi;;;;;";il p;;;i";'ot t'n". school pdpulation.rell within;fj[;;"i;p.

--R;y;;i';.ioJ

"ot completed the'{ourth srade but were

not vet 14 were grouped in one class {or all-dav attendince. . Roys in

;il ifth;d;i;fi s.il;. ii."i"i." "ttended

school all dav and were in

a s i n g l e r o o m . r . ! r _ ^ L ^ - - - - ^ ^There was an arrangenent through which one teacher \l'as 'grvrng

io&"i,i""f in.i*"tionîo " ""-l"r oT boyt w-ho were having.difficulty

;;il;;i;"fur."Ul""t.. The teacher,-who had training in correc-;;"#"f :il;h i"rl"i', ;;.

""d;;;ring io help t'he bovs who had such

;;f".t.. " I"îir" "iu."'"o;"i;il;

th"l[.t"t gr-ades, -an hour. ar,'d a half;';;;;".-loing siu.""io puiti"utar readirig problems'. A fcw boyswith defective hearine were also receiving sp€clal at'tentron'

Aff ""rf

bevond th-e sixth grade was cariied on throqgh a contract

od;';hi;h irJJ"tigi""t"A "f

tftrittier State School. It was said to

;ffi;;;;;;h;i;;;;'"' "t tn" Dalton PIan and to have borrowed

some ideas from ttie ifil;;;[; P1;". The teachinc st?S at Whittier

i*d;;;[;d o"i tit" uauptutiotr. .rvhich seemed mo-st, Iikely -to meet

i,^h" ,ffi;;l Jfr"r" loy..-'fh" i"..otr schedules had been made up.by

ii,. T"r.f,..s rrncler if{" fouiot=ttip of tt't.it principal. An interesting

iilt"i'i "iii-r-;i;;

h;;"-;;r thu[ ttt*." lessons wrere carefully graded

;trh#;h"^;'d;;; l"-ita"t that each bov might be given lessons

"a"ri.A to-his'intelligence level. When the contra_ct plan was

ffi|ffi. ;h";;Jh;Ji""" *"a" with three such levels; that is, allt"i,i"llt""l;";bl;

-4" ,,conrraet," to do eighth-grade ,work u'erel.Ji*""a"i"

";.?-rp, l"i

"litt'i" rha.t groupiould b.e three. intelli-

;;il"- Ievels-up!"t'not-ut ot superioi av-erage, and dull nornral'tfr" t"t" tn""u'#o.ild-n" t5."" se.ts'of eighth-grale c-ontraet lessons ofio-ti-iou.-"o"n. l,ui"t

""p"tience led to division of the d-ull-norrnal

;;;rir";;'tf'"'Uu.i. oI r.niot retardatron and of individlal needs,- soin"i'irr"^-"rr.J nra-p,iilni" u." a Sle'el di'ision ot lessons u'ithin

"".f, """tr".; gr;d;.

-ii*.u. felt that this was a successful. experiment.

Dull bovs were not .,,Ui*.i*a to the discorrragelnent which tended toilrd';""ii.;';;Jir*i;""iii"t r"a hatrerl of all school work that is?;;;r;;tlu-th" re.ult o{ being forced to do exactly the same amount'l,r lr".r. ?i

"i;"';;;; i"g*" ?r difficult'v as verv .nusl.rnore intelli-Eent bovs. Bv being given lessons suited to thetrabrllty tbcv werle

F"ii".-"i""i trt" r""llfrs%f -inferiority

and given e feeling o{ achieve--*"t *h;"tl i ' tutn-r*-u.ieJ -o.t favorablv on their interest and the

"gott "-t i.tt they u'ere willing to ptrt fo-rlh'

All lessons *-er" cltt"lv corielated with the t'rade which the boy rras

leartios. For e*ampl*lu to' who was studyiqg automobile mechan-

i;;;;];t h;;; i;;1'i" sfelling lesson such words as "cvlindet"'"T"-chanical", ., batteryl,"itta ;ftruttsmission". A boy *ho was.study-iiJiuril.". J;;;ld nilJiri. a rith m etic lessons c oncerned wit h fi g u ring

-f #ffi; '"i;;;;;iJ-anJ co.tt for sirn'le carpentrv.jobs' This

;fi";ffi;;r"iut" inul""a"îl-."tk with tihe trade training was said

;; h^;";s;;;1iy stimulated the bov's interest in both'


34 T.IVE sTATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BoYS

A further argument in favor of the contract system was its flexibiliiy-This was saidTo be a very desirable feature because of the entry aidwithdrawal of boys at iriegular times during the year. lVforeover,changes in the educationai program of ind'ividual boyr could b6arran'ged much more expeditibusiy and with much less public noticethan inder the usual schbol-grade promotion and demotibn from classto class in which all work is done through recitation and all pupils ofa, group progress at the same rate or are considered to have failed.This asain eliminated some of the incidents that freouentlv tend tomake dducational experience a destructive instead of a constructiveforce in the development of a boy's personality.

The W hittier Stite School adriiniitration r6coEnized that many ofthe boys who were committed to their care had be"en problems in tireiro\r:n communities' public schools. n'or that reason they believed thata satisfactory adjustment, to school work was a vely important partof the b-oy's iociai adjustment,. They rvere of the ofittiotr that it wasessential io have teacL.ers selected nofonlv beeause of their educationalqualifications but also because of their iossession of unusual under-stalding, personal dignity, poise, patienc-e, and genuine interest in tbeproblems of bovs.-

It-was repor"ted that very few disciplinary problems arose in con-nection with classroom life that could not bd handled by the indi-vidual teachers. The atmosphere was verv informal.

- The bovs

passed singly or in groups about the school, riot in silent lines.

1 1. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-JOCATIONAL OR PREVOCATIONAL

_ For many years vocational training had had an important place intbe training lrogram at, this school." Much experimental rvork hadbeen done in thG field in earlier years during the superintendency ofMr. Nelles. During his last 5 years ii was-said that the penduiumgwgng slightly back-in the othef direction so that increased. emphasishad Seen"placed on academic work. In 1927, with the -change rnsuperinteldents, emphasis again was shifted to vocational training.At that time a surv6y of the"school had been made under the dire6-tion of the chief of ihe bureau of trade and industrial education,which had been outlirled by the chief of the division of citv secondaryschools of the State depariment of education. Partly aJ a result o'fthat survey a general shop plan was i:raugurated in i928. AII boyswere given 4 rionths' triai iir a selected gi6up of trades. Each cla'sscontained about i5 boys. The instructois observed aptitudes closelyand were thus able to bdvise and recommend specific training assign-ments on a basis of actual knowledse of the-individual. The bovwould then specialize in tlat partidular type of work during theremainder of his stay at, the sdhool. Mor6<iver, the time given toacademic work was r-educed to 90 minutes per day, the rema"ind.er ofthe boy's time being spent in his vocational worh or allied subjects.

Sincb the recent c[ange in superintendents the general shop had beenabandoned and the traditionel half dav in schobl. half dav in tradotraining had been resumed.

In X'ebruary 1934 the new administration reported that a committeeof vocational-educators in the State was cooferating with the super-intendent and staff at the school and the directorbf the Califoinia


WHTTTIER STATE SCHOOL,'WTIITTTER, CALIF. 35

Bureau of Juvenile Research in a survey of the vocational program atWhittier with a view to measuring its value and signifi-cance. Thgyu*p""i"d to undertake any revisiSns in the prograrn that -the sludy*islt indicate to be desir-able. A similar survey of the educationalwo-rk was reported under way simultaneously.Enrollment

The vocational or other work in which boys were occupied onNovember 3, 1931, and'tho time assigned are shown in the followingtable:

Time o! work lor boys occupied n" tfrrr";!6! is7ational

or other work assisnments on

Boys ocsupiod in vocational orother work

vocational or other work

Tota l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Plumbing- - -----

I 146

Av ia t ion- - - - - - - -Garage- - - - - - - - - -Powerhouse- - - - -v i l p E u L r J - - - - - - -

Masonry- - - -----Painting---- ---- -

165378538

t ll4o

620

8

r The diflerence bet,ween the number of boys rssigned to vocational or other work (146 on NoY. 3,-1931)anO tEi, toii i pop'ulCiion ot tne iDstiturion on approlimrtely the ssme date (3.19 on Nov- 9, r93l) is due toine i ici inai dois nor yet released from the rectl i i ing and selvice cottages for assignment.were iDcluded ini[ i ioiaipobnid't lm aria tnat vocatioDal and other iork assignmenls were no! given to the younger boys'and also to other conditions of institutional l i fe.

The school did not claim to be able in the short time that theseboys were in training to make th-em ready -to tako their -place in.g,nytrades. The work w"as considered prevocational, designed to familiar-ize them with the main facts about the industry, the tools, and thomaterials which they would have to learn to handle oxpertly to becomoskilied workmen.

From its earliest history the print shop at Whittier had been oneof the outstanding features of i1s work.

--It was w-ell equipped and

the instructor waJa qualified teacher. Print-shop classes had alwaysdone a ereat deal of brintins for the various Stale departments andother oiganizations.

^The quality of their work compared favorably

with that of commercial printinq.The class in aviation ground-work was a fairly reeent innovation.

The Nalry had given th6 school three condemled plan-es from theirwar stocli. Tht 16 bovs assigned to that work ranged in age from12 to 16. Their time was divided between talks by the instructor,work with the Navy planes, and modei work in which each boyactually constructed to scale a miniature plane.

L

8

245

Io8I653

1088



The mnchine shop, situated in neu- quarters and equipped with 8

""*'iotf,*.,-ofior.a,iti oppottunity to leirn the rudimehts o{ maehine

*l"f.l -in'automobile

nlJchanics"the boys spent most of their timoi;;;i"ti" 4; r.puii rotk thro1g6. actlal-practice j obs on institutionCAIS.'*Tir"

agricultural courses_ included- .practical work in the care ofcitrus ant walnut trees. The vegetablb farm afiorded opportulity.toii""fr -"ihoa. of truct gardeniig. Both these courses included in-

"ir""ti"" irl. methods oi Tirigatiofr essential f-or a! agricultural work

i",""iiru." California. -

BqtrTpment, for agricultural worl< was report,ed;; il;a;q";il ild of mohetn tvpe. Iiincluded tractors, which theboys were-taught to care for and operate.

Maintenance and rePair work

The ever-present question in_ sucl' institutions is to what extentfo"Junor rSiuld be J."a i" performing the maintennnce work of thei"&ii"ti"".--"Th"-i"rpi"r.iori u'as gaiied that under ]Ir. Scudder;il ;;* ii;"al-trainin'g piog.u - hadso,emph as?ed t raining rs d istinctirg; ;;.k that maint-eiutr?" and repair work for the institution hadl-""o nuatu disrupted. Maintenance work had been done for_prac-ii." U"i

"ir;ll-t..; ti*" fud been given to it, and feu er boys had been

;;.i6;J -il;;;i;;;

tnai lina of"service.'The lend.encv seemed toll"l?, J*i"s ilu.f.lo*uid keeping the institution buildings and equip-;;;i i; l;t;"; ;;p;ir through tf,e giving of more hours of bov labori;";;A ;"intenance, althorigh still"plac'ing emphasis. on t1e trainingp"..iliiiii*ln r"ch'work #hen done under the direction of menexoerienced in the trades.

12. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATHLETICS

A tlirector of physical education u-as i-n charge,of. the program forohvsical education"and atliletics. He had one full-time aisistant andi[;;iA

"i t

""tt"gu stud.ents previously mentioned. These students

;;;k;a *iirt i-r.e-lovt o. their cottage playgrounds, coached thecottase te&ms, and did other related work.--Th;;"

;;s no military training of any kind at this institution'

Physical education

There was a daily program of gymnasium classes for all sctrqol boys.l" tfr"

"fu.res the bthcfral empfiasis_ was on calisthenics. The work

;; t ;;.ig;;J t o pr6mote'generai phy sig af d e'elopmen,t a nd,t o improv eposture." It u-as stated that posture defects were extremely commonil*""- it

" ""* Uovr- Each bbv was weighed and measured and given

""tt""li;b;il-td;ts each tnoith. The"findings were rec.ordetl regu-

l"tl*;dJift- Ji...i".iaid that the boys werJvery- much- interestedil' i,;;;t"d1h;i-o*" piog."ss in, w6ight, grorvtlr, and mtrscularrlifitt Tf" monthly r.iotd" proved tg ble a. gieat incent'ive to a b.oYil;ii'.k

";;;til;;iercises that u'ere being [iven him for particular

purposes, which were carefully explained to him''-i';"ji;;;lfiin" iit..tor piepaied a_report which shorved the total

""-U*. of boys o-"ignua ut d tir* total number, of pounds gained or

fori. - -Hi.-r.pi,rt

for-Ociober 1931 shou ed.271 boyi weigled, with ai" t*

" f ;oi-po""d. gained and only l3- lost, or a net gain of 554

oonr,.tr, a litdle more"than 2 pounds eaeh. On the monthly report[;]il;h;;.il ioy *tt" *u. .ttid"t weight or who had shou'n no gain


WHIT"IIER STATE SCIIOOL, WHITTIER, CALIT" 37

for some time past, or boys rvho were ov-er weight and, gaining too;;oidl;. e .opv of this report went to the superintendent, .tlre re-;;il;;ti i"p"ttoi6"t, the ph5l'sieian, the ehef, and the strpervisors ofthe dining room.Sports program-

Competitive athletics occupied a prominent place_ among institu-

tio"ai-i 'ctiuiti*.. EacS vear'eaelr c6ttage developed a team in the..".t"t .o"rts as the .ru.6n. changed. T[ere u ere iegularly seheduledintramuial series in the various sports. The winning cott_age team

""a tn" school team composed of the best playerLfrom all c-ottage

teams played games l' ith outside organizationi. For examplg.,. thei""in"f t.""- fu. scheduled for 11 gaires with outside teams. There.""-"Jt" b" o

"".y friendly relatioin between teams from this school

u"Jt."-r from scliools tlrroughout the surrounding territory. It, rvas.i"i.a th-"t- the \Thittier Staf,e School had a well-earned reputationfor sood sportsmanslLip and that its teams held a record for lravingplav"ed 4 vears l' ithoui a single foul in extramural contests'--i

*-i"i-ing schedule pro\'ided opportunity {or practicrlly everyb; i;

-the ."EooI *,-ho v-ishecl to do so to rise t'1e swimming pool

aaitv, in"t.,ding Sunday. Considerable emph-asis- was_ also given tot.a""i w""tr. The school wa,s 'ery proud of the fact that tr.o of theU,tiiti* l"ys had been able to eirt-er the junior Olympic semifinalsthe previous spring.

Oiie inteiesiingiearure of team membership under, th.e leadershipof the director ii charge was that in addition to athletic pro\4'ess abov must measure up n"ot only in his school work but in his eharactertrdits. A list of ca-ndidates-for the school football team was sentaround to teachers, eottage superr-isors, and other officers who wereurteJ to answer the follo'wing questions u'ith respect_to- each boy:;tr [" interested in his work1

^Can he be trusted? Is he loyal to

his cottaEe? Is he a bullv? Does he cause you any trouble? Is he

""a".ttotia.a: Does he intimidate other boyi? Is he a good or a bad

influence in the group? Does he smoke? Does he work well with othert"o": Is he a iood'sportsman? Do you consider him a f i t candidatei#;h" school t-eam?'r In oLher u.ord's, team memberslip at \Thittierwas .omething that stood for a great'deal more than mere physicalstrength or skill.

ThZ dir""tor of physical education !r'as strongly of .the opinion thata certain amount of competition in school teams is a good thing,but he believed that it must be very carefully supervi,"ed in orderihat deslrable rather than undesirabl-e character traits be strerlgth-

"""a. He thought that the physical-education classes and the ath-

letic contests offired exceptional opportunities for der,'elgping_ a senseL} social or group resporisibility and -appreciation of lair play andgood sportsmanship, also for teaching boys to restrarn therr {empels,frsht on equal terms, and take defeat u'ith good graee. Moteover,trE thousht'it enabled the physical ueaklings to learn hotn to defendine-."Iie., which, in turn,

"had a very- -desirable

effect^ on theirself-confiden"" und their attitudes toward all other types of develop-ment,. In other words, the therapeutic aspects of physical educationwere considered of paramount importance and attrlet'ics was by nomeans treated merely as a form of recreation.

L-


38 FrvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

13. OTHER RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIYITIES

During previous administrations there had grown up at Whittieran appre""iirtion of the need for a diversified program oT activities tofin tha hours when boys were neither at worli nor in school. Obser-vation of boys after reiease revealed that the greatest dangers to theirfuture adiuslment came not while they were at school or-on the jobsfound foi them but because they had made unwise and undirecteduse of their leisure horirs. Therefore the fundamental objective under-lying the program of activities at Whittier was to help them to findriewlutlets fol mental interests and emotional energy and to learn howto use Ieisure time in ways that, were none the less engrossing becausewholesome. It was believed that the normal boy has a genuineinterest in wholesome play provided he and the opportunity for itcan be brought together.

- The activity program had been built up

witb that definitely in mind.Music

\Iusical training had been an important, feature rn the Whittierprosram. Group-singinE was used at all assemblies. There hadbeei t*o bands, althoug"h it was stated that there was only one in1931. Individu'al instruction was given in the various band instru-ments to all boys who could demonstrate any ability gnd wfo wishedto trv out for ihe band. Instruments wer6 supplied by the schoolfor boys 'rvhose relatives were unable to provide^ ihem.

- It was said

that thc services of the band were in constant demand for outsideperformances. Manv public concerts were given, but' an attempt wasinade to see that th6r6 was no element ofexploitation. The bandplayed at school assemblies and gave frequent, doncerts for the school.Boj's who showed exceptional talent were given special attention, andatt"empts were made io procure rndividual lessons for them. n'orerample, a \{hittier civii club had provided a scholarghip.-in violinlessons for a \\rhittier school boy who showed unusual ability withthat instrument.

This vear the special teacher in music and expression had to bediverted to reEulai school work because of a short-age of teachers.Radio

Each cottage was equipped with loud-speakers through which pro-grams regulaied from'a ceirtral station were broadcast [o all par[s ofthe institution. The school had its own small broadcasting stationdonated bv a civic club of Los Anqeles. ThrouEh that station theschool banil and other cntert,ainmeni,'groups were able to present theirprograms to the various cottages an"d tothe hospital.

-It was also

i,o.Jrble for the superrntendent i,nd other members of the staff to read3tories or other good books regularly over the air to all the boys atonce. It rvas reEarded as siEnificant that since the installat'ion of theradio broadcastiig system t[ere had been no instance of serious mis-conduct at night. it was also stated that with the radio programscarefullv contiolled it had been interestins to note the improvementin the musical preference of the boys and t[err growing desiie for goodmusic.Dramatics

Considerable emphasis formerly had been placed on .dramatics,including pageantrli, as an outlet ior the intereit of certain types of


WIIIT"TIEn, STATE SCIIOOL' WHITIIER' CALIF, 39

bovs. but there was sa,id to be somewhat Iess emphasis in 1931 becauseneithe" stafi nor boys had much time for that

^sort of activity. The

boys usually put on a plav of some kind at Christmas and Easter,anh occasioiruily one of in,i cot,tages would present a "show" for th6whole school.2zMotion pictures

A motion picture was shown each Thursday from 6:45 to g P_Tl.The school }iad a new.machine for showing talking pictures. Thefilms, said to be of relatively high standard, were furnished free by aLos Angeles fi.lm exchange. " ThEir selection was supervisgd by a, mem-ber of the staff. The weekly picture show was aCtended by all boysexcept the few who had been d6prived of the privilege as a diiciplinaiymeasure.Reading

The scbool had a well-equipped and well-run library which was aregular branch of the Los Angeles County Library. A woman whowir a trained librarian was in'charge full"time. The county librarywas reported to be taking special interest in maintaining this branchin good shape, with conlideratron for the particular n6eds of thesebo-*. The

^e{uipment included several library tables with chairs

around t'hem where the bovs could sit and read.The library had about 5,b00 volumes. Boys rvho had been assigned

to their permanent cottages had regular library cards and were per-mitted to draw books as the.y would from any public library. Thereceiving cottage, lost-privilele cottage, and service cottage each hada case of books selected for them by the librarian, as the boys in thosecottages did not have the privilege of drawing books indrvidually.The library seemed well supplied with reference books of all kindswhich the boys would need in their school work, and it possessed inaddition a liberal supply of appropriate fiction. The librarian statedthat their interest ran largely to the usual boy literature-adventure,western stories, and detectrve stories. The library also had a num-ber of good periodrcals that appealed to boys, and in addition eachcottage received one of the Los Angeles evening papers.

The school classes had regular library periods. tr'rom the sixthgrade up the classes came to the library daily for study and referencework in connection with their contract, lessons. In the lower gradeseach class had one 4S-minute period per week in the library, as didalso the boys from the rooms for retarded pupils, who came to thelibrary with their teachers weekly.

Boys from the service cottage who were not yet in school also had aweekly library period.Boy Scout work

tr'our cottage groups had been organized into Boy Scout troops.There was very great interest in Boy Scout work emong the boys andmuch competi[io]n in making p"og"eir in Scout training.

.- The m'anuge-

ment of the school felt that, it was one of the best influences at workamong the boys rn the school. The regular Scout program, whichrncluded hil<es and other activities off the srounds of the school, wasin full effect.

2 Under date of Feb. 16, 1934, the school reported a dramatics instructor again at work, making dramatiotraining again a signiflcant part of the program. Several plays were to be presented in 1934. Participationwas definitely a part of the tr€atment program, with special eflort to reach individual problem boys throughthis medium.

L


40 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

Scout executives in the district had taken a ve-ry friendly and active

i"t"r".f i" ihe worL at ihe Whittier State School -and

had contributed

;;iittt; p;; to makrng it a slccess. One of the district Scout execu-

;i;;r li;,i b""r, .rr".y re-gular in his at'tendance at' the meetings of the

school scoutmasteli uoi th"it troop committeemen' At those meet-

ing. probt"ms conne"ied with the promotron ol the rv,rk were freelS

Ji8"', ' .="a, and much good eame out o{ t 'hose discussions'*iiili" i'6;y i"ir; fur u Scout was ready to be released.for place-

,rr"r,i. [h" pla"cement o'fficer sought to arrange {or his admissron to a

il;;,,' i;;;;;;-th. cott"tmunitv io which he.-u'as- going and to enlist

iri"l"tl*.i nl tii" *"o"trnaste"r of that, troop-in being o{ spe.cial help

;;lh; ;"; dtrrins his hrst months at home' 'No-partit 'ular

difficultiesin iiotLitis out sirch B,rrangements were report'ed'

So**"r ao-PA summer camp for the bo.l's of Whittier State School rvas conducted

";;;i;; c"i"ii"" Isiand on e camp sire that had been given to

;h;';;#"i.;"a th" donor also frunished the Whittier poys free trans-

"" i t" i6"- i" ' i i . bu.h cottage had 7 to_10 d.ays at t f is carnp ev-er l

ffi i;;;;. ' "p"""r"""f-buildifigs.for

the dormiton- and mess hall had

i".r't"if t, '*"J- "r.f

i vedr some improv_ements rvere made b,- the vari-

;;;;;ill *ttit" tt'*y *ere there. The Naw had donated an oldmotdr launch which had been put into good shape 1or use at tne camp'

Other organizations and clubs

son e material received from this institution in March 1934 de-

".ril".-i" *-e detail-tfre establishment, of a system of honor clubs

ut {ftfriiii.., ar the lrgge.tion of the s.p.erintendent and under his

l";i;ili;.'' H; ir;,t d"lised rhe svsrem while he rvas in cFarge of the

ii"lJ" 5"frff;f;J;stry in 1e18 and installed it later in the Utah

iira.iJri"r-S"rr""L *tr"" hJ b""u-" its superintendent. At Whittier

il-i.6;;" as the "?*uttto.,ot Honor Cftb", with members in each

cotbage.'"C[!'no"ot clrrb, as its name might indicate, seenrs.to,+ave for its

".i-".u n".pore the enco.riagemen"t of self-control and self-discipline.

ii.:;o".th o'f allegian"e" pledges mernbers (1) not t,o escape, nor

attenr't to escape, uttJ-to iio tfreir " utmost !o. prevent and persuade

;;;;;; ' i;;;;;i lt"; (2) when ottt otr qlv kind of leave to conductiit.i"."i".. in s.ch ; ;"i as to bring-credit upon.themselves,and the

;;iii;,i;; ""4

i" Jo "6t5ing

to en?anger the chances of others for

"ilt"i"rrrg T";;;; l;-;; ; ""J

tS-) ,, ro put f6rth an honest and honorable

eflort to stamp out th; r." oi tobu.co among. lhg !ovg; " Tltit tp""]{

"i"an" of ,,ailegiance" was purposely Iimited t'o these three rules

ilii""n ,fi"."p".i""t*"a"nt ana ine-'Uoys'{e1t, could be enforced through

;ili. ;;;h;ii ii""*".s of the honor club wbose honor-,club grouq'

fr"J ""

;;lfv.O.f,.'; t'ot o0 days are rewarde4 b-y u special party and

ili ""t'i"i" "redit

allowances described as eqlivalent, to about 1 n-eek's

time off their .st,a-\r at the institutron'

14. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

\\-hittier ernployed a full-time Protestant. chaplain' . The man

*fro f*f.fiiti. ri".lli"" ut ttt" time of this-study hld 1n {'B' degree

frorn the University of California and had taken -tleologtcal courses;TG;;; eibticat ahd \{oody Institutes. He had had servrce as art


WHITTIER STATE SCHOOI,' WHITTIER' CALIF. 4L

Armv chaplain, where he held the rank of lieutenant. His experience

;i;"i";i;{;;; ;;;;'; **k u" probation officer rn Sutter Countv' a

rural and mining region'' -Th;;[

";T;il-.ont"" t"a nonsec t arian services every Sund ay af ter-

"o""'"i'l-ii;ilk;';h;" ."*.o. being attended bv all bovs' These

services. except Lo, iheit nonsectarian character,- closely resembled

.i,;;;h"1";;i.J. ""i.i[u

itt"-instirution. The school print shop pub-

ii.f..["" "ttractive

progran fo-r each.SundaY service'* ih" ;;;;;r-"i t rid lVfiiiii."

"C"tt'"tic Chuich conducted M qis each

S"",i".:ô-ins i" tn" ;"iioot "nupol

for the Catholic boys' ̂ He also

;;;;' ;;.;;;;i';; ;; ;ii boys u'ho. * i.h"d. to .prepare for confirnr a tron'"..1'1,"l.* ,lewish bovs were vrslted pe'odical[y by a representative

"f ;il; .l."i.f-r if-.ftur'""f*a"rotion, ai'ta they. u'-ele-alryqJs pg^rlnitted

t" n" t "*"

for certain of their important religious holtdays rf lt, were

ooJsible to arrnnqc the triP.""i"

""ii it i""'t3- .o"au.iing Sunday exercises, the , chaplain was

*port"J t"-[" a"i"g-" "o".iaZruUte

amount of ,personal contact rvork

*iirr' i"ai"ii" "f ilf. ; r,u i:ins g"""ral respon sibili t1r f or their . elhilil

and moral training. It $.as one of the chaplatn's dut'res to Intervtew

;;"h;;;i"u undio tahe him on a tour oJ the.grounds and buildings,

;r;1ril;- ;dfri* tir" *.i"6 t i"as of work and-iraining opporttmit'ies,

;if;t i#?;ii."i;:^;ntt*9 .*qL hirn, and obtaining intornrntionabour nrs re'srous ;J';;-hi;;i baclrgrotrnd. Boys.w\o were troubled

b;;#;;;;T;aid;; o' no." at''irome were invited t'o come to the

chaplain for adviee and helP'

15. CREDIT SYSTEM AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Cretlit system

Thestr i t t ierplandidnot includeaformalmeri torcredit . I : t .n.T_.B"i;;; igti,

"t tiie request g! the. superintendent and in consultation

;thîlfi.";"-n"r., tf,"-buiitoiolu d.,t.on of Juvenile Research had

;;;k;;tu s_poirit,,uting scale for boys. A record blank.had been

;;.i;;Jio .**" r",' "[:&ii""

*"u.rrfrttg of the boys' a,ttitude and

il;i,;;;;. 'fitl.

iot- *"1, ptint"a on a lirgê sheet which.containedsDaces for the nu-" of

"u.h'- u"v and places-for cntering daily ratings

i5" ii^ttitrr.'" D;;;;th. "niit'it

*onth such a record sheet remained

"".t.J "" ih" bull.fin board in each cotta_ge._.The cottage super-

;i#;Ji; ;;;";J-;;;tGtor each bov und-er his supervision' Thepoints 1 to 5 .*pr"."otudvarying degrees from excellent response,

ii"iriil.*a 1," d;;; to unresponsrve and uncooperative, which was

i;;i;;;;d'b." t tf,."putti"'postings of these iatings enabled each

1"" t" know at u"y iir[" jirst ivhere"he stood for the month. At the

;;[ ;i tii" -""t5 the blanks were filed with the research department.llt '"v-tor-*d an i-portant link in the clinic's consideration of the

;;"dr_.;;hi.[ ; b"'], rvas making toward adjustment sufficient to

warrant' parole.Doubt was expressed' b5' some of the st'aff members as to t'he practi-

.ofifi i" of thi. r'uting -*tlloO. Althorrgh designcd- to be as objectiven. oo.iibl", it obviouslv leaned vcry heavily.on the sublectrve sro.e.

il i l! l-;;i i 1t'ui a".piie all eflorts-to equalize attttudes o{ cottage..,o*r,ri.or.. thor" t"iloinfi .on.t,l"rable variation in their appraisals;[";fi;;]

"-{^;;ttd;-.,ip".ut.ot with high st'andards. would give

b;;;;i;n. for beha"ior that a nrore lenient officer would grade two

L--


42 T.IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT SOYS

or three points higher. Moreover, there seemed no way of obviatingthe da.y-lo-day variation resulting from the fact that inescapableper.onilitv clashes between officerJand boys would affect the officers'-aUititv

to Eive entirelv obiective ratinEs.ThL molthly suminari-es of these ratings, together with periodic

reports as to trade and school progress, were entered on permanentretord cards in the administrafive offiies. With this material wasincluded a record of the number of trips to the disciplinary cott'ageand the reasons for each trip.Disciplinary measures

The superintendent, retained personal responsibility for the fixingof policies witb respect to the types of disciplinary measures thatmisnt be used. R6sponsibility foi the administration of disciplinein

"minor cases of misionduct iested with the cottage supervisor, theteacher, the shop instructor, or other officer undor whose supervisionthe boy was at-the time. Responsibility for the imposition of dis-ciplinai.y measures in cases of inajor miiconduct u'ai vested in thechief super-risor, rvho had full power to determine the extent of thedisciplin-e to be meted out,. In exceedingly difficult cases he consultedthe superintendent for approval of the action to be taken.

The principal method -of

discipline was deprivatio! of privilege-s.The scale f& such withdrawal of privileges varied from merelyrequiring a boy to sit on a bench on the cottage playgroundwhjle ot-her boyi indulged in free play, through such things as beingdenied attendance at the weekly motion-picture show or participationin or attendance at attrletic games dorvn to complete loss of socialprivileges, which meant removal from his own residence group to theiost-privilege cottage-the disciplinary cottage which was Yery differ-ent from Ihe pleasant, homefike residence cottages at Whiitier.During their stay in this discipllnary group boys yer-g required to dothe heavy work around the school, such as road work, digging trenches,and other physical labor. The only play permitted was a 15-minuteperiod of unsupervised activity in an jnside court each morning andevening. Theie w'&s no curtailment of food for boys under disciplinein this group. The length of time that a boy remained here dependedalmost"entiiely on the;tiitude he himself assumed. He was closelyobserved at all times. As soon as he expressed a willingness to do hisbest to fit into the less restricted social life of the regular cottages andhad given evidence of sincerity in his intent, he was released to make afreslistart with his own family unit.

In the lost-privilege cottage were four rooms knolvn as "quarantinerooms " where boys couldbecompletelysegregated. It was stated thatit was very seldom necessa,ry to use these rooms-, but when a boy re-mained stubbornly and actively defiant, after all other measures hadbeen tried, he mightbe placed in isolation in one of thoserooms. Hereceived the sam-e food as the other boys. He was interviewed at fre-quent, intervals to ascertain his attitude and bo determine whether ornot the opportunity he had had for quiet thinking about, his respon-sibilities loward the other boys and the school had enabled him torealize his own personal obligations. The emphasis in all of thislost-privilege work was on the individual responsibility of each boy forso Iiving that he contributed toward happiness and progress for allboys in his orvn group and in the school.


IIt

itI WIIIT"IIER SI'ATE SCHOOL, WIIITTIER' CAITIX" 43

No corporal punishment of any kind was pelmitted by the adminis-tration.--

tir" head sroup supervisor stated that it was necessary to use boymonitors to "a ceitain extent, as they didnot have assistant cottage*""un"... He felt that thii was not a desirable system but that itwas uiavoidable until it became possible to employ_ additional cott_aggoetro"""l. Their use was minimized and restricted to duties that hadirs little to do with discipline as possible.

Those in charse of diiciplinary action stated that the most severe-;;;=;"t" .--ploy.d iir cases of bad sex practices, and the next'.no.t ."o"." fot escap6 or attempti!g to escape, with insubordinationoi

" otooornced chaiacter taking th-ird place-. Such things as smok-

ing, itealing, and fighting were considered of less serious character.

I6. INSTITUTION RECORDS

The record system which had been developed at Whit,tier StateScfioot included"a eentral or summary rec_ord-kept i1 the office of bhesecretarv. and detailed records of the study of each boy and hls prog-ress in tLb institution, \ept by- the-various.departmenlt:. .--

The summary recoids'conlisted of a "history book" in which alladmissions wer6 recorded in chronological ordei, a perma,nent record

"uia tor:.u.h boy, and an individuafcase folder for correspondence

and mlsceltaoeorir datu. A double page in the history book was;=id;d t" .".fr Uoy on admission. 0n one pege was entered identi-fvin? material such-as name, date of birth, facts as to parents' status,."o-?"lt-""t data, and school grade. On Jire opposite page were thet"y. plgl*., u .u-t tury of

.-his parole history, and record of his

esc&pes, rI any.th. ir"t^uhent record. card was a large printed form on,a,double

card, about i7 by 11 inches. This contained a very complete sum-;;iy ;i the boy'i record, including outstanding factl in his previousilili;rt; ;-r"#ry of his treatmeni and .progress-while in the sc\o.o],

""d-i6p"ri. conc"erning his placement hi-story. The summary of his

ioiii iuiio" record sho#ed his assignments tocottage, school, produc--ii"" *

"titiiy-".tL, and vocatio'nal instruction; his cottage, trade,

u"J.lnool relports, and disciplinary record; and Lhe medical, physical,and nsvcholdeical leports.

- Quarterly reports while on placement

*"."'."iut.a 5n the card, incliding such facts as date, school attend-;;;;;;-;ployment, ffie of hoire, and observations as to socialadiustment.--H;;;;d.;f

the boys in the institution and on placement' were fiIed as

""1i"" ."."., iho." f,ischarged from placement as closed cases.*-frrr*."nrti

record forms"had beenadopted by the various rbeet' adopted by the various- 49pu.t-rds of each boy'i institutional history

Numerous record forms

and progress.*""i. i"t ti"eping detailed records of each poy's.institutional historyotr,l .,"ntt".s.' T.-he essential facts recorded in these various depart;;d;ui. Iti"ny pointed out in the following.cornments'*'nl"n

i"*5"iin'the academic school kept a daily record_card show-i"n nupl performance and the amount 6f work done' Record was

"l$"r."'oi ;i;;;h b;vit-atieoduoce. The school'! P-erryapgqt record

iri:*i"["U* ;;; k;pi on a looseleaf form and included his yearly;;i-il;;;;iu"oia, ti'. progressr and grading in.habits and attitudes'A;h;td"ph of tire b& #-as aiso att-achedlo this permanent record.A i;"r:1"?i[t* *ut r.e"d by the school for transfeiring a boy to the

?6870-35-4



oublic school when released on placement. A full transcript o{ t'he

$yfrii i i"r S.ilooi--nl=to1y was sent to any outside principal on req.uest."

Aji ' ih" detailed -ei'i.ul t"cords were kept at the hospital. . Blanks

"."J ' fo. ' t . - ;ai ; ; i5f pty. i* t examinat ion on admission and blanks

;iilg ;;;;".3, "t "l",iical

records were adequate. Copies of the

summartes were senr a; th; central administration files an4 to the

,".l"t"ir- ai"l". l'ot-.- "-"t"

supplied for the daily hospital reports

and the daily sick-call rePorts. ,-^Th;;;";;hs of the ciiriical studies and case histories were kept, by

tt" -Cufifornia

Bureaii-oi iuvenile Research. Summaries o{ data

"-Ui"i".Jlu tn" n,-,t.ur, rvhich rvould be lseful to particuiar depart'-

;;."1;";f, l"5. inriitution u-ere sent to the respcc.tive de.part,ments'Th;'..;;;*ii aepu.t in"n t kept records .on sociai history, intelligenrce

;;;.;;;; 'p".."ti-tl i." =tudiei'. A special repot't blank on *hryl ll:i"."u."n department- requested repot'ts from the-c,ottage superYrsors

"""t"i,*a "-co".ia"ruUt"'amount oi information.relating to the charac-

;;;l;;i l. ;f-each boy. -

lSee appendix C, p.' 31!') Another record kept

n"-t i r" reieur"h a"put i i*ni ' ihot t tu. s igni f icant *as the monthly

,d.",:JUf"rT'ri"a" 5"t b1- each cotlage su"pervisor and posted in eaeh

;;ri;;":-..Ttr"=. friuniii ivele .ent to ih" reieat'ch department for fil ing

at the end of each month.- "ih;

"i""tftf' r=poti. ."U"ritted by the. physical-education,depart-

-."t ,froiui.rs ih" irrr^t .r of boys eniolled-1n-that department during

i'h;';;;i it '; id^ii.ti"g b;v. ,t:tt"., rvere under weight-or who had lost

ivelsht, rvhich *.r. =?ni-io the supe'inte,ndent, fhe research de^part-

-.;i, i n.'i i;;.i;i;;,-;;J i"u*rul other officers',were 9n resul-a1 forms

.uppi l"O fo, ine puipn.".- -

Int l iv idual physical-development records

*.iti t *t bv the btrviical director on special forms'"" A ;i ';;;;id;;;i i l1'; 'y ;i;;;t bov's condu<'t record was l<ept and

was availableio the chiei supervisor at all times'Sp""i"f Ulanks weie^ r"ppii"a for rnonthly reports of each boy's

proqress in his trade assignment."'tT"t".fi;;ti;;;il""i t

"pt an individual record-for each bov

*hii""f,;-;;;;; i6;;;""1. ft'""" re-cords contained the formal

;;ti." oi ni" pru."i";;; ;; pqrole signed bv the, sunpri3Ll{9"!, +"montbly reports r""i-i" U''tt"tu boyE, the iecords of visits made by

;il;h[";-fft offi."r., a cird listini the date_s on whicb reports were

#;ff;d ;;d ";it.';"d;; ;[ oth-er miscellaneous items including

"ii ""r*.o"ndence .;;;;r;ilg the boy. Forms u-ere supplied to the

b;";i;; ;""dinE in their monlthly reports and contained such rtems as

;;i; ;;;;;ilG lt eit e-plovqen! or school -record during the past

o'o"tfr. "nurch"attendanc^e,

and place where leisure time_was spent."W11"''"-lo;-*;; ai.aharged from placement this recor.d was then

""irUi"-a"#th [G ge"".al-record in the administrative office.

17. PAROLE AND DISCHARGE

At this institution the term "placement", wlich had been sub-

stiilted f;; puiol", *o. ri.a noth in reference to the stafl.doing parole

;;;i.,;;d ;Jlh; il/. release, whether he returned to his own home

or was placed in a foster home.* nfilJri-il"i"e;t p.""i.ion had been made for the release of boys on

"il;;;;? ";d-i;i their discharge, the details -as Jo. requirements and

i;]i.#;i;;;r),i;i ;;r the prfigiam were adrninistrative functions


WHITI'IER STATE SCHOOL, WHTTTIEn, CALTF. 45

of the institution, subject to the approval of the state departnent ofinstitutions. (Se'e p. 13.) At Whittier the placement'.departmentwith three placement officers-a director and two assistants-waspart of the iistitution stafl and had its headquarters at^ the institution.hn. ai...tor was responsible to the superiniendent of the institutionfor the placement w6rk. The director at the time of this study rvas

" t"""trd appointee. but an assistant had been on the placement stafi

nearlv 10 ^fbars.

The position of the other assistant was vacant at 'the time oi th" study b-ut was soon to be fllled.

The principle thai policies controlling release on plac.enient shouldbe clos6lv coirelated *ith th" treatrnent plograln of tlre instiLutiorrhad been recognized. The average period in the institulion lr-as 18 toi0 months. Theru was no fornr"al inerit or time system for_ earnlngniacement. A boY's eligibilitv for such release was based on hisi.oer".. in his sch6ol wor:ii. andr-ocational training and on his general-a:ttitude

and behavior. very complete progress reeords-wel"e kept olboth work and behavior, and each boy's readiness {or placement' wassiven careful consideration by a plaienrent committee. This conr-iritt". included the superintendent, assistant superintendent,, secre-tarv. vocational director, school priircipal, chaplain, chief superr-isor,rec"reational director, psfchologisi. anii the tlree placemer_rt' officers.

A list of boys whoie grade! showed that they. were eligible forconsideratioo #ar referred to the placement committee every monthbv the school secretary. The placinrent department risited the homei6 investisate the l_rome conditions and to discover sehool and employ-nrent opp"ortunities before a case was considered by the com.mittee.

For the committee conference a report of the preplaeement, investi-gation, a statement of the boy's precommitment history, and aE r--i"v of his proEress and conduct'in the institution were prqpared-'Each caie was disc[ssed at lensth, and the committee then decidedwhether the boy's progress hadleen such as to fit-him for p.lacementand whether h"e would be benefited thereby. This committee wasalso responsible for outlining a plqq for a-placement progran) tnnrenaraiion {or the boy's ret[rn to his om home or placement in aTost-er home. attendance at school, or entrance into employment'It, was the policy to return boys to their own homes, and foster-homeplacementiwer6 made only w6en conditions in their own homes u-erefound extremelv unfavorable.

Each bov wal called into the committee meeting and informed ina friendly way of the decision. If it had been unfavorable to releaseut thut t"ime, ihe reasons were carefully and frantly given-him. Thesuperintend6nt was authorized by law to furnish [o any boy on dis-ch'arEe, or on leave of absence, suitable clothing and tral'sportationto hii honre or to the county fronr which he u-as iommitted, also srrchsum of money as the rulei and reg,ulations of the board of trusteesallowed for t6is purpose.t3 T[hen lhe boy was- rele-ased the responsi-bility for carrying out the progranl suggested by the-commrttee andfor continuing sufiervision fested on thiplacement offieers.'W-ith

a pla"cem'ent stafi limited to threle officers it was not possibleto carry oi t fot a]l cases a progra'm based on personal visiting, ade-quate suidance, and assistanee ln recleational, employment, ot schooladiustiients. The area sen'ed by each officer was necessarily large,anil the case load was heavy, averaging 114 cases' Personal super-

,t Cdif-"i", Deering's Gen. Laws 1931, dct 9255, sec. 23.


46 FrvE srATE rNsrrrurroNs FoR DELTNeuENT -Boys

vision was extremely limited and had been concentrated largely onthose boys who had presented the more serious problems #hiie inthe institution. The placement, officers had effected cooperationwith many local agencies and maintained elose working relations with^them.

In some instances local agencies had undertaken direct supervision^of cases on request of the pfacement officer.

For the maioritv of cases on placement the method of suoervisionwas mainly that bf written reports which were required'monthlyon forms furnished bv the institution. The informition reouestelon these forms includbd facts as to the boy's employment or'schoolattendance; brief accounting of his earnings, savings, and expendi-tures; church attendance; aid leisure-time ictivitiesl

'The signature.

of parent or guardian was required. On the basis of these rionthlyreports eqch boy was graded and was notified of his grade everymonth. The items for qradins bovs on placement were as follows:

1. Saving, churcl, eduiation, edorts, employment, andregular reports.

2. Obedience, school efiort and work.3. Good report from parents, employers, or officials.4. Indiffer6nce, inst^ability,' uniteady' employment, or

school, late hours.5. Misconduct, bad company, disobedience, Iying, untrust-

worthiless, no report.The rating was on the same 5-point basis as that, used in the institu-

!ioq. .The 6oy who made qn o-ul,standingly good record, particularlyin the item named, rvas credited with 1.

-ii h"e made an outstandingly

bad record he was charged with a 5. The averase was of course 5..while 2 was above avera-ge, though not outstandin!, and 4 was not asgoo4 as an average, though not

-outstandingly badl'-

The usual peri-od on plicement, was aboif z years, if the boy hadmade a satisfactory-record. Decision as to final release (discharge.from supervision and jurisdiction of the institution) was made by t[eLqperintendent, on recommendation of the placement department.The department sent to lhe superintendent

-a r6sum6 of the boy,s.

record on p.laceme!t on which to base his decision. The responsibilityfor determining what constituted riolation of parole was l-eft largelyto the placemen-t officers. - Bgy. who had nol entirely satisfacloryplacement records but who had committed no new offenle were some-times returned to the institution for adjustment. The commitmentof a new offense usually was considered "a violation.

Commitment to another institution at any trme rvhile on place-ment was cause for discharge; likewise enlistment in military or navalservice. Boys absent without leave were so carried on the recordsun_til they became 21, when they were recorded as discharged.

Under date of Februarv 16, 1934, the superintendent of t['e WhittierState School and the dilector of

'the Caiifornia Bureau of Juvenile

Research made the following comments with respect to the placementservice:

The boys' lomes are being visited within 60 days after admission, monthlyreports from the boys on placement are actuallv being received. a complete card"-index system has been installed, and other innovations of great'signifiriance haveb,een made in.the placement qrogram. - For example, there"is a preiparole trainingclass designed. to pr-epqrg t_hq p9y^for the problems he will face iir the communitylA placement breakfast is held before the boy leaves, at which time a number 6f


WHITTIER STATD SCHOOL, WHITTIER, CALIF. 47

'distinguished visitors, including the State director of institutior-s' ale present, ancl;;fr;;t G-;aae to give the b"oy a genuine fareu'ell partl-. He iea.ves the insti-6ti"" il.; spirit oi fiiendliness,"wit[ttre understanding that the Whittier State.S.ii""r .""ti'"ues to be interest'ed in him while he is o-n placement and that hisn"ri"Ligr]l"" i. to conuult with the plac_eTent officer in the event that any.prob-il"* u,.i..i.. Furthermore, one aspecl of the present progr-ap. is_the making of,adequate contacts with ttie officials in the community to n'hich the boy returns'

""Jn=ur-ttrl ".otai"ati"g councils sponsored by the juvenile court and the proba-

;il-;ffi;H ioilng"i.tCounty,'in order that th-ere m.ay b.e-some dependableadult in his community ready to help him make the init ial dif f icult adjustments6o community life.

18. PLANT AND PROGRAM CHANGDS IN RECENT YEARS

Of the cases analyzed m part 2 of this lgport, (see p. 1O), 149 were,of bovs from the SAittier State School. Those boys had been ttnder.careiilthis institution during the years l9l7-24,inclusive, the rnajorityheving been committed in f9tg,-tg2o, and 1921. It is therefore im-potiufit to tal<e note, so far as information is available, of any signifi-,6ant wavs in which dhe institution and its treatment program at that.time difered from the 1931 program justr described'---D*ti"E

the vears lglT-24 th"e plant itself was undergoing certain.chanses.' Altlioush in its first reiort the founders had promulgatedplans-calling for ;cottages", each of rvhich was to "accommodate aiu^iiv-of b0-boys, eachTamily to be in charge-of a ma'l and his wife;d ; teacher'i ihe families""to be composed as nearly as..possible,of pupils'of similar age and similar innocence or culpabilit'.y".,24 thoseiae'at.' were not, put Into efiect in the early days of .the institution.Hou.inE had beeir, in eflect, of the congregate type. From the begin-

"ing otiir superintendeney in 1912 M;._Lrelles-liad sought to achieve

.con?ersron to a cottaEe-unit, sVstem, and in 1917 the first unit, desig-nated "home cottage-", was ripcned. From that- time cottage unitswere added as rapidTy ui th" appropriations cou.ld be-procured and the

"construction *oik dooe. Tie management "tried to see that thebuildings in all their details, the settiigs, and the color schemes em-oloved?*oressed careful thought, good-taste, and were such as would-6*uit u rehning, upliiting hflilence gI] thg boys; that'home' shouldbe felt in everf'coitage Suilt; and this without exttavagatrce'"25

Other building ope"rations'had added. an assernblv hall,. a schoolbuilding, and seieral shop stmctures. . since 1924 an-extensive build-i"t tr;;i."- had complet.a tne provisio.n.of adequate gottage ho'singuo?'hod added the neu- commisslary building, the hospital, the admin-istration buildrng, and further shop space.

There had bee-"n some rncre&se in ptipulation and in stafi persontel,with ; stght proportionate decrease in op-erating expense' as revea'ledin the foliorviirg iomparisons for the fiscal years ended June 30, 1921and 1931:

Average number of boys in carcEmployees-Boys per enployee----Cost per inmate- - - - - - -

2r General Bulletin No. 7, \Yhitt ier State School, p. 21. Whitt ier' 1929,rs $'hitt ier State Schoot, Thirteentb Biennial Report, 1914-16, p. 32.


48 FII:E STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BOYS

There had been, horvever, a significant change in populatiou charac-t'eristics. In its earlv studies the department of research had re-peatedly emphasizcd the heavv incidence of subnormal mental levelsand the urgent need of providing State care and training of otherkinds, rn a separate rnsfitution, {or boys definitel;r feeble-minded.Through the use of their analyses, along with other data, policieshad been gradually changed until a procedure had been achievedwhrch permitted lVhittier to eliminate boys who were unquestionablyfeeble-minded; also many of the exceptionally nnstable borderlinec&-qes. Eyen ihough the'figures must not be iirterpreted too lit'erallyor nccepted as representing in{all ible diagnostic groupings, thc follow-ing compar ison oT mental i ly of boys at \Thi t t ier -Stn le School in 1918and 1926 is of interest:

Comparison oJ mentality of bogs in school in 1918 and 1926 1

Boys in school in-

lfentality and intell igence quotient

Pereent dis-tribution

Super io r (above 110) - - - - - , - - - - -ev?iaci ioimaj idGiioL- - - - - - - - - - : - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - :Dull normal (80-90)-- -.-Border-line (70-80) - ---- ------

6,9

; i I18 I3 0 i

I

I I4326182

351368359

Feeble-minded (below 70)

t California State Department of Institutions, Third Biennial Report, 2 years ending June 30, 1926, p. 49.Sacramento, 1926.

The reduction in the number of feeble-minded boys in Whittier'spopulation had been effected in several ways. Two things had beenof

'primary importance. Continuous efforl had been made by. the

superinteridentl aided by the department of research, to b{i+g abouta better understanding in the iur-enile courts, and in the public mind,as to the true purpose of the Siate School-to serve as an adjustrnentcenter for boys with serious educational and social problems who werepossessed of- sufficient native intelligence to profit by the trainingihere available to such an extent as to be able to fit back inbo commun-itv life satisfactorily when released from supervision. The secondfactor had been thb creation of a second Siate institution for thefeeble-minded.

A bill to create this additional provision for care of the feeble-minded, designated Pacific Colony, had been drafted at lYhittierState School and passed by the State legislature in lgl7.'6 A sitewas procured and lhe institution was opened in 1921' The object ofthe drafters of the bill had been to provide a simplilied environmentin which feeble-minded children and 5'ortng people could l ive happilyand usefully. On its opening a number of boys were transferredfrom Whittler State School to the new colonv. \Yithin 2 years thecolony had to be closed owing to lack of a sfficieqt'rvater supply, -andthe in-mates were transferred to the Sonoma State Home for the feeble-

26 California, Deering's Gen. Laws 1931, act 3690.

14566046


WHTTTIER STATE SCHOOL, WHrrrrER, CALrF' 49

minded until a nev. site could be secnred and proper facjlities pro-

;a;4. -

fn" ,r"'" pu.ifi. Colonv was formally opened in May 1927.^Th; Wtriiti"i ua-i"i.ttutors"felt that the"presence.of-the feebie-

-ioJ"a in residenc" u"li.l ichool classes, and shops had interfered*ii-fr"in"'pt"S*..'.i ttr* titt.t-.ndowed boys, so th-at the removal ofthe lou--siadE Erol,p greatlv benefi ted the boys who remained-' . More-over, th-e el i r i inai ion of ' the feeble-minded made avat[able more

;i;;t 1". t*rntt boys-as all.through .t-[ese vears;lhe1e had heen awaitins list of 35 or s'o for admissjon io whittier. Perhap-s the most'ilil;t'#;ri""t

"i"tl't"""."itittg tt.e for stafi members, and especially

l=or-tfr" i."""r"h p...onnul, muchiime th-at could be devoted to develop-ine -or" intensir.e rtud.i'oi ttt" individual boy's problems and needs;;? ;;ii i l-;l"t; r"rl"Ji' iaualized treatment [o meet the specificneeds discovered.

However. the research work sufiered some setbaeks. It had devel-oo"J=i"uai iv

"nt i t 1921, when the unit became the Cal i fornia Rrrreau

;in;;;il" ft*ur"tt, with a State-wide program inchrding se.rvice to

"tt-St"i" i"rtitutions and consultant serviie to commnnities that

desired advice on treatment of problem cases' When in 1923 theGgi.t"t"t" t;i[d t" appropriate funds for the bureau's work, researchu"iirriti". w"ere more 6i t.* at a standstill for a brief period until lhgl;;;; ;;;iled tn.ougtt the generous cooperation of membe^rs- of the;;;tr. ;f ;h; p..u.f,ot-ogy dep"artmenti- o.f the Univrcrsity of Calilornia;;T;.;;s"t;-;;J t;l-;"J Stanford Universitv. ̂ The *orkers carried;;;-ffi?;partment, of research of \Vhittier State School' Vuo{

""i""t.ity *tmbers ard adr,anced students contributed liberally of

their seri'ices during the next few years. In i929 the bureau wasreestablished on a State basis.--Til.

;h; l"Vr i"a"aed in this study-were under care at Whittierdurine a periofi when the ideal was individualized treatmen!, based

"" ..;?rlih. .i"aV u"a

"-ittt the clinical approaeh, butrnany.obstacles

hindered the praetical applieation of that treatment. ' l 'hese boys may

be considered products-of a program that was one of the most con-.pi"""". t"i"irio.r"r. of todaf's iro-gressive trends in t'reatment indi-v'idualization on the basis of clinical"stud5'. But the PI9CI3.n] was inits pioneering period, methods werein the making, and factltttes werefrequently inladequate-o,I ili .a d apted to needs.

-d. "uriy

as 1d15, Whittier was trying, to adapt it's ed.cational.n.i.- i"ift"

"""ar 6t its boys. Tne sctro5l work was being organized

u'"a.o"a""rcd with a viewio arranging a flexible course for the boy;;th;. ilian fitting the boy to an infleiible grade. fnstruction wasinai*:ia,,ut or in v|ry smaligroups wlere practicable. .The work wasunstuJed. althoush the puSlic-school eurriculum was being followed;.'?i;i; 't; pot.ii l*. E?orts were being made to correlate the rvork;f th; ;";Adtni" d"puttment. and the f,rades. Bpvs of normal orsuoerior intellieenee we.re grven a ma-rimum of academic work'fili., no'. weie gir.en a coribination of academic and manual work,*itt

"u"ii teacher-possessing wide latitude- to adjust the work to the

U"i;. -SiiU.i.-ut

6orr. ',r-.r!, gir-en_manual worlt almost exclusiv.ely.through the intervening ydars the research staff and the teachers

had work"ed in close harmoiy in an effort to evolve methods of instruc-iio" f".t."ited to the problems presented by the boys that.came undertheir obserYation. \4uch research material of praetical value was

Provided bv the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University

50 FrvE srarE rNSTrrurIoNs Fon, DEr,rNeuENT Boys

accumulated. It was found that in m&nv cases a bov's truancv and de-linquency had followed a requirement tb do the impossible ii school.Sometimes clinical study revealed the boy to be possessed of some men-ta1 peculiarity that rendered him unable to learn by ordinary methods.Many such boys were helped to discover learning methods by whichthey were able to make up much of their school retardation in rela-tively short, periods. Overcoming their former sense of inferiorityand defeat often had almost starfingly apparent beneficial effects oirtheir personalities and their subsequent social adjustments.

Eventually the contract plan under which the educational oepart-ment was functioning in 1931 was worked out and adopted as ofreringthe most flexible machinery for meeting the widely varying needs ofthe individual boys coming for academic work.

tr'or many years instruction in trades had occupied a prominentplace on Whittier's program. In the biennial report for 1914-16 thestatement was made that it was the management's intention " to sodevelop the trades work that definite formal instruction in connectionwith it will become possible. We hope to provide courses of trainingand instruction through which boys will pass to a regular graduation."'The same report stated that, as yet it had not been possible to ofrer"formal" instrucbion, in the sense of giving each boy opportunity tofollow a clearly outlined cou.rse designed to give him a fair acquaint-ance with a particular trade as well as experience in practice work.2?In effect the instruction consisted of experience in service as appren-tices performing actual work under the direction of skilled and,experienced tradesmen. This was the type of trade instruction thatprevailed while the boys included in this study were at, Whittier.The psychological findings were considered in placing a boy in tradetraining, in an effort to spare him the disturbing experience of attempt-ing something beyond his native capacity or wholly unsuited to hisparticular aptitudes.

A very considerable progra,m of athletics and of other recreationalactivities had been developed prior to 1918. A Boy Scout troop,known as Whittier No. 2, fiad 6een in existence for some years prioito 1918. The annual outing at, the Catalina Island camp had alreadybecome a feature of the school life. Military training, which was'discontinued later, was still a part of the progra,m in 1918. Theboys drilled four times a week for about 30 minutes, going throughregular squad and company drill, with United States rifles. It, wasasserted that the plan had been to move steadilv awav from a strictmilitary system aid that the military work was"simply a convenient,device for organizing and handling tho boys in groups. The largeresidence groups were divided into companies. With the constructionof cottages which provided for smaller family units, tho militaryorganizaiion and diill were entirely discontiiued. ihis occurrehddling the period of training of the 6oys included in this study.

Discipline was administered along practically the same lines thenas later. Corporal punishment had been abolished in 1912. As theprogram grew rich in activities which brought satisfaction and pleasure-to

t-he boys permitted to participate in theln, the loss of such piivilegesas an effective disciplinaiy measure gained'weight. The disciplinirycottage whose popilation suffered

-complete "withdrawal fr<im th"e

:7 Thuteenth Biennial Report, pp. 21,41,


social satisfactions of the normal institutional group life came to beknown as "Iost-privilege cottage.".-

i[" biennial ieport Tor 1g14'-16 contained several references to theund.eveloped parole system and its significance in the whole treat-rn"nt pi"t'"re.' E-xtracis from that repoit give evidence of the thoughtthai #as being given to that aspect, of tne institution's responsibility.

WHITTTER STATE SCHOOL, WHrl"lrER, CAr,rF. 51

After assuming control and direction of its juvenile wards, and, spending much^^ ^-,{ -^h^-r in o{*nrrc {n troin Lham in s"elf-cnntrol- Eenerallv bv making ittime aia mbneii" eno.i. io tiui" them i! self-control,- generally bytime and money in efforts to train them in self-control,- generally by maxlng 1l

impbssible for them to exereise any form of self-controi for a number of months,irr-^-qi-+i -*.-+. +r.^- o nqrnla i.hora thcw m.zsl exercise the self-control and:=r'::-:--'-"- '-;-- ' - -

a-parole ivhere thev zr,Pt,exe1cl99,,llt .til:Y.?:^hd^?lItne Dtatel grants rne_m.$?"-&;;;;i"i'"T"" it-"ilurd""ea ua"tt or b"e adjudged.guiltv of failure' $fie1a".rr.i"i itit

"".iai" uov. are not.capable oJ self-contro-l-and, (by.assuming directdeclaring that certain boys are not.capable oJ self-control and (b,y.assuming dlrect

.J"li"ljitirt their natuial guardiani are incapable of controlling or directingit "- ir." Siq.fp nroccpd* i."f,,,.n them loose with instructions to do that whichirr."i. it

" itt"te-pioceeal io"turn them loose with instructions to do that whic

it G; iil1u deciared thev are incapable of doing. * * * One parole- o.ffictit has firmly they are incapable of doing. . 1 *

1 One parole, officer;;;ti;;"; 6 repieient the care whicli this school iJ abie. to give its paroled boys-T'tie neta worker of the department of research occasio-nally.comes in contactwith paroled and discharged boys, in thehereditarv and environmental influences r*iil pr-U and discharge'd boyt, in the prosecution of his investin"i"aitutv u"d environmdntal inhriences reiated to delinquenc{,l1d,

of his investigations intoinquency and dependencY.

the Stlte's waids rvhichThe unavoidable neglect of important duties toward the state's wards \\'hlcnr.*ftJf.o* thi*

"ood"itio.r constitutes a serious defect in the corrective machinery

The unavoidable

of this school, and also (it seems probable) of other institutions'

Bv 1924 the term "patole" had been discarded in favor of "place-tn.trl " in an attemptio get alvay from.terminology that,had comeio-U" u=ro"iated wfiolly #irh penal institutions in the public mind.ii.i th"r" was no incr6ase of personnel for this \vork reported untilseveral years later:

The placement department of the school had hitherto been operated by one

supervisor who was iesponsible for the placement and follow-up rvork of moreiiri" zis-t

"i:. o"1rt. irtu."ment rolls.

'Two additional supervis.ors have been

;Aa;d t; the"personnel'of the department, which will also have the cooperationoiai.ainea pJychiatric social worker, conn'ected with our department ofresearch'il i; ;;*;t"id itrat a *ote efficient and comprehensive type of work will result.2&

" st"t" D.pr.t.ent of Institutions, Fourth Biennial Report, 1926-28, p, 87. Sacramento, 1929.


Chapter III.-BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, LANSING' MICH.

Unless the text contains some indication to the contrar.l', all state-ments made here refer to conditions existinE at the Bovs' VocationalSchool in March 1932, when it was visited for the purpose of securingdescriptive and statistical material for this st,udy.

1. srAruroRY PRoYISto*3*$$IBldII*" ESTABLISHMENT AND

This institution w-as first established as the "Hortse of Correctionfor Juvenile Offenders", under a statute approved in 1855' Thegeneral supervision and government of the inititution w-ere vested ina State board of controll consisting of 6 members appointed b5' theGovernor, with the advica and consent, of the Senate, fo.r a term of6 years.

'The law provided for the commitment of juvenile offenders

of-both sexes, as follows: "Every person who, at t'he time of his orher conviction of a prison offense, shall be under the age of 15 ye-ars,and such other persons so convicted betrveen the ages o{ 15 and 20.years as the circuit court and other courts having jurisdiction * * *

ina-v deem fit subjects therefor, shall be senteic"ed to said House ofCoirection for Juvenile Offenders, for the tenn of their imprison-ment." I

No specific purpose, as for edncation, reformation, ol training,was staied in the briginal authorization for this instit,ution, and noprovision has ever been made for receiving pa5'ment for the careoI rnmates.

The institution has undergone three changes in name, the first in1859 to "Reform School", the second rn 1893 to "Indnstrial Schoolfor Bovs". the third in 1925 to "Bovs'Yocational School." The lawchangine th" n"-" in 1925 also authbrized conversion of the industrialschool iito a vocational school. The managing board, aft'er under-Eoing changes in name from tirne to time, is nou- the State correctionscommission- and its membership has been reduced fronr 6 to 3. Thiscommission'is empoll'ered to appoint the superintendent as rvell asall other officers and employees, subject to the approvai of the Gover-nor; also to flx salaries and other expenses, subject to the approvalof the State administrative board and in accordance with the Stateaccounting and budget law, rules, and regulations.2

Onlv durinE the first few vears were qirls receiveOnl5' during the first fewyears were girls rec,eived,.an4 so far as rsoq.n onh' eisht were evei committecl to this institut'ion. A lawknown only eight were eYer comnu

of 1861 specified that only "male pers evei committecl to this institution. A lawnlv "male Dersons" were to be committed.3ment and discharse underwent frequent iegis-The ages of commit'ment antl discharge underu-ent freqrrent iegi'1'he ages ()1 commrt'ment and drscharge uncterwent' Irequent regrs-

lative chanEes as to t 'arious details betw-een 1857 and 1917. Theupper limif was placed at 16 years in 1857 and remained the same

I Xlichigan, Laws of 1855, act 78.I Nfichigan; Laws of 1859, act 139; Laws of 1857, act 91; f,aws of 1893, act 130; Laws of 1925, act 185;

Comp. Laws 1929, secs. 8164, 1?817.3 \I ichigan, La$'s of 1861, act ?50.

52


until 1917, when it became 17 years. During this perrod the'Iower

frii,iT*-. Jfrr"g".L iro- 7 years-io l0 years,.and tlen'Lo 72,.which it is

il;;;;;;;. ^--u?a"'

ih; d,u'1t laws, co,r:rniitmenl' rvas until the bov

*t o'uta become 2t 5'ears oi ug" or be disch?€e-d, ln 1877. the upper

"""]i-it *..

"ho',g"J-io rs]u*ut., an4 ilr 1885 it was again.chalrsed

ffiii;;;r;.'" fn" fir"aific*tions made in 1917, which. remain in eflect,

""r""id"i'i". rh";;r;;i-it-"nfo1 boys under'17 and over 12 years of

;;;. i; '.,,i,riri ', i"rli 'tt*v ,"".ti the ug" o{ 17 or are dischargcd. The

i l i?" i ; i r . i r ," t 'p."" iao. ihut "an' .v.bo' between.th.e agcs of l6

""a ri ."-"ritted tio ltt" Stut" intlustrial.schoolmay, i" lF" discretion

;f;I* *o*t, be sentenclJ tiiereto until-he shall reach the age of 18

;; ; ; ; . , ; - iou," i i r^.nt

l ray be made of boys of the.spcci f i t 'd ages t ' ,n-'"il;

t"tot* u"v "ourt

orhrugirtrate of compe,tent jurisd.iclion fo1a11

offense punishable by fine or intprisonmen t ' or bot h, r tto llI tne ol)lnloll

; i ' ; i lX;; i - , i "giLtr .G-ut" f i r srrbjects io ' the si l iool . . Rr,5-s un, ler

i7;;-il;;; a"Ii"qfr."i 'ra,, also be tornmiled to this school.a- Al t t oush the L,rv*auit 6, ' i r"a corrrrui t i i ient to 1 specif ied age, the

actual tirie spent by boys in the institution u-as rndeterrnrnate lrec.use

;i;;;;;;"i.i.* f,i,. T#o:o oi "tr"tr"",

rvhich could be gra'ted during

il;;ih;ii,^,.""nlit i i ',,i" of 'bsencc and parole rvt're gr.nted trnder

iulcs an, l regulat ions pr.escr ibed b1' t l rc_ ,State co'rcct lons cottr t tLtsstoni"ith ih"

"ni,..,.-ul of

'the Covortror'. [ 'ntlcr the lau-, discharge rvas

", i i "" i " i l . ' " t :n-"] i " ' r ," i l 'e, i .1, , ' .1 thc *ge,f 1i or 1.E as spe' ' i f i r ' t l in

irir ""rr*tit;;;i,

ii;;"ver', r-hether he"was in the institutiou or on'parole at the time.6

Location 2' THE PHYSI.aL PLANT

The location of this school w&s untrsrtal, in that i t }a; si tr iated

wit-hin ttr" iirtrit. of lftu capital city of Lansing (pqpulatioD about

it,*l i" tit" heart ol a residentiai-a'ea, a.ntl otrly a f9r1l]ocks f'orn

the business center. One ni th" large'citl ' high schools, u'ith its

"ifrf . ti.

-'n" f a,'r*lu.- Ji.". i\- u,l j o,."l rt t. the'institu tion .grotr nds., - nnd

;g;.;i;; to two o{ ttr" .Jttugts altl the institutiol's school blilding.'"ilri"i"ufp;i;; i;"ur"iioo'*-u. weII outside the city, but as the

"id';.;;""it ;;;d;tr;-;;";"-d+ the institu.tion'. A p.lan started

abouf 1912 t; rno"" io a rural site 4 or 5 miles from the city was

;;;;";;i"d -ittto"gtt,

owing to opposition on the part,,of | 8r9up*Lo tAiuo.gct the rirban locition niore advantageous-for the develop-;;;;;f i."de truinins, *t,l.n slould be the-rnajor function of this

i""ii iri i"", n"t'ifr"-f"ri,i pur.l*."d witlr this plan in view u as t'etainedas part of tlre school ProPer[Y.'

tt "

carnpus *ur r",6t ialleh or felt'ed iu, und tltete nas,ttotltit]q_!9indicate that it \\.as a school for delinquents, althouglt the general

aDDearance l tarked i t as sonre kind of inst i tut ton. ' I l le grounds

"iJ;-;;J; attractive by rhe presence of lalge slrade trees and, rn

""o"orr, florn'ering shrubs-and many florver gardens'

Acreage

The land owned bv the institution \r'as in tu'o u-nits, the 220 acresin

^th"e -"iil'

"" *-t ich the buildingq .and surrounding grouqds v'ere

.ii""i"a,-""a 1f,tu .q'o-i u"... tt ut hid been acqlired in a nea1b5'-. rural

.""iion. '

About 300 acres of the rural unit rvere under cultivation as

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, LANSING, MICI{' 53

ict S-l; La$'s of lSBi' rrct 171: L:rws of 19I;, rr( 't S0; CompI l l ichiean. Larvs of 1357, act 91: La\YS of 187;Laws t920, secs. 17802, 1283'l' 12838, 12854.

! trl ichican, Comp. Laws 1929, sec. U803.


54 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BOYS

a farm project of the institution. The rest was used by other State'agencies. About 31 acres of the city property were planted in fruittrees and berries.

Both tracts of land were level and the farm land was fertile. Thefarm produced all the vegetables for use at the institution, and also thestock feed needed. A dairv herd keot here was sufficient to furnish allthe milk consumed. Pouitry, hogi, and cattle for butcheringlverealso raised on the farrn.Administrative offices

The seneral administrative offi.ces were housed in the oldest buildinson the-grounds, one erected in 1881 and changed but little since thaldate.

-It was dark-red brick, typical in design of the architecture of'

those days. This building, which also contained stafi quarters andofficers' dininq room and kitchen. stood at the top of the arc of a cir-cular drive leiding up to it from'the street. Ab6ut six rooms on thefirst flocr were given over to offi.ce use. The receiving room in whichthe boys entertained their visitors was also on the first floor of this.building. Very high ceilings, rather dull brown or tan walls, and darkwoodwork made the offices somewhat cheerless in appearance.Boys' residence quarters

The boys were housed in 8 large double cottages and 1 single cottagermaking 17 cottage units in all. The "family" unit per single cobtageranged from 31 to 55 or more boys, depending on the capacity of the'cottage. X'ive of the double cottages, built in 1924 and generallyreferred to as ''the new cottages", were on either side of a long straight,strip of larvn, bach and a little to one side of the older group of build-ings. The others, designated as the "old cottages", although allbut one had been remodeled, were situated mostly on the main frontcampus along the circular drive leading from the street. These cot-tages had been remodeled to look like the newer ones-square, flat-roofed. 2-storv double houses. Thev all resembled rows of larse-double housesior flats, typical of any"midwestern city.

Each cottage had its own dining room and serving pantry, but nokitchen. The food w'as prepared in a central kitchen and sent, to each,cottage. The cottage dining rooms were pleasantly arranged.

fn some of the remodeled cottages _ttrere rvas no.spe-cial hdqg roomrand the diniing room was used for this purpose in the evening. In

he livine rooms were fairlv homelike. There were srnallthe others the livins rooms were fairlvtablesfor games andreading; eachcottage had a radio, and booksweresupplied b-y the school libriry. A roori for rough pld,y was providedin each cottage, usually in the basement.

All sleeping quarters were in dormitory style, and at the time of thevisit all were very crowded. Double-decker beds were being used innearly all dormilories. Special attention was given to thi p.roperventilation of the dormitories. and thev were well lishted. In theremodeled cottages the windows were o"f modern escipe-p.oof styiebut permitted ample light and ventilation.

The sanitarv facilities in each cottaseThe sanitary facilities in each cottage were adequate, and in therre recently remodeled cottases especially up-to-date facilities hadmore recently remodeled cottages especially up-

been installed. These consisted of lhe latestln shower-bath eouibeen rnstalled". Ihese consrsted. oI the latest rn shower-bath equrp-ment an4 a new type of large round washbasin, with a carefully'regulated flow of water.


,"a1" ."-" instances fqmilies, had quarlers in the respective cottages

,i- *fri"n tt eV had charge. ihese -quarters

usually were not more

than two rooms and bath'""A I";

""-1"" oi-tn" stafi resided away from the institution'

pl;;r;B;.;;i;g.o".id&ua for providing more adequate housing for,the personnel.Dining-room and kitchen facilities

Alihoueh the boys ate in their own cottages, thê.food was prepared

in a cenf,ral kitchen. This kiichen was in a farrly new nl"eplool

lricf< tuitaing, rveil fitted with modern equipment' ! a-,- r -"-ih; rtun,%*..pt-io" tne cottage .pers'onl'el, s\Pe1int91!.-e"!, a"a

*r.iJ"ot suirerintbndent,-;;; ser?ed in a.large dining room in the

;a;irrir;.;;[" Uuit,ai"g.' The tables were long ones, seating 10 or 12

;;;;1;-. ild service *uiUVi"-uie.uaitert. The room was large,-had

f,"i;;'l+;h ..iii"s, u"a ih general seemed rather bare and c--heerless.' bh"" ;ffi;t';;;?a tit.n&t was also e thiq building,ând like the

b";;; ki#h;; ii ilt adequatelv equipped with modern fi'xtules'""iJ;;;i" firiiai"g UJ"."a1n"'rtotuge and refrigeration plants for

the entire institution.Chapel and auditorium

ilffi:il"t, [;it ";;ii"ffi "i* t ioris,, ola, qe{-!115 .}:lX:,I :'i11.*i"s 8T i",a" i 8 #,'..p ""ii" Ji;. The. c o t t ago -,o,'*9"T T tl l3^":^f :.:::

A u.ru fine auditorium was a part of the new scbool building. It

fr;;;it#;;;;;il:i6" tfie entire school population, the staff' andhad a seating capacity fo^r'the entirouau 4 Deouru- "-'*"^"Jr;T fi;.i;

-th" teuti"f arrang!-ment, that ofa considerable numb

^.i--l,r f^r nhqnor n.,,"i.,"es- -The

wall dec-;;A;" pews, was designed for. chap,el P,uPgles:;#i"; ;;;; ;;;."uitf utt.uctive, -the-itencil w.ork havinc b.ee,nXi,:fi,;e;';ii"nnt*$;qq:o9f ,:'i1T^lli-::*-'-T::?i."1*:f, #i1';$iir"i'iJt#i#i"^Cn"'1-g" ;;i+,""a 1n"11 9u rtains f or the b alc onv

Stafr residence quarters

Housins facilities for staff members,were definitely .limited, as

*rij." ir""tri ih;-;;"-.- ;;ailable in the .admi:ristration b uilding there

;eie ;;;p."iuf q"utt*s for the teaching and office, t-tul. !."!.?111'

i"iI"*-,i-"iin. .u-" attr?ctive darh- red velvet'--th; u"aiioii"* was used for all general assembly purposes as

*.-If';"-;h;""*".tty "n"pa services,"motion pictures, and other

entertainments.Hospital

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOIJ' LANSING' MICH. 55

The hospital. buil{inS erected. iT 1930 ,?t, u ,,",ot! -91 $^19:90-0^l*iZ-j

"r"u"i"'a-#"t,- i*"ir""i

- lritai"g, well built, well equipped' û14

i^ri"i'.i.,i"-itl1'rh;-6"d-capacitv 6i SO; there'were 2 wards oJ 1-6;;il"i1b; -it ri"a "beds each on the first floor;

canacitv 6i so; there' were 2 wards oJ 1-6i-i'G s""cood floor had 6 rooms with + beds

i"";;ildr" Tii"gfl*"""tir" - 1'5-"* single rooms we.g so arraP*ed^-,t o^"i^nod *;tr' iotrilo".t fa,cilities t6at thev could be used forll+"]::u:i::*"9*";n'"1"::r.l**dil'if 5*t*T'*"*i3ri-.H*ilii"tiHî'il; *h;" o"""'.i"v. The hospital a well-equippedisolatio'n c-ases when necessary. The hosprtal had,a -\Mell-equrppeo

surgery, where-bot\ minor,anjl major operatrons could De perlormeq'

aod"a well-equiPPed dental office'

School building- The school was likewise one of the-new-buildings erected in 1930.

rt -#a"s;';;i"k

;;d;;;fi*pl;"f and modern il.6verv respect" At

.;;"il ;d ;tin" U""t *"i" th" tlurrto-oms, princip al's offi c e, and, Iibrary-.

rn. pu"t" of the building housing the classrooms wele two stones rn



heiEht; the auditorium was only one story. All the classroomsweie adequatelv liehted from outside, and the ventilation wrs good-Thev all piesenied i very attractive appearance. They were equip.pedwith regulation desks-of modern pattern. The wall decorationswere chierful, and in addition many colorful cutouts and blackboardstencils \Yere on display.Shops

Trvo buildinss housed the industrial and vocational shops, bothbrick stiructures. One 'lvas erected in 1925, the other was an2-stOry brrck strUCtures. Une WaS erectect rn LVZD, [IIe otne1. was all

older building that had been remodeled during the same year' Theolder building that had been remodelect clurlng t'ne same y_ear' lnevarious shopiin these buildings were independent units and,includedthe manual'training room, pri"nt shop, radio shop, thoe making and

int sh"op, tailor shop, and machine shop. Each wasrenairinE, parnt shop, tarlor shop, and machrne snop. rracn wasad eq u" t"eiy equip ped' with modern ap plia n ees. f_or its res-pective tra d e.

1 n - - , - f a l - ^ - ^ - - , : - l - - ^

The machine ihop occupied the entiie second floor of the new indus-trial buildins. antl was fhe especial pride of the school in its completeiriut n"itang, a.til *ut the especial pride of the school in its completea,nd strictlv"modern eauipment. All the shops had a maximum ofand strictly-modern equipntent. Att ttre shops had a m-r.ximrrm ofl isht. with windows oceupr- ins al l the side rval fspace possible in eaeh.iigfit, \vith -indows o.",rpyittg all the side rvalispace possible in each.

courts, indoor track, gymna.iu-, and swimming pool. The basket-balle.orrrfl wa,s of full resllation size and was used- by outside teams andcourt was of full regula and was used- by outside teams and

Farm buildings

The farm which was operatdd by the institution was several milesdistant from the main institution and seemed entirely separate fromit. Only about 12 or 14 boys lived at the farm-cottage, an ordinaryframe fi,rmhouse. The farm buildings included a fairly new dairybarn, several smaller barns, three farmhouses' hog house, poultryhouses, milk house, implement house, trvo large silos, and varioussmall sheds.Gymnasium and athletic field

The large, beautiful nerv field house was tbe pride of the school andof the wtr"otil State. It was quite unusual for-an institution of thistvne. in both size and equipm-ent. All facilities for athletic activities#ere' Iound in this buiiding; basket-ball, handball, gld YollPy;qulll

for tournaments of"various public-school leagues, as well as for theinstitution basket-ball Eames.

The swimming pool was a beautiful tiled pool, kept in excellent,condition. It mdasured 70 by 30 feet and was giaduated in depth from3 to 9 feet at, one end and from 7 to I at the other.

There were sufficient, showers and dressing rooms in the building sothat activities might be under way in several branches of sports at thesame time.

Each cottage had an individual outdoor playground 400Jeet squ-a,re,which was uJed for Eeneral outdoor plav bi the bovs drrring theirleisure-time periods.

*The athietic field, where football and baseball

games and tiie track meets were held, was adjacent to the field house.

3. PLANT VALUATION AND OPERATING EXPENSE

The value of the physical plant was stated to be as follows:Lands- $202,296'B u i l c l i n e s - - - - - - , - - - - - - , - - - - - - - - - - - , - t , z t z l , g z SEquipmlnt-- 260' 837.

T o t a l - - - - - - - , - - 1 , 6 7 5 , 4 5 8 . 9 6

80001ti


Theso items represented the expenditur-es made.by the State anddid not take accoirnt of anv decrease in value of buildilgs or Possiblei""""ur" in value of lands. " The financial office supplied the followingstatement of operating costs for the year ended June 30, 1931:

BOYS, VOCATIONAL SCHOOI,, I ,ANSING' MICH. o l

Salar ies- - - - - - - _ $ 1 5 9 , 9 4 9 . 0 5Maintenance and supplies-Operation of farm-- -- - -

191, 678. 3030, 334. 08

3 8 1 , 9 6 1 . 4 3

As the average daily population.of the institution was 708,..-!\eaverase per capiia .o.foioperation (cost per boy) was $559.'49' Thisis corfputed to include theltem for farm costs in order to be compa-i'ut t" Jo far as possible with the per capita cost at other institrrtions.At this school tire per capita cost, was figuled from a total item whichi""l"d"d a charge'for- farm ptoducts pioduced and consumed. Theproducts were p"urchased from the farm for institutional maintenance'r"a

tn" items i-ere included in the total for maintenance and supplies.since the farm supplied a considerable _p_ortion of the foodstuffs forthe institution, th'e^per capita cost would be considerab15' lslM.t i1 itwere possible to isolate and deduct that item.

4. A DMTNISTRATIYE "tHLd^:^lfJF

oRGANIZATI oN' AN D


The administrative control over the Boys' Vocational School wasvested in the state corrections commission, one of fir-e bodies con-stitutinE the \{ichigan State Welfare Department,, the head of whichrvas the-State welfaie director, appointed pf tft" Covernor.

The State corrections commission consisted of five commlsslonersappointed by the Governor wibh the consent of the State senate.tt'"." comm"issioners \yere not, appointed for fixed terms but servedat the pleasure of the Governor.

- There w-as no provision that the

me*bei.hip should be bipartisan; the commission t''ig-h-t be whollychaneed each time that i governor took office. In addition to thefive "appointed commission6rs, the State welfare director w&s &nex-officio member of the commission'

This commission controlled onlv two institutions, the Boys' Voca-tional school and the Girls' Training school. Although ultimateresponsibility for the entire program a1 each institution rested uponifrii

"o--is"sion, in practice th6 institutional manag-ement was left

almost entirely io the superintendent of the school. The superintend-

".ri "oo.ult"d ihe commission with respect to general p_ofigie-s, bud.get

matters, and particular problems in connection with whtch he wtshedtheir advice or aid.

The State required that before any a.pproqriated funds might.bereleased for actiral expenditure, the probbsed items must have theapproval oI the Goverior's administralive board- All requisitions forfirln equipment and livestock were inspected ̂ and. approved^bymembeis of tn" stafi of the State department of agriculture beforethe purchases might be completed. AU of the academic school workrvas'supervised b! the State^department o.f public ilstruction. TheStut" d"purtmeni, of health had no supervisory relationship with theBov's Vocational Sehool , but verv close working relationships wererna"intained. The State' department of health

-tested the school's


58 F,IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

rvater supply regularly, inspected the premises for salitary purposes,aia aU laboiatoiy woik without charg-e, and reviewed- and appr-ovpdutt Ulttr of consuiting specialists and iurgeons who did any. rvork forilie .chool. It was"stated that this latter plocedure was institutedsome vears aEo because of some extravagant charges made by privatenhvsicians for services to inmates of State institutions.'

itr. superintendent of the Boys' Yocational School was. appointedand miehl be remoyed bv the State corrections commission. Sincethat enlire commissidn miEht be changed u'ith each incoming goYer-nor and since governors were electeil each 2 years in Michiga.n,this provision frade it possible for political pres-sure to change thepersonnel frequently. i{owever, in-pra-ctice ii did not, seem to beworking that way, ihe tggz supbrintendent having held office since1923.

Personnel: Number and duties

The Boys' Vocational School employed 114 full-time and 10part-time emplovees. A complete list of individual positions was notobtained, buf a partial list of personnel as supplied by the superin-tendent included the following positions:

6I

I O

T4I18

13

Nieht watchmen- - - - - - -iii,?ir] llftt"i*l--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Phvsician- - - -Dehtist (5 half days per week) - - -Nurses-Chap la ins ( l par t t ime) - -BandmasterTeacher o f voca l mus ic - - - - - - - - - -F a r m m a n a q e r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Other farm lersonnel- ---Trade fo reman e- - - - - - - - - -Engineer and assistants----- - - - - -Other personne l r0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2 l2I1o21I1483

1 5

Personnel: Salaries

At this school the salaries ranged from $420 to $5,000. Completedata on salaries were not, furnished, but information as to amountspaid for certain specified positions was supplied as follows:

Superintendent--- - - - - - -Assistant superintendent-S t e w a r d ( p u r c h a s i n g

a g e n t ) - - - - - - -Athlet ic director--- - -- - -Physician--- -

Schoo lpr inc ipa l - - - - - - - - $2 ,800School teachers--------- 1, 260-1, 620Instructors, manual and

trade training- ------1r 1, 800-2, 400Cottage managers- - - - -r2 l, L4O-2,700Nurses- - - - - - 1 ,200-1 ,500

$5, 0003, 200

3, 4002,2004,200

I Under this classiflcation have been groupsd all persons definitely designated as instructors by tho super-intendoni. These were the men in charge, or assisting, in the electrical shop, machine shop (4), manual-training work (2), painting (2), printing (3), radio and mechanical drawing, and shoe sbop; 6 oftheso instruc-tors also served as cottago managers, and 1 as relief cottage manager.

? These had no dutiesas instructors, but they were reported to have certain outsido duties connectedwith maiDtonance work, such as work on tho farm, on the grounds, in tho garden, and in the meat shop.

8 This omcer also served as cottaee manaser.e These were not designated as initructors, but they supervisod boys working with them: Baker, barber,

cooks (2), florist, laundrymen (2), and hilor.l0 Includes 2 housekeepers, I wood-sbop officer (doing maintenance work without aid of boys), 3 fuemen,

1 truck driver, and 8 students from ths Michigan Stat€ College of Agriculture and Applied Science (in EastLansing). See p. 60.

u 'fhis was the salary rsngo for shop instructors who did not also serve as cottage managers.u This was the salaryrange for all cottage managers, including those who also served as shop instructors.

lProvided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL' LANSING' MICH' 59

Personnel: Appointments and remoYals

As has been previously stated, the superintendent at this institutionis aopointed bv the Sfate coriections commission, and he mry be."mbied at any time by that body.. Under.the.existing system ao"* go,r""oor c"un change the commission me-mbership entirely, which-iet?i" to* result in d'chaoge of superintende-nls on a purely politicalU";i.. AII other-en-rlloyees-were. appointed. fJ the superini,en{e.nt,iuiin tnu approval of ine colmission, and might be removed hy 6i-.It, was repoited that under the current management the practrce w&8to anprove, almosb without exception, whatever action the super-interirient tbok in relation to the ltafr. There were no civil-servicet.q,rit"-"ots or regulations with respect to any positions at thissc[ool.Personnel: Terms of service

Despite the fact that the svstem would permit, frequent changes inthe su'perintend.encY at Laniing, that ha<I not been th.e experience.There had been buf four superintendents since 1905. The incumbentut tt

" time the institution was visited (1932) had been in office since

1923.- -tn" approximate leng[h of service of 88 of the 114 f ull-time employ-

ees, as r'eiorted by the superintendent, w&s as follows: NumberorempLoyeeE

Less than 1 year - - - - - - -1 vear . less than 2- - - - - - - - - - -2 vear3 . less than 3- - - - - - - - - - -3 vears , Iess than 4- - - - - - - - - - -4 vears , less than 5- - - - - - - - - - -5 years , less than 10- - - - - - - - - -10 years or more-----Not reported-

Tenure of office among the teachers ranged from 3 to^ 16 years, thatof the vocational instructors from 2 to 10 yearsr QI. -the-cottagemantsers and matrons only 2 had been appointcd uithtn the year,16 hail been nt, the institution for more than 5 years, and 4 for morethan 9 years.Personnel: Qualifications

Data obtained as to education and previous experience of personnelwere me&ser. The superintendent had had some ye0rs of experienceu. U.ua oT ttt" \Iichigin State police before becomilg_chi-ef ex-ecutive

"i in" Bovs' Vocatioial School. In his police work he had become

"iceedinsly interested in bo.y behavior and in ways and means of

giyinE th"ebo.ys who come into conflict with the lau' a "chance to come8o'-o? it." The assistant superintendent.was reported to have hadoi"rriout institutionai experience, but in prison work''-fhu

school principal and four teachers held BA. degrees. -Of theothJ teache.., + had had ! ygarp of-cqllege work, tld 5. had had 3;;;;.. One t6acher who had ttre B.A.-degre. !t.qd. taken specialioi"inC for teaching modern ungraded _classes. All had life certifi-

"oi., f6t tuaching ii Michigan and bad had expelience teaching in

the public schools before appointment' --T[; a*r]etic director wis a normal-school graduate who had

,pecialized in physical education. Among_the instructors in tradesJ.r" f

"otteqe giaduates and 1 normal-school gradunt_e with a life

certificate t; te;clr. others in this group_were skilled tradesmen,rrith practical experience in their particular lines.

76870_35-5

32

10+

491 a

26


60 I"IYE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

The superintendent stated that practically all the cottage managershad had a high-school education, and that many of the cottage matronshad had woik in normal schools in preparation for teaching.

Amone the part-time employees wefe eiEht younq college students,^ *'ori .'i'*rpi hoqrd nnd^ loioinrr nnd $25 ner month

-for certain

Among the part-time employees were eight young c'ol]ege studentswho u'erl given board anil lo"dging and $)5 per morylh

-for certainwho were given board and lodging and $25 per month Jor certarn

hours of duly in connection wit[ gioup supervision.. .Th9ir ptii,"iPiJassignments here to assist in orga-"niring and supervising re-cieationalacti"vities in the cottases and on" the eottage plavgrounils during theevening hours and o"n Saturday. The superintlndent consideredthese s"tudents' sreatest contribuiion to be in the attitude they wereEiving the boysln ethical standards, rat'her different from anythingSome-of the 6ovs hrd ever encountered before. He expected muchfrom the socializing influence of the acquaintance they were givingthe boys with the

-pleasures and the values of clean sportsmanship

and good teamwork.Personnel: Living and working conditions

It was reported tirat 76 employees rvere obtaining full maintenanceat the school, 1 u'as taking meals only, and the remaining 47 receivedno maintenance. HousinE for those rvho resided on the campus \\'asnot adequate nor satisfactoir5'. The administration bgped- to be able toremedy ihe condition to a certain extent by remodeling the old schooibuilding, ri-hich had been vacant since the occupancy oflhe neu- school.

Cottige masters and matrons \\.ere quartered fairly satisfactorily inthe varibus cottages. The5' had their meals in the cottages, -atseparale tables in the bo' i -s ' dining roonr. Other enrplovees ate in theofficers' dinine roont in ihe administration buildinC. The food wassood and plentiful." The location of the Bovs' Yocational School rvithin theLansing rneant that in thii institution, as at fVhittier, tbereIack of1p.p_ortunity for-norm^al social ljjq fol the personnel.

city\4ras

OI

no

A considerable number of the staff had very heavy work. . ForA consrdera,ble number oI tne sta,n nact Yery neaYy worK' rorexample, seven of the cottage masters carried full duty as vocationalinstnict6rs in addition to "Tamilv" responsibilities as-cottage heads.instnict6rs in addition to "Tamilv" responsibilities as-cottage heads.The cottage relief officer v-as also an insfructor. The cottage master'sday rvas described as beginning at 6 4..m. and running through to6:50 p.m. one day and to 8:30 p.m. on the next- Cottage masters whowere not instrueiors u'ere reported to be detailed to carry on variousmaintenance iobs. with bovi assistins. One of the cottage matronsalso did doubie drity ny tei,ching fu[1ime. Another cotiage matronacted as school libraiian and office secretary to the principal. Anotherserved as secretary to the superintendent.

Cottage personnel rvere allbwed a half day ofi one week, and a fullday ofi tle Tollow-ing rveek. AII employees received J! day-s' r'acationallbwance annuallv. Sick-leave allorniance rvas said to be flexible,discretion resting ivith the superintendent.Staff organization

The stafi was not organized formally along departmental lines,-a!dno organization chart i-as available.

"Howeier,-certain phases of theprogrim at this institution did, in practice, constitute ind.ependent,ilepartments with one stalf membei serving as an executive head.n'or example, the school principal was given full authority and fullresponsibiiity for acadernic inslruction.- The athletic dir-ector hadfull charge of tfre ath]etic progra,m and all athletic activities. Theassistant"superintendent w^as directly in charge of all maintenance


BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOI, , LANSING, MICH. 61

$''ork that was not done as part of a vocational course. On the otherhand, the vocationalworkwas not depart,mentalized' Each shop oper-ated as an indcpendent unit, with its instructor responsible directly tothe superintendent. Likev'ise each cottage master worked directlyunder

'the superintendent himself, with-out other supervision or

direction.Administrative leadership and staff teamwork

The strong personal'influence of the sup-erintend-ept -wa.s gl"ltlyapparent. Reiults seemed to be obtained throrrgh highly individu-aii2ed leadership rather than throush the method of staff educaiionand group thinliing and planning.

-Staff meetings were.not regg]arly

scheduled, with pli,nned discussion of problems and policies. -\Yhen-ever the superintendent felt the need of doing so, he called st'aff meet-ings, usualiy in small groups, for some announcement or instructionwith respect' to a particular field.

5. ADMISSIONS, CAPACITY, AND POPULATION


The aee limit for cornrnitment as specified bv lau' was betrveen 12and 17 ;'6ar.. Commitments were foithe periol unti] the bo5.5n"u-"17 years of age or was discharged according to lar'. There werefurthel legal provisions that bo.v*s 16 years old at' the tirne of com-mitment might, at the discretion of the court,, be committed to theinstitution until they should become 18. Unless cornmitted until 18,or discharged earlier for some reason, boys rvere automatically re-leased fi'om the institution's supervision the day they became 17 yearsold, whether thel- rvere in the institution or on parole. It had becomethe general poliirv of the courts, particularly in \Yayne County (con-taining Detroit) and Kent County (containing Grand Rapids) to usethe provision for extending lhe commitment of 16-year-old boys tothe 1S-1'ear age limit for discharge. Under this type of commitmentboys might be returned for parole violation to the time they became 18.13

In its cornrnitment provisions the law stated that such bovs of theages specified as in th-e opinion of the court or magistrate were "fi.tsubiects for commitment to the industrial school" misht be so com-rnit"ted. The superintendent, under the aut!ority 9f tfe State correc-tions commission, could refuse to accept, a boy who ryas deemed an"irnproper subject." The policy was not, to accept active cases ofvenereal disease or of tuberculosis. Bovs received on comrnitrnents ho r-ere found to be obviouslv feeble-minded could be returned unrlerthe "fit-subject" clause for contmitment, to the institution for feeble-rninded. Because of conEestion at the latter institution it had beentli{licult for some tirne to g'et cascs, except the very worst ones, trans-fen'ed, hov-ever, and the Boys' Vocational School had to accepb somelol--grade boys who no doubt should have been at the other institution.

Tirere \\r&s no provision for transfer from this institution to otherct-u'rectional institutions in the State.Capacity and population

.\t the time the institution was visited, its population of 684 bosur,u[ron was vlslteo) rts populB,tron oI b64 boyse-rceecled by more than 100 the normal capacity of 575 reported bythe superintendent.

Of the 684 boys in residence March 21,rere Negro, 1 was American Indian, and 1-;\ilhi;;6-p.

Laws 192e, secs. i70E2, 17086.

1932, 589 were white, 93was Mexican. n'igures as


62 FiVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

to nativity were available for the resident population as ̂ of. october 1,

193I, and *"r. u,.."pia;;-t;p;;sentativb" of the 578 bovs in the

i".tii":ii"" o" tfrir a'ute, 340 #ere native born, of native p.arerttage;

213^;;;;ul;* uot", bf fot"igtt or rnixed parentage; and 19 were

foreign born.^"Tii;;;aistribution of the 486 boys received in the last fiscal-year

pt"."Xi""g til";;;Jtfi"ly i, rgao, t6 June 30, 1931-was as follows:Nunberof bous

1? Years----- -- ,- ?313 years - - - - - - - - - - - -

rob1! Years----- --- --- i ; i15 years - - - - - - - - - - - - i ; ;

16 years - - - - - - - - - - - - tU617 Years- - - - -

\ [ o r e t h a n h a l f ( 2 9 i ) o f t h e 4 8 6 b o y s c o m m i t t e d w e r e 1 5 . a n d 1 6vears of aqe. It, was reported th-at 9 boys were 17 years old at ad-

i"::;i";: "irt"r^gil;il; ;;;;;;i poti"v was"not' to receive bovs of that

ase on first commitment.*th;;;;;;;A; iA;icoltrol outside the institution as of March 1'

1ei; *';;;8;;y;;;-i";lt on parole,^and 8 bovs who were absent

;fih6;; t;;; i;J;"de). ni,r-in6 iu.t hscal yeaf before_the institu-;i;;;;'';'ii.i J.iau?' J;;

-3 0; 1 ei r ), th" riovement' of p opula bion

was as follows:647

Population JulY 1' 1930--------

Received during the year-- - -- - --

New eornmi t rnen ls - - - - - - - -

Released on discharge-Released on Parole----Escaped- - - - - -

652-

48813723

J

I

632

161440292

o o /

6. RECEPTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURE

Reception- rrri. school had a regulation that it rvould_receive boys only from

th;i; t"^ti." loitt of?u"it month. This. policv lvas lveJl,known to

iiie counties throughoul the State'- During that' pertod bols were

;;;";h;i;"r,"tti"? bv counLv welfare agents or lPw-enforcement'

;fli;;;. \"* b".fi *6r" i""eired by the s-uperintendent.'s secretary,

rvho siEned" the necessa"rf p;p;;r, todk such additional information as

;;;;;a;il.i;;;i th;; ioi""a the bov over to the receiving cottage'

e utiil'i"i.;'d;;;thi; ;;;t; thi' .oitug" each bov was interviewed

by the secretary to obtain "a somewhat mbre compl6te case history.

Receiving cottage---Borrr'r",,'ained in the receiving cottage 3 weeks to 1 montf ; that, is,

rt1t6"*;;^;f-each -onth aII bolys wer"e-transferred to residelce cot'-

;;#: "ih;;;"i"i"g

"ott"g" of this school was not noticeablv dif-

feient frorn any "r

irrl""ii?t ;;tiA;";;*""ttug"t Jo" nov*' During


'BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, LANSING' MICII'

rvished to letr,rn. NaturallY,.J."i'i"n""*",i fry *i" *"irit.trutr"" n-eeds and ti.e size of the r-ariousshop groups at the-time of assignment.

daily

7. THE BOY'S LIFE IN THE INSTITUTION

schedule for the boys at this school was as follows:

p . m _ - _ _ _ _ - - - _ - - - - -

63

their stav there, however, new boys had no contact with the rest of the

;;h"J;6p;i;i;;, being consider"ed in quarantin-e. .Th-ev did not go to;;il;;i. '-hh"y-ai,i

"o ifistitution worli

'except all. the housekeepinga,t

;;;i";;";iiugu u"a the care of its ground.s' .During this period theU"* ,"".i"ed tieit ur",,'i"utio"s by"the physician and the princip.al;ii[;;;ir;"L

-,i.ir" r"""i"ing-cotta!e matiager rvas expected to make

" ro".i"i .tu.lv of

"uctt trt.V oria to bdprepared to reporl his observation.

iF''6t forr" foi this repori see appendix C, p. 313')

First assignments

cottaEe assignment u-as made largeiy on the basis of. lge. r,nd ,ph5-si-.jj;i;T;;'|it, ":iin

some consici[t*tion of mentai level and priori"iri""t.'"'As.iil"ient' rvas rnade by the superintendent, brit the;;;";;;"at^;;l;T;i tL. receiving-cotiage manager \r.as reported to bethe deciding factor in the choice of cotta-ges'"

itt;g;;.-nt to ..noof grade rvas made 6y 1be sc.hool principnl on thex"";" ^T *i," i.-i*i.,"rl ',."1'icir he ha,cl orocut'ed as to ihe bovts prior school

Assignme;t to school grade rvas made by the sc.hool pr lncrpol on tne

br;il; ii;;f,i.iori:.uiii"ii he ha.t procut'ed"a. to ihe bo-v's prior schoolbasis of the historl- rvhich he had procu-r'ed as to tl1e oo\''s prror Iuio.r i "nf" and str tus, iog;tn"t , r1i th t l ' " . results of sueh e-xaminnl ionsu.'n" nua given during th"e ho3-'s cluarantine period'-;;"h" ffi gii-o d,,tin3'th-e ho1-'p cluarantine periodhe had given durtng the bo)-'s quarant'me perr()u'.

Assignnient to vocational training tt-as tnade by tlrc.rssrstill :l]l1t-i";;",iEil,^;;-h" ;r;. il ;;i"n om""t-""tircly resp"onsiblc for the tnain-il;;;;;;";i.';f

'd;l;;i;i"ii"". -I* rnaliing assign''ents he rvas said

{n ha rrarrr loroolrr ir f l rr""no,l hv f,he bor.ts osn Choice as to rvhat ' } ieio U". : " ru larqel ] - in f luen"ed bv the bo1- 's or i 'n choice as to r i 'hat l re

; . [ ; , i td i . , ; i ; . \a iu* l ly , t i rc ass igr i . rent u.ould. bc to.a ce. ta in

Daily routine

Risi'e bell' followed sho'tlJ' by 15 min-utei of calisthenics.

Breakfast, foilorved b1' cottage honse-work.

Rcport to detail and their to scirool, voca-tional training, or work squad'

Return to cottage.Dinner.Report to school, vocational training, or

srorK squao.Dismissal-from school, vocational train-

ing, or work.Supper.Reiieational period.In bed.

General atmosphereThe Eeneral atmosphere w&s somewhat more forrnal than that,

ob."rrr"a at, the \\rhit'tier State School (Calif.) described in.the.pre-

. . . i i "S chaprer ; that is , rnore marching l ines of .boys in .semirr r i l i taryio.i n oilorl. iuere' obserr-ed . . Altho u gh so-nrcwl r at int en gible, the f eelin g

o1'continuous close supervision \Yas mole in the air here, b1t there rvere

r" ptryri"11i evidencesbf restraint in the u-ay of rvailsorbarredrvindou's.

Cottage "family " atmosPhereEach cottage had a manager and -matron u-ho u'ere husband and

.rit..---T'h" ..t-p"tiot"nd.ent de"sired to have these two individuals stand

". n.""$ as p'ossibie in the relation of father and mother to the boys

The6

F7


64 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

under their care. This became, however, quite difficult with thegroups so large as they were in this institutiorr, living in the compara-tively small space that each cottage provided. The ideal'was for thecottage manager to seek to hnow and understand thoroughly every oneof his boys. The superintendent felt that the cottage manager shouldbe able to quide and control the bovs in such a, wav that formal disci-plinary me'asures would not be necdssary. IIe wai quite severe in hisjudgments of his cottage personnel, stating that he believed many ofthe difficulties rvhich they encountered in bringing about improvementin a boy's general conduct and attitude were due to their own mentalIaziness or lack of ability. Although he called it common sense and,inteiligence, rvhat he was aiming at was the application of mental-hygiene principles in individual-boy treatment.Arrangements for sleeping

AIi cottages had well-ventilated dormitories, adequately providedwith beds and bedding. They v'ere kept in good condition. Theyw-ere, however, crorvded beyond their capacity in ser.eral of the cottages.This reouired that bovs sleen in double-decker beds. Insistence wasplaced on careful attention to temperature and ventilation of the sleep-ing quarters at all times.

Each dormitory was supervised by a night watchman all night long.This supervision was obviously for the purpose of enforcing rules andregulations and preventing expected misconduct.Arrangements for eating

Each cottage had its own dining room, but food was prepared in acentral kitchen, and at each meal a detail of boys brought the foodfrom the kitchen to their own cottage in specially constructed push-carts with thermos containers. There it was serr.ed from a pantrywhich had facilities for keeping things hot. The boys sat at smalltables furnished with white tablecloths and china. The cottaee fatherand mother ate at a small table in the same room. It was stated thatsilence durins the meals rvas not required. However, in the onecottage visitel during a rneal hour the boys did not carry on conversa-tion. This night have been due to the presence of strangers in theTOOm.

X'ood was good and there seemed to be an abundance of it. A sam-ple menu for one week is reproduced in appendix A, page 290.Sanitary arrangements

Physical hygiene of the finest kind ll-as insisted upon as a najorduty. Sanitaiy faciliiies were good. In the old cottages that hadiust, been remodeled a new larse round v'ashbasin had been installed,bf the t;'pe that has a carefull5i regulated flow of runnilg water whichthe boys could use for washing of faces and hands. AII cottages werereported to have amnle shower fixtures. Individual torvels weresupplied, and each boy rvas furnished rvith a toothbrush and paste.Cotlase officers were expected to see that the bovs made use of thesearticle"s properly.

Living-room and playground activitiesLivinE rooms in the cottages were cornparatir,'elv srnall for the

number"of bovs who were eipected to mihe use of them. Somecottages lrad oirly a combinatioh dining room and lir-ing room. Thismeani no comfo'rtable livins-room fur:niture. Time indoors had to


BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, LANSING' XIICH' OD

be snent on the straight chairs at the tables in more oI less restricted

f;hi,il" i;";;;";;;?;i -tt'u[-tt

" bovs used the rooms for-plaving

r"^..-t"[ readinE utta tn"t silence was not required' However'ih* itr,t t"..ion wal gained tlrat Iittle informal,.n-ormal, spontaneousifi;;il;ffi;;f, pdy;""t

"" in these crowded living rooms' This

;iffi;;ily;;" ot"iui6a io " "irt"i"

extent b.r th9 ,eveiring use of the

field house Io. recrea*ti;;-p;;p;;t by each cortage at preseribedoeriods each week and by use of a basenlent, room lo.r some p.Iay. l""A;;ili,"". *'n* it

"".,ueath", would permit, all the daytime and

"";;;n ll irur" hourr-*"t"-spent out of^doors'on the cottage play-

;r;;;;"r.^" Th. .^"puti"f*dent insisted that each boy must.take part

i;";;; rrt"v. -ti.

.tated that many boys had.t'o.be taught how to

iiirl" ti l it i "ir,.t-p."pi";

ihot thev had nevet. had opportunities to

iak"e prrt in free blay. Supervision of the actir"ities on each cottcge

;il;#;il ';;." i#'..poi.il i i itv of the cottage manrser' and he

il';g ?-r;il;"a' i" *" trttf rti. t "v."

a.velop ed pla! mo rul:-of . a . wh o]9-some ehrracter. The college students were \-ery helplul rn tlus

connectlon.Miscellaneous arran gements

Each cottage contained lockers so tlat every boy flad I qlace all

his orvn where fr" -igfri*f.".p his clothes and'any- other indi'r'idual

personal possessions."-T;;.;.i';""*tia"u suitswere of olive-drab wool in wint'er aad qfThe bovs 'everYdaY sur

,qlt i in *1,--er." tr 'br Srm"r.i i" .".rt;;" *F;""S;;aay

inev [q,d grav cadet uniforms', Pq"!

;riff;h;i;;t";;i-G bov's life along"other liles, with particularforanno fn f.rqininq

""a".J"""otinn. is ?escribed in'other s-ections ofreference to training and recreation, other s-ections of

ir""-"f." Lad a .uit oi-o""ruiii toi ivork o"r r6ugh pla'. . All.clothing*u],

"o..urcially made. The superintendent stated tbat ne couto.

orr.ha.e better i"ut.riui oo it "

open market at less cost than if he-nua

th" "t"ihes

made in a tailor shop at the school'Smokins was not p*-iiiia; tle'principal reason given was the

fire hazard', rather than that.it.wa,s wrong' :rr - -1:^--r^-

this report,.Outside contacts

Bovs were permitted to write letters twice a montb' They. could

*.it! ' io't-"j;ti;;; tro certain approved. adults-, such as probationom."tt. iudses, ot puttot.. Botli incoming and outgoing mril was

"""."r?a' b]f"iil-tihooi- t"u.tt"rs or the.."cottage ry3tug"t' "

Boys^isht

"utoihtongh good conduct the privilege of writing as often as

thev wished.""ii";;;i.ht receive visits once a month from their ,immediater"#ij{,"",.^"irrl" ;;;;;; r"t

"-lua secured permission from, the superin-^t""d"'"t.- -fi-iti"g

Lrours were from 8 a.m' to 4 p'm' da,ily,,exceptiotutAuy., Sundf,ys, and holidavs. Visitors were permitted to stayas lonE as they *r.".a-"-ittri" iilo." linrits. There w.as .a syslem of

ad.misiion cards for 'isitors, each risitor beilg reQutred to,Iave a

irtd-U.for" a boy *u.-uito"l"a to see 5im. Tire visits usurlly took

olace in rooms ilthe administration building''" H;;;";;;;;"fir";. permitted to leave t[e institution-to. go home

toii'"i.it. -

b"it" u orinb"r were permitted to spend. Christmas at

i;;-;." Th" 1up.rinl""a."l,, perinission was required for thisprir-ilege.


66 FIvE STATE INSTITLTTIONS FOR, DEI,INQUENT BOYS


Hospital facilities

Medical work at this institution was housed in the new buildingalready described. (See p. 55). The hospital was not_ prepared to doX-ravhor laboratory work, these being taken care of through facilitiesin th"e citv of I-,ansins or in State labolratoriesHospital st-aff

The physician in cbarge gave full time to looking after the phyqicg,!health bt"th" school po"p.,iatioo. A dentist rvas"at the schbo'l halfthe day 5 days each w:eek and was subject to emergenc.y,call on otherdavs.

- Tlrree regrstered nurses, a housekeepet, and a night watchman

completed the iegular staff. '

Consulting surgeons were regularlyemployed for certain types of specialized rvorh.Physical examinations

Each boy on admission'll'as git-en a cornplete physical examination'tr'or all boys the routine included \\iassermann test,, throat cultures,urinalvsesi immunization against diphtheria ancl typhoid fever, andvaccination against smallpo-r. The findings w'ere recorded on regularforms and beiame a pernianent record at Ihe hospital.Corrective work

The hospital report, for 1931 revealed a considerable amount ofcorrectir-c lurgical l'ork undertaken, as shown by such items as"200 tonsillecfomies, 15 herniotomies, 50 circumcisions, 3 operationsfor osteornyelitis." The same report showed that 6 boys had receivedtreatment for slphilis ancl 2 for gononhea.

Glasses rvere-fitted at State exbense. If visual defects rvere notedduring physical examination, a boy rvas sent, to a consulting eye, ear,nose, and throat specialist fol the proper prescliption.Dental work

All necessary dental w-ork rvas done at State expense.Other medical care

Each morning at 8 o'clock the daily sick call rvas held. Cottageofficers sent their boys for medical exarnination or dispensary treat-ment, at that time. There 'lvas a strict regulation at this school thatevery boy who wished to see the doctor must be permitted to reportat the mbrning sick call. No other officer rvas permitted to judge asto whether or not a bov rvas in need of the doctor's attention. Inaddition to the routine"sick call, boys rvere penrritted to report tothe hospital for attention at any time during the da;' that o-ccasionmight rbquire. The annual rep6r't showed a ilaily avetage of 22 boysreporting for sick call.

Boys ivith acute illness of any type were cared for in the hospitaluntil cornpletely recovered and able to take their places in normalcottase lif-e and school activities. Cases of acute illnesses and acci-dental injuries received care promptly. The daily ayerage of boysin the hospital during the previous year was 12.

9. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERYICE

Psychological testsThe principal of the school gave the Stanford rerision of the Binet-

Simon test to all nerv boys during their stay at the receiving cottageas a part of his examinaiion to d"etermine where each boy s-hould 5eplaced in school.


Psychiatric examinations-soeciallv difficult cases tha,t were suspected.of -being psychopathic

"""Jr*[oti" *.re t"futred" to the Stat^e hospital at Anp.Arbor for

;;"ili#;. f6" pry.ni"trist at that hospiial kept such boys thero

under observation long enough to make a diagnosrs anct to actYrse as

io .,'Lot further treat-ment Zach boy should"receive, either in thego,rt;Vo"utional School or in some other institution'" T;i";il;i;;d;; ;;;id.;[ p;t"hiatric or psvchological p ersonnel'

10. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-CLASSROOM WORK

School stafrThe school personnel consisted of the principal and the 13 teachers.

The Eeneral irnpression gained from visiting all the schoolrooms was

tf,"; ?il;-;;;;iffi;;;;rl ii;l"a.a i"ai"iauah" or abilitv, maturitv, andpleasing personality.School day and school Year

The school day was from 8:15 to 11:30 a' m' and from 1:15 to 4:30

".;.

- Fr"--tn""ntth sr"d. do*o, all boys attended school all day 5

fi;; .;;;i;.*tn" otfi"is attended schobl everv other d-av, going to

.n6p *""t on alternate days. The school year was 10 months rn

Iength.Attendance requirements and enrollment

BOYS' YOCATTONATJ scHool, LANSTNG' Mrclr' 67

iti lovr wlre reqt,ired to attend school unless excused !v lltt t"l99ll \ l l DOYS Were I 'eq uue(l uu -luuuuu DUuvvr uurvDD

p'i"ii;;i -

ff h;d' -th6

uotnotity to excuse {':1,'"1"^"1, 113"-111!:;;;;;; re

^v.ur' ora ;. ;;; *do *.'" found to-be meltallv unable

i,"'"ar"'rr"""rtil; *ott to which they might be assigned' Onceto"do "any sihool rvork to wbich they might be assrgned

assiEned. bov. *.." not excused except for illness'--Ti" .Znoo't enrollment, as of Marc6 21, 1932, and-the ages

' might tor illness.assigned

d;;;i";;ii "a1'y "[;1tq'nate days or s davd in the weekettenctrnE all CtaY on

shown in-tne follbwing table:

Age oJ bogs enrol ler| in a spectf ier l^school,grat le or class on LIar.21t 1952' andthetimeol school altendance I

I BoYs euolled

of boyswere &s

18years

15years

12years

Age of boy

To ta l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - l 512

13years

44

Grade and timo attended

Attending all daY on alternate

t4years

90

65

t7years

26

16years

163

u d J r - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- r - in th g rade- - - - - -E ighrh grade- - - - -Se\ en lh g rade- - -SL i lh g rade- - - - - -

Attending aU day 5 daYs in the

F i f t h g r a d e - - - - - - -Four th g rade- - - - -Oppor tun i ty room-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Spec i f l c lass- - - - -

I The difference between tho school enrollment (512 on Mar. 21, 1932) and-the total- population Of th6 insti'tutio",' oi^tli's-a-lire ciate Gs+l is'air-ei io tn-efict ihat bols lot yet released from the ieceiving cottaso lorlli?r-di"ffi i"u,,i,ii"uojiiirel"i]u,iJa i" tir" i"iufp"pinaiioi,"ano atso to other conditions of institutionsllite.

80r02103

e126


68 rrvn srarn rNSTrrurroNS FoR DELTNQUENT BoYS

These figures shorv that school retardation was very common amongboys comiritted to this institution. Adjustment in school was con-sequentlv more difiicuit and demanded'mole tirne and thoughtfulanalvsis, espe,"iallv in view of the congestion due to the necessity ofadmittirig tb the school some boys of decidedly low intelligence level.

Courses givenAs is indicated in the enrollment table, regular classroom worh

throrrsh the ninlh gracle rvas oflered. The curriculum followed thatof the"Nlichisan public schoois in a1l essentials. In addition to rvorlifrorn the fouith grnde through the ninth grade, lherc were trvo specialrooms. One rval known as-the special Class. This was for boys ofverv low srade nrentallv. A considerable amount of handwork wasdone by tf,ese bovs, anci fairlv simple projects were undertaken. Theother specialized"chss rvas knorvn^as ihe opportunitv room. In thisgroup r.r-ere plrced boys who were badly retarded in school brrt whoictuallv posiessed enough mental ability so that they could make-upso-e oT their work; theie were some boi's who were- having, difficultywith narticular subiects and u-ho needed a great deal of individualatteniion. The teacher in charse of this grorrp had been u-ell trainedfor that particular worh and shoi-ed consid-erable ingenuill in-devisingoriginal broiects to arouse and hold the boys'interest. The classroomhad nrany colorful decorations, all made by the boy-s themselves.Thev had constructed a little puppet theater of u'hich they were veryptor,d. Thev had made furniture and settings suitable for the pro-duction of several simple stories in which the characters were repre-sented bv clothespin puppets rppropriatelv dressed'

Teaching methods'thrbughoul all clasies included much projectwork. As'much visual rnaterial was used as it was possible to procure,although the school did not have the proper equipment to show edu-eationa"l fi lms or lantern slides. The boys

-made a eonsiderable

amount of poster rnaterial themselrres^so that-all the school.roomspresented air attractive appearance. One of the rooms was doing aira,nsnortation storv bv t[e oroiect metltod. and one was setting uptransportation story ban exhibit which woul

iect metl tod, and one was sett ing upe in simple {ashion the principal fea-

transportation story by the pro;ect metlt_od, and one was.settmg^upan e"'hibit which wbuld illusfrate in simple {ashion the principal fea-tures of municipal, State, and National governments.

One special f-eatire in'this school waJthe emphasis on training inpeo-aoihip. Buttons were awarded and bulletins were posted to'show

the prosress nrade bv the diflerent bovs in eacb roonl. Thereason for sucL emphasis rvls said to be the obsen'ltion thlt eflort toachieve the muscuiar control necessary for good penmanship seemedto have an excellent' efiect on muscular coo=rdination and Control inseneral. in which these boys especiallv needed assistance." The Eradins followed tfiat uied in the \Iichigan public schools andwas the-usuaiA, B, C, D, and E systenr, E meaninf compllte failure.

Monthly reports'were preparcd and filed in the principal's office aspermanent school records.

11. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-YOCATIONAL OR PRDVOCATIONAL

As its name indicates, this school had placed heavy emphasis onvocational training for many years, with a number of new develop-ments during the"past 12 yeais. Prior to that time the institution


VOCATIONAL SCIIOOL, ITANSING, X{ICH'

t an riEriiultural career. After much discussionfew rvould ever adopt an agdcultulal. careel. Alter muclr dlscusslon

li.i. eto.,t, plevaileci. 'Ihe-State legislature canceled its order.as tothis group plevailiL" *-rp",iaiiure of t;e appropriation on the new farin lands rnd per-rnitted its use for the eieition of new cottages, shop buildings, andthe field house on the Lansing campus.Enrolhnent

The vocational or other work at, which boys were occupied all dayon alternate days rvas reported as follorvs on \Iarch 2l,1932:

69

lrad olned only the Lansing_property. Then t|e plan, was evolved

for rerr tov ing the ent i re school to a rurr l sr te;and more than,UUU ccres

of fo"to lan? sorne 4 or 5 miles out of torvl rvere prtrcltased_for thatof fartn land sorne 4 or 5 nnles out oI to$'D \Yere-ptlrcrlaseu,lo

oi , rp. . " , ur t r " . been sta lcd (scc p. 53) , and several - lundred t l rorrsnndhoi t ' "^ i r r . tpp.opr i r ted for the erect ion of ne*- bui ld ings un t l ra tappronriated for the erection of new- buildings on that

-;Li- '^i 'o , '-^^oifinn qrosp. Nl nnv inflrrential Dersons.site. . But .r igorous . opposition arose. -:\lti.y lity.^"Jt:l^ p^"j,:-o,1?

including the"present iuperintendent, rvere. sl.rongly of ,t lre .opit?ionihat a inlcer-farnr prog.ar,r u-as less to be desired than tlre deYelop-

Iient of t iutle-trainlng:facil i t ies on the urban site. Tlrey.contendedthat relatively few ofiheir boys.came from rural"areas and lFot

n_gll

Numberof bous

384

Bak ing- - - - - - - IBarbei ins---- 12Farminglincluding general farm work, outside work, and extra

detail"s) ------ 44Horticuliure- 4Laundry and sort ing room-------- 25Paintinl- 10Print ini----- 10Shoemaling and shoe repair ing---, , 10Choir and vocal music-- 14Manual training------ 27Tailorine----M e n d i n f d e p a r t m e n t - - - - - - - - - - - - IRadio shoo--- 7Store- - - - - - - - 4Mach ine shop- - - - - - - - - 43B a n d - - - - - - - - 6 5Work assignments ra-------- 35No repor t as to ass ignments - - - - - - - - - - - 46

The management were particularly proud of the nachrne .sho-p,rvhich thev said rated as tlie best for'-schools of this charact'er in theUnited Stites from the point of view of equipment ald instruction.During the first, few weeG each boy nvas required to go through- a hardcourse"of routine work. that was 6eld to put his character to the test.Each boy had to learn'to chip and file and to do his work with a highdegree oi accuracy. He theh progressed through eaqY strges to themdre complex op6rations until 'he

"was ablc to make sihple-tools. It

n'as claimed th;t if a boy had a reasonable amount, of aptitude andnnplied hirnself diiieentlv he could learn enough in 8 months so thathc'coulcl be placecl ii a good job in tliis line outsidc the institution.

Although the print shop was turning out a great d-eal of satisfactoryrvork, the'instru^ctor did not consider [bat he iould do more than helpn boy to t,ahe the first steps toward trade skill in the 6 to 10 monthsrlrrtt cach bo5' rcmained

-in training, as the priniing tradc recluircs

-,- f".foOa" loba ronsidered to have some training value,to which boys were assigned as follows: Kitchen

Fork, 17; vegetable room, 10; janitor work, 6; office work, 2.



seyeral years' apprelticeship,.Jhp instructor stated. that m.ost,ofth" Uoyi encountered great'difficqlty -because of their very inade-the boys encountered greab dttticuLty because oI tnerr Yery rnade-cuaLe eclucalionat backsround. The shop printed forrns and reports. i { - . - . , n { rhp n thpr SLf ,n in r l i i r r r ions n ,nd dcna, r tments . in add i t iondf-"ny of the other Siate institutions and-dep.artmenil, ir1 additionto doing all tire printrng {or t,he vocatiorJal school. \{uch of theirrvork rvduld cornfare rvel-l with commercial p-roducts.

One shop troused the classes in mechanical drawing and ladio, con-ducted by'arr instruotor who rvas said t_o possess unusual ability andinitiative, l)oys at work there seemed tb be taking great pride intheir achieYerilLnts and to be finding satisfaction rn the production ofuseful equipment. 'Ihey had maddradio equipmcnt' for t'he hospitaland all of the cottages.

It rvill be notcd That this school classcd musical u'ork, both vocaland instrumental, in its vocational department. It, was not known,hog,e\-er, horv man-\- bo5's v'ere able to make any vocational trse ofthis trainine after teavins the institution.

The aeric"ultural tr-orli"was under the direction of a superintendentrvho $-as a practical farrner and achieyed a good record of farm produc-tion. The-training ri'hich the boys assigned to farm lvorh lvere recerY-ing l'as probably

-directly comparable 19 -tha-! which tbey rvorild get

froin rroiking foi a successful f'armer, rr-ith all the good featules andall the limitaTions as to seneral and specialized agricultural hnorvledgethat this rvould implr-. "A.t certain seasons large groups of bovs workedpractically as farm laborers,.dqing $'ork that h-ad littlg training-valueexcept in'the matter of briilding up $'orli habits. It $-as believedthat ' this part i t ' ipat ion in the plodu.t ion of quant i t ies of food whichall u-ere to enjo5jrrright have sonre r-aiue in establishing r cr.rtain satis-faction in groui activity and an appreciation of social responsibilit5'.

Maintenance, repair, and construction work

trluch of the other "training" rvas in effect pcrlornting thc nrain-tenance and repair work for t-he institution, but the administrationsoueht to havetthe trainins features of such rvork emphasized so faras ia. possible. Many of these rvork.assignmelts leccssarily offeredIittle t;ining except in the gencral direction of habits of regularity,reliabilitv, fl id t'horoughness-that are rcqtrisite in a goud rvorltcr.

One aisisn,nent rvhich tvas not sho*-n in the list iupplild was thenumber o{=boys emploved on construction rvorlr' In \{ichi-gan allconstruction oT nero.

-buildings or remodeling of old ones was done by

the State department of conJtmction, or by a prir-atelontractor underthe supervision of this State department''. ^,A.t t!r9 Boys' \-ocationalSchooipractically all buiiding had been done by this department withthe use of boy labor. This"not only cut c-osti,. but it-was also con-sidered that ihe bo1's received muCh good training.in constructionv'ork "on the iob."

" Ro\-s l'cre said to s=horv genuine interest in tasksof that descriftion and-to regard such assignments as- preferable tomuch of the jhop work. They ri'ere just compicting the remodelingof one of the oid'er cottages at-the time the inslitution rvas visited.

-


The program of physical education and athletics was directed by anormallschlool gradua-te who had specialized in physical education andhad taught in tire public schools an?l served as afhletic coach. Some ofthe other officers at the institution who had other duties served part


7LBOYS' VOCATIONAI/ SCEOOL, LANSING' MICH'

time as his assistants, as did also the college st'udent's rvho were em-

;1;;d ;;;iril. rhe-inaoo. work rvas a-1 done in the field horrse,

ih?il,i#at"i""iiitiur"f;ti"h have been described earlier in this

;;;"il-"as;u p. so.l" r,o" ""iaoor

activities the cottage playgrounds

and the large -athletic

field were used.

Physical educrtionlTo

"ugr.lu, gymnasium classes were scheduled, but the boys in each

cottaEe ivere g"i?en 15 to 20 minutes of setti:rg-up exercrlejs each morn-**-r?a.t in? drrection of their cottage manbgers._, No particular;?t;i;; *:ott. *ittt individuals rvas uidertal<en' There was., how-u""", u

"io"e relation betrveen- the physician and the athletic depart-

^;i,; th;t boys with any physical iveakness misht, be watched andpr"i.l.t.A from 6vere.tertion'of from activities of a krnd that mightbe harmful.-

Ai;il;gh no regular gymnasium classes were cond-uctctl, the fieldh;; *-a-s a beehi"ve oflctivity every evening. Each evening threecot'tase families used it. Thiee teams flom each cottage playedaEain-st each other in the various sports appropriate to the ,season.E-ach cottage had a fi.rst, a second, a4d-a thrrd team. The director.o"sht to rfake sure that all bo-vs actively participated in.games clur-inglhe cvenings assigned to their cott,ages at the g)'rnnasrrrm-

iach bov rvas taught to str inr unicss he had sonre phvsical r l isabi) i tywhich rendered it uridesirable. Every cottage had one cvening at thepool a week, each e'l'ening beiug dirided into 3 periods so that thebovs of 3 cottases misht use i t at once.

in uinter rvh"en thJternperature reached freezing the athletic fleldrvas flooded for ice sliatins. The school had six tennis courts, but forsonle l'eason tennis rvas

.'not particrtiarll- popular, being considered

something of a "sissy" grme 6y the bgl't.- Practicall5- no apparatttsrvork 'lvas" undertahen.

-It ivai considered too dangeroq-s, o't'ving to

the reports that many bo5.s had been injured doing stunts rvith theapparatus.'the

fi"ld house contained showers and dressing I'oonis' Hahits ofcleanhness and personal hygiene were taught, in iotnection rrith thegvmnasium and athletic pr.ogram, though not through any formalmethods.Sports program

A very lively athletic program was carried on throughout the year,indoors

-in wiirter and butdoors whenever the weather permitted.

Football w-as said to be the most popular branch of athletics so faras the school as a rvhole rvas concerned.

The vocational-school football team belonged to the NlichiganAthletic Association and played a regular schedule with high-schoolteams. To be eligible fof the school team the boys lrere required tohave a "B" averag'e throughout their school work. There were nocottage football teams, although a1l cottages had footballs for playon their or,vn cottage grounds.

In.basket ball there was & large organization for intramural com-petition, with 79 teams organized into what was practicallv 10 leagues.The winning team in each league rvas presented u'ith a banner oltoken which" became the permanent posiession of the cottage. Thebest players won a place on the school team, which rvas scheduled forl{ Eirmbs with oulside teams. The field-house had an excellent


72 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BCYS

basket-ball cour.t with ample space to accommodate spectators. It;;";ft.;;secl for tournaments ind contests not o$y_ o_f local but alsooi Stutu-niae impottance. Three-fourths of the_scheduled games withouftiai-tnr-. *.r" played on tlris court,, and all boys attended.

In baseblll there was also an extenslYe rntlamurll secsonal com-p"iitio", ,"ith +Z t.u-. constituting 6 leaguep. The winning_team in'"u"t

i""g.'r" was presented with a trophy donated by the baseballmanufacturers.-_

bon.ia""uble attention was given to track events. An annuai trackmeet was held on the Fourth of JuIY'

Military training

In o".ordurrce with the legal requirement that all.the boys at the..t ooi';,'1" iot-.a inio a

"adit co_rpi "," Tilitary training of a modified

i;;;r; b;i's gi,r.t"to utt tn" ubyt' s/hen ihe u-eatLer.permitted,ii,il;:;r";'.uFfr-"otiug" *"t. given ts,minules of drill daily by theircotta,qe managers, *-h-o were

"under the generll supervision of t1e

;;t, i; i ; ; i ;""t[;- i i ."g"rd to this matter. Some oI the cadeL officers

of the cottage "o-puii.*

served as cottage -m-onitors for th'e' groups'

il.'ili1iffi"vr- firlt.a with wooden_ model guns, rhe older ones;ilil"dffi;;ti# rin..." Competitive drills were held each year onl,f*-"titt Day and on JulY Fourtlr'^ ̂ flii"

superintend."I gui" great credit to the at6letic director,. tle

f""iii;".;t th;h;a t;d;, "o.d

th. busy program-of athlelic activities

i;;'ffiffi1;iirg^li."iptinary problems"ai the school. He was con-vinced t l rnt these ooirnoi-6uitets for bott led-un phvsical and mentnl

enersv and the oppotit"itittlot *"gtt-and-tuinble play wet'e vitally

il; i";i";ii;'b'"J'.'t*ntal and eirotional development as well as

for theiiPhYsical growth'

13. OTHER RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Althoush the major emphasis in, recreation at this school \l'as on

"tftH;;%;#;';t"h;' re6ieationa-1 activities'Y,tlt ^s:tlq^

on ^all

the

;il;"lil"gh not under any specialized supervrslon or d.rrectron.

MusicConsiclerable prominence had been given to band. tr-aining' The

band instructor rvas'e-x-p"1i*""""a in instruction and in band leader-

ship. It rvas statect tftJiti" ott"rr accepted bo'vs l'ho wished to try

i.i"if,. fr""d bJ r;ii";;d;;;; h"a anv musical training 'whatevet,

i,""a'iil":Ji:i:rr" .oriJ g*aii"ttv bring thcm to rhe point rvhere rhcycould tnke part rn tf,*"i"Jiltt"ionis blnd work' Tlie first band con-

ilt;t ;i""";:;i;;^;'gu"i'otio"' -Usuallv about -1o0 bovs were;;;;#*-rot"pi""." ;.iil

- Tt" school had been able to send the

t""",i ' i""?r]" "Jt-rrl

competitive meets regularly for the prst few

;;il. ""Ii-;o"

tfre "atiffii

champi.onship at D-enver in ̂ 1929 and

#;;d ;;";"i" ib3.';il loa.i; 9i b"".4i comPeted in 1e31' rheffi;;;d;dent' expressed great pride in the band'

The teachet of "o.""t*fi;.*

fit""t"a.a boy choir' She also had

developed a group J ilg;;;;ho were.able to put on very.creditable

concert programs. b;tii;i; uu"a o"a the chorus were said to be in

Ereat demand ror -rit;ti"i"-."G in Lur,.itrg and nearhy cities,.and

?h;;'"-fi..-iit.*io Jo " ""r*i"

amounf of that kind of work.-*

Mi.It igun, Comp' La*'s 1929, sec' 7815


BOYS' YOCATIONAL SCHOOL, LANSING' MICH'4.)/ D

Radio---6u"f, cottage living room hqd a- radio rvhich had been made in the

radio shop at the "o"i,tii"ui

."i-"t. inq programs were not centrally

;:il;ii;i-;p.;;i$;"t.i"s ieft.tg th.e ct'ttage personnel' rheil;i;"i ftd Ji.o 1""" .q;ipbd rvith radios so [hat boys who wereill cbutd have the benefit of the programs'

In addition to the ruJio-"u.fr dott"age had a phonograph which had

not entirely lost its PoPularitY.Dramatics

Th;t; was no particular-emphasis orr dramati": it llt:school, as

no'rlld;;;'ti;;""r;;"il;h l-i'*. to de-vote to such worh' special1,,-- i^-.^r^^^, l {nr rhp .rqrinrrs hol ida,vs. These

;;d;;#;;;-;-""ttr developed for. the various holidavs'n?^orqmq .r'o"o *,r."ttised bv the music teacher'programs ov"re .up"tvised by the music teacher'

16 Boys vocationel School, Lansing, Mich' (souvenir booklst)' p' 1& [1931']

Motion pictures

The school had recently obtained apparatus for showing talking

oi.ti."" -A

molionpict.,r"e *'u. shorvn each week on SundS'Y momingi';il;i;* th;^3;;d"i-t"r'""t t'""". The films were provid-ed without;;;;;fi;; fil-;"il;;" i""oettoit. The superintend-ent' statediliii",i,r.irih;-*"";;;;il;t"y;' in the office oi tlis exclranse was;-;; ;;.i; ioturu.t.d'i;;i;-J"h""l anC -assumed personal responsi-;ifiiy'il;;"il;ii';;"ih.'nr*"

"s. .-i"a n"' judgment as to suitable

nictures as excellent,." Th;'*;;i]y n-* rvai altended by all boys|.ili,Tin"r"-depii"ea of the privilege for disciplinary re&sons'

Reading- -rt e i.rrtitution library was housed i_n a beautiful room -on the first

fl";;';flh; ""*

t"fooi building. The. rvalls \Y.e{e 3 pleasant' tan

;;d ;".,'.] ili" h";A;;oa ?oot- tuas nicelv polished' and colorful

cretonne curtains '."i" "t

tn" -*i,'ao*.

uo,i pbtt"d flou-ers wele on

it. irnf...--t1f," roo"-";;r ir "n*"g"

of a u-oinan librarian who also

iTj .""i""iri th" r"hoi offi." *ott ""nd served as substitute teacher,

secretary to the principal,,and cottage matron'- tn" tiUrurro

"oirtoio.'a rimui 3,500"r'olumes, all ertaloCu.ed. . Tt sent

25';; S0 6obf.. to each cottage once a month' The boohs .vere

."t.i"ffu ."f""La t"ittt t"t"t"o"i'to the type of boys at e-ach colltage'

it"iri" """J; th; ;;;;h th. books wer'e return"ed and a different

.;; ;;;.;4.- tr'"1iu'"#;;;;""ntlv-used for reference rvork in

;;;;.;i;" "'if,n- "iu..ro6m

instruction. " Certain p erio dic als were s ent

1o each cottrse t"*, , t" i iu.- ; ;" ; t t l rese rvere mrgazines.deal ing withpopr. , lnt mechrnici , ort tdoor l i fe, and eurrent events' and a lew news-

fafers of serious tYPe.Boy Scout work-

bhi* school had one Boy Scout troop, composed of boys from the

difi;*";";"il"g*-",n" fr"ie"pres.ed a d'esire fo become Scouts. The

scoutmasrer *o. ooJJt til;g;ii"g"^i;dents w'hom the school employed.

The Scout troop took one long hrke eacn year'


"Recosnizing that the moral well-being oI the I out'h gqnnot be con-

."r.i# #i?fto,ii"ar" "tT*ii"rJo

tfil giUtZ ",'6 thdschool had. arranged

for close attentron .L;";;iiti""s education, taking care that there



should be no sectarianism in the teaching and that family preferencesshould be scrupulously respected.-

A resident Protestint, chaplain was at the service of boys fromProtest,ant, families. Hc conducted Sunday school for them everySunday morninE. Thc Sundav-school group did not, break up intosmall classes, but all boys had quarterlies and were e-xp-ected to qre-oare their Sunday-school lessoni. fnstruction included the require-inent that each boy commit to memory the Ten Commandments,-t'heLord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, certain-psalms, and other outstandingscrintural p&ssages.

oL sundav a{Ternoon the entire sehool population attended strictlynonsectariad services in the auditorium. Vi-iting mintsters of variousdenominations addressed the boys on these occasions. The boys'choir furnished the music.--

The sniritual needs of boys from catholic families were attendedbv the n'astor of the Church

"oi the Resurrection in Lansing, employedoiL a pirt-ttme brsis by the school. \\hile the Protestant' bo1-s.at-tcnded their Sundal- school each sunday morning, the catholic priestconducted Mass and Eave instruction to Catholic boys.

There were too fciv Jewish bo-vs to warrant the making of anyspecial provision for religious instluction t,hrough group serviees.do"ry ehort, was made to-meet their needs through occasional visitsfrom'members of their orvn faith.

The full-time chaplain spent a great deal of time with the nervbovs in the receivine cottise. He sought to establish a friendly,peisonul relationship i*ir,t.t euin boy and to.gain his confidence. Theihaplain also spent'much lime wiih.bo5-s in the hospital and main-tain'ed close contact rvith boys rn'orried-because of sickness or othertroubles in their bomes. \Yiren a boy $'as about to be paroied thechaplain wrotc to a pastor or 1,o some religious orgrnization in theboy''s home town, asliing that every effort be made to assist, the boyto"make the necessar-v a-diustment. He reported that in his opinionthe eooneration eiveh bv the ministers in the home communitiesusuallv was qood." This chaplain was the offi.cer who took all paroleesto their train"s or busses and Eave the last words of advice to them whenthey left the institution

15. CREDIT SYSTEM AND DISCIPLTNARY MEASURDS

Credit systemThis school did not have a formal merit or credit system. It had

a grading svstem bv which each cottage manager graded every tro-yuoie. hiicare dailyir-itlr respect to behavior and effort. The symbolsused were A, B, C; D, and X. At the end of the month each teacherand shop initructor reported to the cottage manager the gradcs ofeach bov under his supervision. The cottage manager then combinedtheir three ratings into an aYerage rating rvhich became the boy'smonihly grade. These grades then formeil a basis for deciding whatprogresi i boy was making toward satisfactorv adjustment.Disciplinary measures

The system for meeting disciplinary problems at this institutionwas ratder loosely knit. The sriperiqieident followed the policy ofvestinE considerable authority for discipline in his cottage managers.He exlected his cottage managers, as-he phrased it, to "use their


*Y

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOIJ' LANSING' MICH' 75

heads " on these problems. His attitude w.as tha,t, if. a-cott_age mana,ger

"u-" i"to serious conflict, of any kind with an individual b.oy, it was

".""]fy tf." cottage manager's iault. He contendecl that it 'was the

-unu{*".' duty fb .i;;t%14 understand .the personalities, of theirinai"i.duut bovi so as to "be able to manage thernwith relatively little

iri.tioo. In"his opinion the key to successfttl_management was

;;d,1q thl riEht t'r'r,e of cottag'c personnel. When exccptionally3;;i"r3 rr""Ut.tirtt iiscipline utoEe, ih" cott,age manager referred thecase to ihe superintendent."-Tfr"

otiL"ti'- al..iplitrurv nre&sure was deprivation of privileges.Bovs miqht b6 denieil atteirdance at motion pictures.or other enter-;;i;;;E-;"a-^tgnl lc forbidclen to participate in plav o-r games o{

;; ki"d; either oln their cott,age plal:gro'nds or at the field house.Tli;;;;.-"" nn'g.- Once a Soyrs monthly rating had been estab-

f;ir;i, i i t"-ui""a'pcrmanently "at that p6int... No,curtailnrent, of

i;"iJ;;; p"t-ilt"a' Cottage itanoge.= were allouctl to placc boys;;ori fi*,,io. il^ii"a period"s and mTght require them t'o drill v-hileothers played.""t" t i i "* iv ' io

tO:t , use was madc of a di*cipl inary cott ,age. Thiswas discontinued because t'he space formerly used"lor t+?t, purposen-J f

" [" irt

"n fo. o regul,rr cottagc unit, while onc of the old buildings

*"i i"lnE,"-odelecl. The su periitcndent _sta ted that they.had gotten

"t""S .;T"ll without a segreg'ation unit that he doubted if he $-ould

J""J"r"i".tui" it.- U" felt" th'at whcn there was such a disciplinaryunit the coltage managers formed -a.habit.of depending too much onit *n.r tn-v c?uld real"lv solve indir-idual disciplinary problems rnuch;;;;;;;i i; i i. i"' itv

"itti i" their own units if ihev lould .u'ork hard

;;;;gh ;it. lt""*ur of the opinion that a discipl-inary unit providedcottage managers wrth too eu.y a way out of a difficult, situation' Inih" ."-* of a f?rv persistent runaway., return to the receiving cottage,*h"t" closer supervision could-be given,-rvas resorted to'

flt ut" r"." 'oo

details to hard- work for disciplinary purpos-es.A..otd-e to the superintendent's slatemcnl, that, was no particularpunishme"nt for som6 of his bol-s, as_a nrrmber o{ t'henr drd not careil;;;;ihins el.e, because thty did not wish to "use their heads'"i"

"ih"ttiia-.. roush manual labor under a "boss" was the extent

of thcir ambition.'-N;;"6;;f punishment of any kild for-any.reason waspermitted'

,f"otr.olios o'f thut rule, if detected, resulted in quick actjon againstthe oflendrn{ stafl member b1' tlte superintendent'""i;i l, i lf-i"l ' ' 'p*s=ion ri.as gained that disciplile \4_a: thoro'ghlyi"di"i;ii"ii;;J.

-Ctlilstances, Ih" boy'r pcrsonality, his emotional

state at, the trme of the misconduct, and other related lacts werei.i"" i"t"lonsideration in dealing rnith each prob-lem of major mis-conduct that was referred to thr. siperintenderit. He appeared to be

"iL-"ii"E io inculcate in his cottage personnel the same attitudes

toward disciplinary action in minor cases."" Th;il;#

"o dt"ui-""t scale of offenses on the basis of_ relative

i-po"fu""". proUu[i.y active insubordination would here be rated

".'inu ^o.t ."iiorr odenre. Boys rvho escaped- ol the first attempt

;-J;;;;iit ;tk;d to uy tne sup"erintendent-and then sent right backto tfr"it no,ire cottages. " Persisfent runa.wa,ys.were re,quired to returni" ifr" t*"i.,,iog

"oftuge because they could be watched more easily

;h.;;. -S""

offE"d"rr iu"r" carefully"watched and every effort mado

?6870-35- -6

it



to prevent incidents of that kind. Smoking was not permitted.fhe' fire hazrrd .$-rs thc prinrar.y reason, and this was carefullyexolained to the bo.ys. \Arhenever discipline had to be meted outi"""onr" of smoking,it was this fire hazaid,that_was impressecl uponit u lou as the teat"ott and an efiort, was made to have him see how he',rr.

",iltngcring othcrs by his violation of .that-regulation. The su-

nelintcndent ex"pressed great impatience r-ith relatives who, althoughthev Lnew the iules of the institulion, persisted in gir-ing the-bo-ysioUi.""o. Whenever An instance of that kind was discovered theofiending rolative had his visiting privilege cut off at once.

I6. INSTITUTION RECORDS

The record system kept by tr6u sdmi,nistrative office at this schoolconsisted of a card fi]e, whicll contained most of the record data, and& case folder for each'bo.y, in which were kept correspondence andmiscellaneous information. For the boys on parole, copies of reportsof the home investigation preceding parole and any visits by thesupervisors from the State- welfare- department, were filed in thecaie folder. Reports relating to parole were o! special blqlks. Thecommitment paiers were fi.16d separalely in the vault,. Records ofmedical care v-eie kept by the hospital and records of school work bythe education department.

The system did not include an-y cas-e rgco-r{q organized along. thelines of "case-worli procedure or chronological history. The. card file(b bv 8 cards) included all the identifying face-sheet information aboutih. "Uoy and his parents; brie{ stateme.nls.regardilg Pre-rious histor.v;monthiy conduci grades while in the instituiion;list of any physicaldefectsi results of"mental tests, if given; record o{ escapes; record ofplacement on parole with address, dates of parole and return, andi"".on., if appiicable; date of discharge. Cards of three colots wereused, rihite i6r first commitrnent, blue for first tetutn, and red forbovs returned more than once. The cases of boys in the institution,on-parole, and discharged rvere filed separateiy, both in the card fileand'in the file containinE the case folders.

Except in special casds and in the cases of boys committed frornKent and \Yayne Counties ('ivhich have special. faci]ities in theiriur eni le courts j , the social datr about t l rc bo.ys received by the inst i tu-t iot t . r" t" \ 'er\" nlenger. Tlrc infornt l l ion entered on the crrd f i leconcerning the farnil-v and previous records tl.as secured largely fromthe boy himself in the inteir-iew bJ' the school secretary shortl.r' afteradmission.

The results of tlrc phvsieal examittation given upon entrance t'ererecorded on a medicrl 6lank rnd filed in tiie hospitrl office. Fairlyful,l hospital and follorv-up examination records were hept for individ-ual cases.

The permanent record of each b-oy's acadgmic schooling-rvhile inthe institution was kept b.y the education department and filed inthe principal's office.

- :\Ionthl.y report cards and a master slreet

showins erades and proEress constituted the record forms used.A "cha"rtior defective ch-ild" u'as kept for each boy in the specialclass, and forms v'ere furnished for use by teachers wishing to transferboys from the grades to the special class.


d 4

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCIIOOL, I/ANSING' IIICH' t t

ing a, boy's Plogress lnin his tradeNo detailed records lvere kept showinga boy'

ot-vocutional training, nor ivere individual.or'rr"oJuiio*t -i.;ids;";;t -iult"

i"aii'iat'ai recordskept bv the

;hy.i""1:ffi;;til'A;;;'t*.""t,. e .'""11 card n9 11.u;'-E -"^ll{'l il;l';i.'1-;A;;;tio; de;;ri;eni. A srnrll crrd file (3.bv 5 c''ds) inin? rr.""i"i"t-."n"r"'" ".

i" tle Iarger file rvas used for rccording

"frr"r"T"si""if o tn. U"ys assignme!ts t"otrade and work andindic^ating

iliJ".hrl,"i-*ro;r".--tt1,*" n"i6 filed in his case folder rvhen he left the

department for rePortson parole, returns, andto the department', and

mstltutlon.-- Foi-t rvere supplied by the State welfare

on home investigiiions, placements, trrnsferssuoervisor.y visits. Copies of these u-ere senton-e r*'as kept with the institution records'

17. PAROLE AND DISCHABGE

The provisions relating to parole, diseharge, and parole supervisionut, 1nl'."5""T-ain.i"a f-rom'those' in any bt the bther institrrtions;1,,fi;.-'a= r.'"t been-Jated, commitments were for a definite

"liioa-u"tii the bov-became 17 years of age if he had been under 16

;h;;-"";;iitfi;;"";iit ts i{ tie naa been to.vears.old at commit-;;"t.'-it;F -iilttt be paroled by the superintendent, under theuuHroriW li tn:"'Stut" cdrrections commissibn, before they reached;f;^;;;i; di.;5u'st isee p. ss.l These frovisions resulted in

f""n o?r"t" p"tioar i3t the boys'who were under 15 at time of commit-;;;i;;Ainotipuiote periods for the. group 16 or,,older' Some

coutt'r did not commit to 18 years, and in such cases the boys 16 atti^"

"r "o^-itt""ot might r"each their seventeenth birthday before

f.ins putoi;d. Frequen-tly boys returned for parole violations were;i;;fiti;;j ;irectly iiom the ins"titution, since diicharge, whether from

;;;;i;';; lt;; ihi institu tion, ..,'as autom rtic -tipon the bov's rer chin g

ih;;g" ;p;;ifr.a io tlte court'commitment (either I7 o.r 18 years)'--ThEre *.r. ,ro puroG super'ision in the adnrinistrative program of

tn" i".tit"lio". "ef ttr" liarole rvork u-as done.by the State welfared"ir";;;;;--troo"gtt its

'State supervisors and it's .county welfare

asents. As a mat.'ter of fact, no .tafi l^-a-s engaged. in parole supel-;i.i";;t"iliielv, as both the State supervisors and the county rvelfareagents had manY other duties.-"fir;

""""tV ii:.foie rgent. in counties of less than J.50.,000 inhabi-

trnt= .r.r" orilv part-tini rn ot'ltcrs, prid on a per diem basis ($5 I rlay)nl,ii; ;;i;;l ly on d,.,tt '. Counties'o.f 150,00b. or more could employtult-ti,t-te og"nt. ott ."Iut5r. At the time of this studl' onl.v,3 countiesil-a i"fi-tifie agents and"so had part-time.agents. , Among,their otirer^d"ii".i".t"

i"i'-.rtiguiions for andsupervision of placernents fi'om theStri. fr"friic Sclro"ol (an institution 1'or dependents at Coldwater,\ l ic5.) : in nrany.orni i* . they se'r 'ed as piobat ion off icet 's for the;;;;1;';;; ;;#..lsed motheri' aid. rn most cases t6ev were the;;F ;"ia;"cial workers in the county. Except for full-time agents,;;

'.d;i"l q;tiin."ti;ns \\'ere required. Many. of the county. welfare

;;";i;' ;;.; ;ii;;; ;;ga ged in'o ther o.ccupqiions ; some. had re I ire tlf,A;;1;.i;;.. ot *6." oic"upied mainly in folitical activities. Sonroi;;;; ; ola tn"t the value of their iervices was questionable; ont'i"t"t"il"-d was g0 years of age and several others *ere found to 5,-'i;".o .ia"rf o. In a fLw instan&s the education or occupation reportcd*-orlrld indicate no fi.tness whatever for the workl one_ w&s a cirl't'-i"f."" f"t

" tivery stable who was reported as having about a tSirtl-

grade education.



The State u-elfare deparbment had five supervisors for the entireState.

-ih;y *.i" .*p"'"!ed !o visit Ftate wards, includin_g.parolees

ir"J--irr" rio"y"; vo"oiiinal Schoot and th_e_pr{s' Training School and

;hiiar;; pluted out, from the State Public School' So far as \Yasairro""t.h, the *r.pervlsors' qualifications did not include any specialtrainins {or parole work.*

ilW"d"'*"a tf."t Counties, which contain the cities of T)etroitur,a'Ctria nopiai, tn" county #elfare _agent, and. the juvenile courth;d ;;-itf";;;l-;'s;;6*"t't i"h.t"uv..thF probation department ofthe irrvenilc court accepted rcsponsibility 1'or parole superYrslon'thrJ'i;-;ti"".ii*o cou'nties an agency engaged primarily in work;it[" ii,*;ii.-a"i"q".nl, **. tesion.ible Toi supervision oI boys

f;;i;t*i'i"-- tn. i:o=."tionaI_school. . Qualificationi based on spccialtrarmng were requlr"a tot the membeis of both of these probation

departments.-"bii;ii,itii; for parole was determined through the sch,ool's general

n.;,1fi;";;;t;;. ' l-s;; i. zi.> It was '.recelsarv to have errned3i* -"i1..'no lon'er'than'B to become eligible.

As has been noteJ, tU" i--"diate ailthority for granting parole

was vested in the superintendent o[ the rnstttutron' - Approval oI

in" St"i" "olr..rion.'.ommission,

which was. required to.make his

action valid, $-as alntost invariably given to hrs recommendatlons.-"lV"tin""iib" of n boy;s readines"s ior parole was made to the State

r.lfor" department, iitti.tt then requested that a visit be made to

iir;'b;;';b';" rr.t:i i* countv rvelfare agent in that count;" Rcport

"T1nir""i.it-nr. ti-'a,le in dlpiicate to the department, rv5ich.sent one

;;;;1" lf.r* i"=iituiion ior u'se in decirling rvhether the boy sh.ould be;;i,i";;d;; hi;;;; ho're. It rvas diflicult to appraise tle rdequacvof these investigations. In the few re,cords examined the reports were[tiuf u"a aid n-ot ,"u* to give sufficient informat'iol-upon.whic]r tof;; ;J"adent as to th"e fitness of the home' Often the reportwas & mere ,u"o--urrdoti* nV the agent, without proper supportingdata.**irro*

the information available it appeared that the- supervislon oro..i*t"tt"" qiven to parolees hy eithei-the county we-l{are agents orfi;'S;il=;plti-i.orJii:o. .-.ii"robly below t5e itandards of reguJar;;;J;;;tk'. The supervisors were reported as "usually getting

;;;;;d'; to-oi.it parol'ees about three times a year' Their reportsof such visits were ;;a;il4;piicate, one qopv_ior the.state u'elfarea"oori-uot fiies and-one for ihe inititution'that had relcnsed the

;;i;i;;. "-Tr'"'qu"'itions

on the blank for reporting such visits rvere

fi".#"r"a ;; ts;i"iiy i"al"a, ""3

lew reallv irertinent da!!;esardingthe bov's oros.ess $.ere given'. These reports frequently did not eveni"ji""[itirr.ti'.. ttr" uol:r had been seen. It u-as considercd the dutyoiino=" State superui.oit *"i*ty to "chech up " on the boys,by theseo""-".i"""i

"irit.i Thev did not attempt to-offer any employment,

;;h;;l;;; t".."atio""i"ad1u.t^eot .eti ' ice' The prggsure of their

other work was stated tro=6;1'.a;t and theresponsibility for helpful,"p"""irio" of parolees rvas left laigety to the corl_nt-y welfare asents.

These ascnts,u.r""roi-r.qrir"a-to"-ake dettiled repqll s of-theirlvorf. io u""uone, and it was found that a number of them did not evenil*" ;;;;'d'"i"i'iil"i'-";;;;;.

- During the field studv for part 2 of

ili."r;;-"tt ii" ir-ll' .r-;;r ;i tseo) s&ne agents interviewed could

""Ttiif"n"* ^rrv ll,yr-"rd gi.t. tiu' nua on"parole, and onewhohad


79BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCHOOL' LANSING' MICH'

only t'rvo-boys.could not recall their lames' It' rvas found that' visits

were seldom, ,, "rr"rl?;lil;-t[;

boys'-homes' the general policy

beins to require putfr"ol*i"";"p;; to ttre agents' Several agents

held-office hours at ile .ourthouse on srtuidrv morninqs; if the

ffi; ;il; ir\;li,igrr"t-ii""i, "o "nort was made to-follorv them up.

i;r; il*b;;'J-tl; ""'""tif.''tt. boyr o'5o did not live in the sarne

torvn as the countY *.1f""" agent rvere expected to^r'epor.t to him by

mail. Several *g*ot. f*Ju;J";;;t i;;m ieporting aftci'a {ew-months'

glfr ffi'Ji.,":*'*"Tf :Ix*"','#ff *lli*Uril'ltn:"v,li"ithat tlre bo.1's rvere *t.riAoi being returned to tlie instittrtion rnd that

;ili";;; ;;t''; iili ;{;;eed;;'*i;il;;tclose supet'r'ision' Anot'hercountv agent, *fro otiul".ril.r.y *ittt rvelfare investiqations, g&Ye

itJ i,;,ir?.. Stif pn"r""ctoiv att-ention' . The parolees'-he said' u'erea "nuisance" and he'm;.fiij"l;;-;hem sinlt or^su'irn'" - On the other

hand, a ferv countv'"g*i';lttti-i"a if'ut tttov trie-d l1^*?^::,e^rvihinEpossibte to assist tb""f;;y:"dy filii,iiil"iitem" se.ure emplovment and

btotr.t ' recreational eonnecttons'"' ii'' \\t;i;; o " a llnn i'b;; ;ti;', *'here . th e r,'':rt-T: ri;:"" ;:" ?;' J.l:r"out"i.i6"- of the jnr-enile-court probil;;il;d,;i,"i'trr" ,"plr"i.i;;"{-*.ilso targely d-one b.' the ofiice';fiililg

"t"irt"a.

-Hbwever, some lome visYts"rvere made' and some

assistance ruu. gr-ruJii";;;i.!!.i" n"ai"g emplo5'ment, and mahing

school adjustments.

-ffi "lirffi ii,t*ii1":f$'1i,iltiii3I"#i'll"#;'HlFiJ."'"iTI'J,*"'.ff ff;{"i#'i*1"##lnl***i:ffi+:i'tix'liibovs nlacecl io rn.-'i,J^*;';-";; r.t.a t'o kecp the sch.ool informed

of thd boys' progress, but no regular rep.orttnr \{as requll'co'

Phcement or rrov.biit;t,"i{l '9; ttti i i o".i homes were ttnsilitrble

'"",1$.:i':'l;ffi iiJif *il**til*,-"tin:',itr':Ti.'"'"1*'ii3"i"#

;;;";T^;ppii.;i;;i;;h; i*titution, investigation was madeiil]ilJ';;;"iv.iirrli"';;.n1 "i

tt''. r.".tr*.t of gre Strte welfare;'.o#;"';;;;^;'d if

^;l'; h:;; '"* io"od iuitable it rvas then placed

orthe list.Bovs could be returned to the institution for violation of 9111I.e

#tiiiir;;;;r" ii;; 18 5'ears of cse, as the term of their commrt'-

fr l"rii'r:pJ"r["a. "'"Oitirio"

as to rvhat"constituted su{fi cient violation

of parole to r"orror"t-iiiii|" i" it "-io.titntioo

rvas generally made bv

;hJliru"';i';[;;;;;itti'g "ou't, *ith the advice of the co'ntv

[q1]i.{x?Bs,*k,:L.nr'*:lif'":lll"Hti x"T%i:'f.""Tx#liiffiJ-rf"i;'txliJ'",ff i:ti*Jxit$:lf T:16,.1"4'"::""**;i;r*l iiliiution ;hil.'; p;tfile tec!"ically constituted.disch-arge,such cases *"r" g"n"rutl;"f;i;J ott tht insiitution.records and not

iJ'--1iy J.i'.rr;;*i {"!ii.ti'; ili'-1';"'.u*d the age limit' t:.'lffi?l.ir".lilf dischat:ge -igttt be grarited prior to the discharge agt

;; f*q;""try'o"""?;;d ;T; ig'-'o']I" Iegitimate {eason a bov

$'ished to move to"u"oiG. State before his parole period was com-

;ffid- ""n"rr,'"f dir"torg" paperc rvere issu6d to the boys by the

institution.


80 FIVE STATE INSTITTTTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

As has been indicated, there was no real record of the boy's progressor of his conduct rvhile on parole. In many instances the institutionu'rs nol er-cn notified when'a boy on parole was committed to anothercorrectionll institution. The copies of the reports oI the visits bythe State srtpervisors, copies of thc home investigations before prrole,and casual l6tters from the boy to the superintendent constituted thetotal of the parole records.

When leaving the school on parole or discharge, each boy receive{,in accordance riiith the law, a complete outfit of new clothes, u'hichhe had been permitted to selec[ himself, -transportation -to hisdestination, and such sum of money, not exceeding $50, as r-as deemednecessary for sustenance for a period of 30 days.17 During the J'e-ar1932 a t6tal of $2,936 was given to 175 boys who rvere released. Theamount given to'each boy"varied from $-S to $+0, -depe4{u-rg- on theneed in e"ach case. The sirperintendent expressed the belief that thisfinancial aid in many instances rvas of great practical help in ^render-inE the boy independent of his old assoliatei "long enouglr for himto Eet his leet on the qround."

Each boy also recei"ved a certif.cate to show th-at !: w-as rightfullyon parole "or

"leave of absence" (the term used officially). Threee*piess conditions were specified in this certificate as follows:

First: That he lives a correct and moral life and violates no National, State. ormunicioal law.

Secoird: That his conduct and surroundings be at all times satisfactory to theState corrections commission.

Third: That he makes a satisfactory report of his residence, and circumstancesin life, either in person or by letter as often as instructed, to ---.---,.---;' coun-tYagentj or, if, foi an-"* cause that cannot be done, that he reports directll' to thesuperintendent of this institr.rtion.

X'or boys returning to Detroit, the certificate specified the juvenilecourt as the agency to whom they were to report.

18. PLANT AND PROGRAM CHANGES IN RECENT YEARS

Of the cases analyzed in part 2 of this report, (sge p. 10),-150were ofbovs from the Bors' Voeational School.

-Tbese bovs had undergone

training in this -instilution

during the years l9l9-25, inclusive'That period was one which saw considerable change taking place inthe institution and in its treatment program.

The State leEislature in 1917 had authorized the State board ofcontrol to mahd arrtrnsements for the removal of the school from itslocation in Lansing to-a farm site not far from the,city; $100,000 hadbeen a.ppropriatedfor the pul 'pose in 1917, and $600,000 in 1919'After th6 farm land had been acquired, the struggle begau u-lrich cul-minated in lcgislative action canceling the previous-plans and author-izing the use 6f the appropriations foibuikiings and-equiptnent at theLaniing site, except f-oi su-ch expenditures as \vere necessa,ry to make it'possibl6 to carry bn a supplementary farm project on the new land.^

As a result of tlris chan96 & \'er.v lii'elv building program ra-as goin-gon at the Lansing

"o-plri during the period 19fu^to-1925, in whic[

the boys included in tfus study ivere under care. Four new doublecottasei x-ere erected. A larE-e industrial building to house severalshops-u-as completed, and the" pride of the campui, the field house,

tt Xli.hrg"r, C.mp. Laws 1929, sec. 17826.


BOYS'VOCATIONAL SCHOOL' LANSING' MICII ' 81

was beins built, -I1 the time tha-t.had elary^"$.t*:"il"rrt*:l^"t'tii1t1", i"##. ?li'ir"at ;"pr" gr-"-

"i - i-p'o,r"io.ot h a d c ontin ue d . Al I

the old coffiages r]uo fr"5""r?iroa.d, i;* ffi new school and hospitaltrn',l''"?ffi ff ';"5;"'";;;'d;i.;;il+ih"-;*"schooiandhospital

hud U""" erected and occupied'. - -- :-+^---^r 4-^mffil;ils. h;3 b""r, """"t"d'

and occupied'- Th; f-ollowing da-ta show spme-cha1sp3; ;;;"";ilfi; in the lo-Year interval from

19ii-il;431 (fiscai vear ended June 30):

A-ltlrouglr tlre school population had increased' the number of em-

olovees had increas"i'#;i"-;;;iali-* tti.i itt.i" *ut a better rat'io

ffii'"'*I}'dt'';;;i;;pil;;;" :CiitJ increase in personal service mav

have been the cause if it. .rigrti i""I""t;-F.p^t^t^"iP1ti..:"*'-,Itt thu

renort f or t tre ui. nn iui'perii';il;d ;;;;-30, i 92 0, the su perintenden t

had stated ttrat the #riit,i;i;;^r;;;["ity"i'''"did,opped by reason of

the fact that it t *. ,roi'ili.i-p"*i,t" io "go into the op.en m-arket' to

secure iust tho tisht il;i;Til;;i;i; haridle thc bovsl" addinq that

competent .ttop .up.loii;t:il[;;; b" tt""*d because a mai who

was really capable *iJ ,ii#ir1i"g6;;ff "h.?{g" or a cottage !9"q**:

i^fth'hir

"h;;

J"ii.t, -u"a

it w"as not possible to pa'v some men lor

;;iffi";;'li""li;i,J^;;hers for.shop u'ork onlv'ts' Even bv 1e31

iirir-&m""tty had not been,entirely or*ercome'overcro* d i" g

".ur: l;l;"" b;;ii; l.;i;; ;f the institution al life

d;#ii,l;'p-rila.-"Iloreorer, aicording to tn" report.quoted in the

nrecedins p"r"gtopnl';il: "i

I[; n'itaiog".tt'"t" in "r' deplorable

5#";Ti" ;;tt' ?, i r'i"'pi"- tiin g wa s- ant iq uated, th ere -u-ere^ no recren'-

;i;t;;;;ior the bovs, no,school buildins' no Evmn&srum'School work ro,u."'dh;;d ;"""a"t co?siaeiiUte-.handicapt lqtl

"d;r;;;r'."-it"*a ;i;;;t the campus and centralized supervisron

dfficult. Normal-schooi giaduates *"r".pro".tted whenever possible,

but the report, ""-;;il;A'rh.t

it;;;-dihcult to attract the highest

rvpe of teacher t" ffiiiJti"""f-h-.fti"g *iiii the salaries. pavable'

Siatements ioaicated"i6e;;"*;"* ;Tif.-" -o"ug"qt"F ;t the handi-

caos under which til ;;;"lt;workqd, special noie-being taken of the

Iafse classes, and. th";;;;;;;" i., t'n" r'egular graded rooms of large

,r,rirbers of mentallft"";;;;;n"o ;tf; not"onlv could.n-o! prgftbv the institutionaf'tt-i""i"g tf.l-tbft-"t but also interfered with thepioEress of the brighter boYs'"'t-n" triii"iio" rl-a

"t*Jv, empLrasized industrirl worl< in preparfl,-

tion for self-supporf;;;;1il;. --'But

reports indicate that' the shops

i':;;;;;;di;;ff,i r;;-ad'equate quaLteis and poor equipment' until

tbe funds *pproprrJtJa t" l,ll pei^ittea the erectibn of tlrc nerv

industrial building, ih;til#;id;i]h; old tnop qua'rters' and the

installation of a greJ a"ui of trdw "q"ipment,

iircluding^the entire

il;i,il;a"i ;h1;i;;;r-u*p."iuuy f'eatlured in the 1e32 program.

,Gi"""t"i R"port of the Board of control of the Industrial school for Boys, Michigan, 1920' p 6'

Average number of boys in care------ IEmpioyees---Boys p"er emPlo1'ee- IPer cap i ta cos t - - - - - i

60073

8 . 2487



Most of these improvements were made during the last mont'hs thatbovs studied were at the school or after their release.

The same is true of the development of the extensive athletic pro-Eram now so prorninent a part of lhe treatment activities and credited6v the sunerintendent 'ir-ith Ereatlv reducinq disciplinarv problems.fhe r u peti n t en d en t, a p p ointed' i n tgzZ h ad adolishe d" c orp-oral punish-'l'he supermten<lent, appomted rn L9z3 lrad abolrsned corporal punlsn-ment ancl put a great deal of energy into getting frcilities for con-strrretive o"ti-rito:nn the athletic fi6id and ln the svmnasium as anstructive a^ctivity on the athletic fieid and ln the gymnasium as anoutlet for the natural physical energy and exuberance of healthyvouth.'

Parole supervision ]rad not changed to any extent- in the 10 yearssince the first of the boys in this study were initially released on parole.


Chapter IV.-STATE HOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG' N'J'

Earlv in March 1931 the state Home forBoys at Jamesburg, N..J',

*#-"i.ii.a' i;;";i;" ;;rp*. of rUtaining. desdriptive, and stat istical

;;;.;iri f* [lti. r"poit. iExcept a_s ot]rerivise indicrted, all statements

refer to conditions-prevailing at, that time

r. srAruroRY PRoYISto*3"$3XBldli*o ESTABLISHMENT AND

Tl reNervJerseySta teHo le fo r . -Boysrvases tab l i shed in1865astfr"

-Si"t.-n.forrn"S"hooi f* i"1.""iIe ciff enclers. Frorn.its beginnirrg

i;';;;,La';;;; i"; novi o"tl:, ancl its purpose, as sp^ecifi 'cil lv stated

ili i; ' i;;. ;; in"ir-iJor^"niio". Tl'e Goveinor of tjre State, th-e

;i #;""i;;,' *a tu"'.i'i"r'i;.1;; ;;"stlfu t ea a board o f control' u:hichiu;;'#^;;'";i;;

"& .'itito't i. persons as trustees or ma-nagers of the

il,rii"ii l irl"-ritir'to".tl of tiust ees was to be generrlll-. iesponsible

i"""tii. i".tltution, to see that strict discipline-.rvr.s mrintained, to

;;;;i;t",erir;i;ym;;f to li",i "ut

ilruatcs, to dischrrgc-or remand

them. ancr ro lrrve .ir*rgo-of tlc office peisonnel. Tlie lau- frrrtler

ffi;a ;# ;h.;;il;t,t ;Eq*i;" ii'e boys ,^o b" " instructecl in piety.a.rd-ri"lit* ona "ir. .""n

-U-t=o""hes of useful . kno*'lecige ". as could be

;iil;[f 't;'ii"i;;;;';;J;;p";tv, ';an'i in s.ome reguiar course of

i"l,Jr."litf*.' *..f-t?"i. "tl

-i"rtf.turing, a gric ultu'al? or.. r conrbi-#d,;; ;i' i];..;;";; l.- t.it .uit*.1 to t1e"ir. a[e,. stre'gt h, disposi lion';;;;;;;"iil, l"J i" tuctt otttet arts and t"rades es-mav seem bestili;o;;ffi;'J;; ;h;;;i;;;iio", o-"!dment, and fulure henefit;i';t;-b"u;.n- Th".-o**-it^""t age rvas betrveen 8 aqd. 16, ancl boys;;;id ;;';;*-i;i;J";;-;;""i"tid" of an ofiense 1-lfch might,bori,iri.n.J biimprisonment otler tSan foi'Iife. S_pecific re{et'encc 1o thei.;#;il;;'"'ii;;;ii:;;;;i ;',{; in tsis first law, bub it empou eredil,;1;.i;;;-To Ui"a boys out as apprentices or ser'ants until theyin""fa becorne Z1 yea's'of age, o! ioir less time. In 1900 a_la*' "to;;"blit;-;;a t.g"tl,t" the St"at'e Hoqe for Boys " changecl the namoi."* St"t. Eefo?m S"ir""t Tot i""."lte Offenclers to State Home forit;;;.- r:rt.lot*

"f ;;;;g;;enl "e-aittud

the same untii 1918' rnfi',il;";;"; i;;;';;;";i;g tle State deprrtment of charities and cor-.ilrh*

"r"..d s;;;;;t c%"ttol of the Slate Home for Boys under the

;;lii;;i$;ath"? a"puit-""t, and in the follorving year an amendment,;i,i"h i;'.tilii;;{i;t;t"ltiit,"a in place of the clepartment of clrrr-iii*

""4 corrections ;T.p";Gt"t' of institutions- and agencies'l

ti;i. i;i,;J;;;il;;[" ""."i.tiuu

agencv of t'he State board of control'- iit. 6o"ta of munaee^ of ife Sta1e H"ome for Boys i9 lory appointed

U' iii" Siate clepartt"?^TJi".iituLio". and agencies rr ith the approval;i iil G*;;il;;

'ni'" Uo".a of managers Lonsists of not Iess than

ni'" "ot

-ore than ;;;;;-bers, at'"least' trvo of rvhom must be;;o;*". fhi. boatd, rvith the apfroval of the State department,

"Jp,]i"t th"

"fri"i "*"t"tive (superiritendent) of the institution.'z

I \-ew Jersev, Laws of 1E65, p. 886; Laws of 1900, cb' 93; Lavs of l018' cb' 147; Laws of 1919' ch 97'

t l-pw Jersey, Cum. Supp. 1924, secs. 34-53' 34-55. gB

s



-^-r --:'- -*J"pt"a. Pla-cement on parole after a period

regulatrons lor l }a l ry 1r : - - : -^ - r r - -1^--+, ,*^ ^- 1- ; - , : l ;nd nrrr fn car\ i rnaresulations fornrally adopted. [ ' l lc-entcnl on.pa,role aIler i l ] iel 'ru(r

i" 'tfre institution is luthorizetl. Intlcrttttre or binding out to servlce

The age limits for commitment remained the same, boys over 8

u"a-""a[" 16 years. I;nder the present statutes boys may.be com--ili.a until tiiev r"u"h tlie age o? 21, unless t'he detention is termi-

;;;;J;;ii;i lvit't. u"atd oI fi","tt*scrs, in rccordance u;i.th rul131{

;r ; ; ; o*- i i i "a, but-unJcr t1e parole systenr a bov-ma; ' be, placed

i l ' ;h; ; ;" i6. i i r i "" his own iT this i i thouglr t to be forSisbesbinterest.3---Favment

for care of boys by the parents r{as authorized in the

1900'ffi^;*-iolio*t' "Ei'ery boy dommit'ted * * * shall be

oeisolallv liable for his orvn maint-enance and all nec-essaly expenses

i"."r."d-in.;*i ;" his behalf ; and the parent,, guardian, or relative

"f"to tt*tO lrave been bound by Iaw to frovide Tor and support' him

if he had not,been sent to the said home shall be liable to pay for such

;;il1;;;;e and necessary expenses. "a. The board of trustees r'as

"rlt].rir-a to remit all or fart^of such liability or _t_o sue in tlte name

;i th. superintendent in iase of failure to pay'. Under the present

Iaw it is tire duty of the judge at the time of examrnatron to rnqurre rn-

i" 'tfri-"Uiii1u

ott tn. paient"or guardian to pay 11e ̂ expenses of com-,,iitr""." ipi'&""dftr'u"a the b"oy's. boar$ ; init ltis,findings, 1 ith theo*o""t oiderecl, ar"e to be endor;sed on the warrant of commitment.s

2. THE PHYSICAL PLANT

Location

The State Home for Bo.ys had a rural setting, 2 miles from thevililse;"f i;;".btrg and"about 27 miles from the curital c.ity 9fil;;%".^ i;;;;b;"; *'as accessible on a branch-o-f the-PennsvlvaniaR;iF";d fiom Trenton and also frorn northern New Jerqey. There*". fr". ..ri-ice to New Brunswick, 15 miles clistant. Although not;;;-;il highway, the institution w-as readily reached by severalautomobile routes.- 'i'il;;;,;;s a brick archway at the immediate entrance to the grounds,b"i no fencl or wall. tle luilaings and surrounding grounds were;;;;t;;it" 6uck from the main i6ad and grouped arourd.a series;f ;;i l.;"stes.

-Eacn building t*as, however-, -seprrate' - \\ 'ell-cared-

for -llu.ns,

with muny large shade trees and flower beds In season,surrounded the buildings.Acreage

The institution was situatecl on rolling_ farm .Iand rvith thinly*oo,i",l-u.ur.. The sclrool calopus u-rs on land slightly lriglrer thaniI* i"r;;ai.t"ty ."iro"nding area. The land orvned !y the institution;;fiii;;r.i"ti.ii", a total"of 889 acres. About 150 acres were usedilr"tfr"-t,tit,li"g., Id,*'ns ancl roads, a-tliletic and drill !eld, and play-grouncls for th6 cottages. AII but about 150 acres of the farm wasinae. c"ttivrtion; soie 75 acres were in past're and 75 tr-ere wasteland. About 489'acres rvere given over to-the raising of general farmpio,l""tr, 50 to truck gardeniig, and 50 to orchards aud berry patches.

Administrative offices

The first building at this institutiot rvas erected in 1866, and inihi;-;;;" t5" ua-iltti.trati'e offi.ces. It was a large, 3-story, darh-

t Ibt,l* 3+141, 34-146, 34-147, 34-148.{ New Jersev. Laq s of 1900, ch. 93.I New Jersev , cu tn . Supp. 1924, sec . 34-u{ .


STATE I{OME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J. 85

red brick building, of old-style architectural design. The offices,*nirtt included th6le of the sriperintendent, assistant, to the superin-tendent. psvcholoEist,, parole s'bcretary, business administration, andfood supervisor, w-ere'on the first flooi. In the basement were roomslnut, .o'.rld be rised by the boys when tLgy received visitors,. also aelub room for the meir stafi niembers. T[e second and third floorswere used for staff residence quarters.Boys' residence quarters

Nine single and two double cottages were in u5e, and,three moresinEle cotta"Ees were under construction. Four of the older cottagesstilTin use d'ated aS far back as the period 1871 to 1879;of the othertwo (double) cottages one w&s erected in 1906 and the other in 1913.All tii.*u old cotta[es *ete of dark-red brick, square in sFape, threestories in height- aheir use was being discontinued as fast as n€wcottages became available . r .

Th6 new cottases were a lisht-red brick, semicolonial in style, andonly two stories ii height. T"hey were all of similar design and fittedin iAtn, the general sTyle of arbhitecture used in the entire recentbuilding program

AII pFovisi"on for sleeping quarters was on t\e-dormitory plan. Thedormitories in the co-ttagei visited, both old --q+-d neYr were wellequipped as to beds, bedding, and sanitary_facilities. Light{S apdo.niitation w'ere satisfactoryl'atttrough the-dormitories wer€ all qui.tecrowded, 30 to 50 boys sleeping in each.-

Meak'were prepaied and t&oed in ,a central kitchen and diningroom; hence thb c6ttages did not hav_o 4i"+g rooms or kitchen facili-iiur, .*"ept that, one oi the co_ttages built in-1930 had a dining roomand'a tetiice pantry, the plan being to use this as sn honor eottago forbovs about to be piroled,^theso bovs to eat in their cottage.

brvins to their-newness and th6 modern style of the building, lheliving.oo-r in the recently erected cottages appeqe-d moro-a-ttractivettru11-tn"r. ioJh" old one"s, but all were"conifo{ably- furnished wit'h

"huitr and small tables, bboks and games. - +11 hed prgtty colored

curtainso attractive posters and pictufes, an-d tFe atmoqpheq createdwas thaf of a f'hom6v" livinq ro^omwheie the bo5rs might qjoy theirleisure. Each new c6ttage hid a, room for rough playin the basemeint.-

Sanitary facilities were"modern-and adequaie in all.cottages. Theshower add wash rooms were in the basem-ent as a rule.

Segregation cottageThis cottage is described se_parately ftop the boys' residence qua,r-

ters because it was designed for special treatment rn connect'ron*ittt the disciplinarv pt"osto* at ihe institution. Thls cottage,tii"atea about^one-half mi"le awav from all the other buildings' w&s& small, squa,re, l-story building of brick and steel construction.Inside #"tt f O iirdividuil cells, cdnstructed of heayy Inre m.esh, *ilhrturr froni. Thev all faced a central court or room in the center of theE"iiai"g. Boys iegarded as diffi.cult cases were locked ig tle cells.at

"is4t, 6th.tt tttpt ?ormitory.-fashion i+ tlP. op:T-:p ?t9 il 31:_:1TFlnrg.frt,, ofhers slepf ctornut,ory-rasnon ur !IIe. uP

of"the room. T^he small dining room in this cot;i-;il ;;;;. - iI; rruit dining room in this cottage was yeryilni"

and bare, with long.tables and-benches $ ,tng "+ly,lYtT,tl:": llll.*r.-;d;q;G-ruiit"iy provisions, which included shower baths.th. .rlp*ti'iso" and malroir had living quarters in the cottage'


86 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR, DELINQUENT BOYS

HamletThe hamlet, one of the very special features in the institutional

program, was about 2 miles from ihe institution proper. This was aima-il unit to provide special treatment for problem and psvchopathicboys. Though details with regard to the hamlet are given elsewhere(*gg p, 117.),'some brief ment'ion. of .it seegrc pttjng in connectionwith

-description of the physical plant. It had a l-story frame

brrilding of bungalow.type intended for only a small group at an5' 6nstime. Sleeping quarters 'were in a dormitory room comprising oueng quarteri 'were in a dormitory room comprising oue

ouse. A large room in the other wing served as cliningom comhined The off icer n,nri ms,fron in charEe had

rvinE of the house. A laree room in the other winE served asand-lirinE room eombined. The officer and mation in charand living room combined. The officer and matron in charge htheir rooms in the horrse also- The hamlet contained a small churrtheir rooms in the house also. The hamlet contained a small church,theater, and even a store and post office. These had been entirelyconstructed bv the bovs and rvere built from odds and ends of mate-rials. There ivere also a few small sheds and a poultry house and 5'x1fl.Landscaping had been done by the boys. Artistic log bridges rverebuilt over the small stream that ran through thc grounds.Staff residence quarters

The rural location necessitated that practicaily all of the employeesbe horised at the institution. A few rvho were residents of Jamesburglived there.

The sunerintendent's residence \yas an attractive tile and frarnehouse, built in 1920. It rras situated on the entrance drive, about halfwav between the entrance archlvav and the administration buildins.

A building containing flve attractive apartments furnished livingquarters for the assistant to the superintendent, the business managerrthe director of education, the director of department of cottages anddiscipline, and the secretarlr to the superintendent. Some of the oldcottages formerly occupied by boy-s had been remodeled into 2- and3-room apartments {or staff members. Other facilities were providedin single iooms and small apartments in various buildings, includingthe second and third floors of the administration building, the thirdfloor of the old dining room, and the third floors of some of the oldcottages.

All avaiAll available space rvas being used to provide staff housing. Thebuildinq proErarnin proEress included four sinqle cottages and a build-building prograrnin progress included four single cottages and a build-ing rvith apartments f.or 22 single men. With completion of theseing rvith-apartmenti f.or 22 single men. With completion of theseadditional facilities, it' rvas thought that provision for stafi residencewould be quite adequate.

Dining-room and kitchen facilities

In January 1932 the new refectory r/as completed. This building,of semicolonial style, in light-red brick, contained the central kitchen,the bake shop, and the boys' and offi.cers' dining rooms. It u'as cen-trallv situated. close to the administration buildins. The dininsroom. rvere pleasant, rvith good lighting and r-enti lation. Thc wall iwere tiled in-a soft tan with a rose iint, the windorvs were attractivelycurtaineri, and the entire atmosphere was one of good cheer. Althoughboth dining rooms rvere equipped for cafeteria sert'ice, this method ofservice v-as not beinE used. In the boys' dininE room the serrrice wasat tables seating eig[t boys each and iupplied

"with rvhite table linen

and china dishes. In the officers' dininE room. exceDt for one tableseating eight, small tables for four were ised.

The kitchen and bake shop had excellent equipment, includingcookers, electric stoves, dishwashers, and other labor-saving appli-


STATE IIOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG' N.J. 6 t

resemblinE a, small ru . Seating capacity was limited-, but

ances. The equipment in the bake shop was all_electrical, includingtt

" t*o large dvens. The wall decoratibn was the same throughout

ihe building", a soft shade of tan tile with a rose tint. The floor in thekitchen utri'buk"ty was & red composition, easily kept clean'

Chapel and assemblY hall

At, this institution the chapel and assembly hall were .entirelyseparate. The-chapel was one-of the old buildings.(erected i1 tESS)

""'- thu main drive u" one entered the grounds and in the first grgqp

of nritaitrer from this approach. The building was of dal!-red brick,'c*emhlinF a small ruraichurch. Seatins capacitv was Iimited, but;;i-il;;;-ui;. i;i Protestant, colored bfos, Prot6stant white bovs,and Cathotic boys were held at difierent-times it was adequate forthese three sroups separatelY.

tll uffuirJ which fhe entire institution population attended rveren.ia-i"-t["-ut."-Uty hall, 'which was in the schooi building. Thishad adequate seatin{ capabity for the inmates, stafi, and a few guests.

HospitalAnother of the older buildings still in use was the hospital. In

cornnarison with the plans for a iew hospital whieh showed a proposedcandcitv of g0 beds, the one in use at time of this study seemed inade-qrrut" #itn its bed capacity of only 18. Therewere2wardswithSbedsdach und 2 single too-.. There das an oPerating ro.om' fully equippedto perform *"uiot operations, and a well-equipped deltal office. Alarse winE add"ed in 1920 was being used as the receiving cottage'Ab6ut thii time the hospital itself had been remodeled and the operat-io* roo- added. Althoush housed in an old building, making generaluoi.*p more difficult, thJhospital rvas ltept in excellent shape. Walldecorations were cheery and 6r'erything *as in good repair. Equip-ment rvas modern and adequate.School building

The school buildins, at the opposite end of the campus from theadministration buildiirS, was thiee stories high and was conslructedof red brick. It had bl'en erected in 1911. In this building, besidesthe reqular classrooms, \rcre a number of the vocational shops, class-roomsTor special activities, school library, gV.p1aqiun1, and auditorium.'r ;;lffi ;i"-#; ;;;;i ;;i "

^ ;i;;i';;if ttsh tqa' Fa i'"" iif"i. a .I l l 9 u l a D D l u v r u D Y Y w r u v r e L z v , t l

Tables and chairs, rather thari the old-fashioned deskp, were used inall classrooms. The librarv room was well arranged, cheerful, andattractive. Classrooms for-special activities included those for claymodeling, art, drafting, drambtics, band, and special classes in hand1VOIK.

ShopsAs vocational and manual education were & part of the ,general

department of education, a number of the shops were centralized inthi o.honl hrri ldinc' slonc"'wif,h the cla,ssrooms for academic work andl l ie i.hool building along'with the-elassroof..fqt academic work andmg a.rg

In addition to the shomasonry, paln

ertracurricular aciivitiesl These shops included printing, woodrvork-ing, automobile mechanics, tailoring, manual training, a.n{.sfrog shops-Afi'these shop rooms were adequately equipped, and lighting andventilation were sood.

n to" the shops quartered in the school building, theint, steam-fitting, electric, plumbing, machine, cerpen-


ter, and blacksmith shops were in various buildings. There was noseparate central shop building.Farm buildings

Fifteen farm buildings, including various small sheds, were rvithina short distance from the main lnstitution grounds. There wereno outstanding special features in connection with the farm units.Two of the b-arns and a poultry plant were a,mong the buildingsrecently completed in the building program under progress. Farmequipment included up-to-date machinery such as was necessary todo modern farminq.Gymnasium and athl;tic field

The gymnasium rvas on the ground floor in the right wing of theschool Fuitding. It had a flooripace 45 by 90 feet and was equippedwith a fair amount of apparatus for gymnastic work. ft had adressing room with sholers, a store room for equipment, and an officefor the director of phvsical education.

AlthouEh there was a small balconv in the middle of one side of thegymnasitfrn, even rvith this space there \yas room for only- part of thebbvs at a time to attend sames and athletic contests held there.

The athletic field was d-irectlv bach of the school buildins. It hada quarter-mile track and two bdseball diamonds, one of regulation sizeand one slightly smaller for the younger boys. Each cot,tage had aplayground-.,."h by the respective coftage 6oys during thei-r leisurehouri x-hen rveather permitted. These playgrounds each had basket-ball standards; and equipment was provided for outdoor games'including basket ball and baseball.

3. PLANT VALUATION AND OPDRATING DXPENSE

The plant valuation of the State llome for Boys was as follows:Lands- - - - - - - S145, 171.40Bu i ld inss- - - - 1 ,521,946. 00Equipment-- 90,000. 00

T o t a l - - - - - - - - t J 5 ? , 1 1 | i . n

This valuation allowed for no depreciation on buildinss. Thefigures represented the total expenditures made by the State for thepurposes specified. The business office stated that the valuation onbuildings as here given was probably about 20 to 25 percent abovethe insurance valuation. The following figures v-ere supplied to showthe cost of operation for the institution for the year ended June 30,1 9 3 1 :

Salar ies- - - - - $171,758. 56Maintenance and supplies- 149, 358. 85Current repairs------- 12,954.26Nfiscel laneous 13,475.77

88 tr'IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

Total - - - - - - - 347,547. 44

As the a,yerage daily population was 625, the arrelage per capitacost (cost per in"mate) *a. $sso.oZ. This per capita cost #bs figuredon a net basis, the maintenance and supply item having had $57,259.12deducted as representing the value of farm products consumed and

Provided bv the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University

STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N'J' 89

charsed in the statementfisure represented the cosbaid coniumed.

4. ADMINISTBATIVE

Srrnerintendent-- - - - - - - - - -^\si istnnt to the superintendent- --Secretary to the superintendent - - -Business manager-----Clericai s 'orkers- - - - - I O

of gross expenditures. In other-words-, thisp.i b;t *iilio"t, reference to goods produced

Administrative control'- Th; N;* Jersey state Home for Boys rvas administered.by the state

d"; ;;;;;i "f i"!tlt"tii;;;;; G;". gies under the gene-ral supervision

;r"t#'^s;;;^t;;;A-;T;il;i- iSee p' 83 ) rle state board or;;"i"; L".i.iJ "r

6^ ;;;f;;' ,ti:t'o- *p'9 to be appointed bv iheb;;;;;__ th".. appoint-"ots r_equired the approval of the senate.

Board members ".t."rolp"id

-.t,f t 'he board ':ai nonpartisan' The

;"";rJ;;;;l t"g"fu" ilt.#;C"J 5|"rd meetings rvere rvell attended'.Ifr" .il."ti;; ;ffi"";T;;th;t;;;d was the coirmissioner. of institu-

tions and aqencies, *no'*u" i" Ji*"t "hutg"

of the administration of

i^h;-a.p ";t"1en

t of ins titutions ard, a gencies'*Til;"s;6 H;; f;; B;;-;hJ

" t"E"t board of managers consisting

of seven menrbers ^;p";" i l [ 'by r fr . Stut" departmentbf inst i tut ions

;;d ;;;;.i;;, "itrt

ifi. oppto':ul of the GolernoL' for-3-year. terms'

O^-t nF.'.".i ia tn. t..p"i&tlti fi f or act 1 ally running the -inst

it u tion,

," fr- i i . '^"-" . , ' t i r . " ; f f i . ; ; ' f ; ; '^ ih^i-pu.pn=. bi ing the-superintendent '

It was said that tit"-l*"["uUiJia'-"it policies"and exercise adminis-

t;";i.-";;;tfi; ;;6j;;;il"a)* t; it'4 Lppro''al or the state board

;i;;"1-t:- -.1l,"v

,i,;; ;";dirly at the'institution_,, meetings rvere

,*fi'1,i"i"lii.d; ;;'i1 ah;' .i,p*i"i"endent st'ated that all memb-ers were

;"ti";i;i;;;;tt"J i" the treatment program and that each gave agreat deal of support to the school'-

The institution -"i"t"i".a'i:.r:u .1o.1" coopera4ve^ relations with

..r,*"f "ifr.,

Stut" .i"irl,tt-."t. 'T!rq

State board of education rvas

;ii;-;;fted on prirri.r". i" its fi.eld and acted frequently in an

;h';i#il;*"tt;.^ fl;sdi" departmenr of heatth had general con-

trol oYer sanrtary ";;iti;;;-"t'4

tto"pitut practice' It' made inspec-

ii""." i,"ri"ai";iii ;";;;;;";ifr"4 irirmediatelv on discovery of thepresence of any .pii"t"ii ;;-;";;gi"us disease' Representatives|i'ifr" St"t a"i'utt^i"f

"f "Sri""ttfie wcre said to visit the institu-

i;;;'i;;d;;;tiu'u"a' t"o'si;f[;d;;elv helpful advice' especiallv in

the field'of aninral husbandrY'Personnel: Number and duties

This institution had 172 emplovees, of whom 4 gave. part-time

."Jo#",'ffi#;;1* ,h" 't

;;ii;i"' |"d the organlst {or church

ttfiil"itn", roll listed the following positions at the time the school

u-as visited:

CONTBOL, STAFF ORGANIZATION ANDPERSONNEL

Direc tor o f edncat ion 6- - - - - - - - - -

Elementary teachers-niunual-a. is and manual-training

1I

+teachers- - - - -Vocational instructors 7 12

.*, ' is*'*t ionthedirectoroleducationhaschargeo|academicwork,manual-trainingcourses,and'"''jl'l'"H'h"ii1t',Todniaw th.e line betw.eeq.e.m-p^l9y-1es 9:qli'ilv"Ji:,',''"c"13"i-1:ifXt jH'#limrnd those, l irect iDg work u.ir hout specrnc.rnit iuciionat rea'tuies. . tn r nis pariicu-ta'r biv-ibti g,oop has b@! iocluded

rhese omcers: Auromoorre-mec,ri 'r l i i ' ir i i . ict".,-t iacksmith. iarpenters'(31. eleclrjcian, maso!' patnter'

i'i,]-uet,-f.i"t"., shoemaker, and tailor'


90 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS

Director of physicai education----Supervisor of cotlages-- -Cot iasc masters - - - - -Cottase matrons-----Assistant cottage masters-- - - - - - -Night sergeant- - -- -- - - -- - - - - - --Watchmen---Housekeeping officers-Resident physician- - - -Resident dentist-- - - - -N u r s e s - - - i - - - - - - - -Laboratory technician- - -Orderl.v--- -- -

$7, ooo

and 2 trucro This r

FOR DEI]INQUENT BOYS

Assistant psychologist-Librarv clerk--------ChapD,ins (part-time) --Scout execul ive----- - - - - - -Maintenance foreman- - - - - - - - - - -Farmer - - - - - -Assistant farmer- -- - - - -Farm officersEnEineer-Otlier mechanics and laborers c---Suoervisor of food-----I(itchen and dining-room officers-Other employees 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - -

11

161616

I

18Fl

1r61

I

Some additional service was given to this institution in connect'ionwith the work of its psychological clinic by members of the State men-tal-hvsiene division,^wjlich alsiEned one isvchologist full time to theState Tlome for Boys, and a pslchiatristbie day aweek to the insti-tution.

Further services of a wholly volunteer glaracter were given by mem-bers of the faculty and stud6nt body of Princeton University, largelyDers oI tne Iacurty &no sluoen[ Dorin connection with the program foronnectionwith the program for religious instruction'- (Sqe p. 118')

'he absence of any parole personnel will be noted. Parole serviceall institutions in the Stafe of New Jersey was given by the stafifor

of

The absence of any

the State parole bureau. (See p. 124.)Personnel: Salaries

The salary scale at this institution ranged from $480 to $7,000.Saiaries for bertain specified positions were as follows:

Vocational instructors--D i rec tor o f ph1 's ica l

education----Supervisor of cottages--Cottage masters- - - - - - -Cottage matrons- - ---- -Assistant cottage mas-

Clerical workers- - - - ---

$1 ,080 -1 ,680

1, 2001, 980

840-1, 380480- 660

840- 960840-1, 560

AII but two of the full-time employees received maintena,nce maddition to salaries. A few received meals only.Personnel: Appointments and removals

All positions except that of the superintendent and secretary to thesuperintendent were subject to civil-service regulations; 78 eqrployeeswere rated as of comDeiitive and 92 of nonc6mpetitive civil-servicestatus. The superinfendent was appointed by- the local board ofmanagers, subjetit to the approval of'the State b"oard of control. FulIrespoisibility ior appointing and removing employees rested on theboard of maiagers,'but in p"ractice that boird t6ft ihe superintendentquite free to eiercise his own initiative in connection with appoint-ments and removals of all other employees, with due observance ofcivil-service regulations.

1, 200-1, 500

I These include 6 general farm ofrcers, 1 dairy ofrcer, 1 truck gardener, 1 poultryman, 1 florist, and Icreanery officer.

e This'group includes 1 steam ftter, l ic+plant operator, 3 "firemen and helper", 3 assistant engltemen,gr_ou.p.includes I steSm ntter, I rc+plani operator, J "Dr6men ano nelper", J assNranr enguemen,lcE orlYors.r group includes I orgaDist (part-tim€), I "charge attendent", 2 reliel ofncers, 2 sewing-machinsru |nls group lnduoes r org

operators, and 1 school janitor,


I

1o1II

1 1I

1017

*{

'-

"?{,

't

,j:t:,, STATE HOME FOR BOYS,,JAMESBURG, N.J. 91,'{i-Jr'l:

=.P$, fetsonnel: Terms of service

*+3i r- -The

superintend,ent in charge wfen the institution was visited ha,dffiLb-een continuously in office since May 1927 . He also had'pervgd in,iff*,t the s&me capacity some years previously-as acting superiutendent,:,. , for a short period rn 1919 and then as superintendent fmm 1920 to,,r.i,i 1923. Infoimation was available as to t[e terms of service for the

t; 168 full-time employees, as follovrs:',:* , Less than 1 year---- 44: : I year , less than 2- - - - - - - - f6' 2 years, less tharr 3- - - ---- 20' : 3 years, less than 4---- 12

Personnel: QualificationSA certain amount of detailed infomation as to the education aad

prior experience of employees was avo.ilable. The staff at this schoolhad acailemic degrees isfbllows: One Ph.D., 1 M.D., I M.S., 1 M.A.,-..,. 4 8.A., and 6 B.S. degrees. One staff member was wolH.ng toward

i.-,r an M.A.; 14 had spent some time at a college or universitybut had,", no{ yet completed. the work tot ? degree. . fFp value o{ professi.onal

.'';=:' traidi,'."" training and-experience w&s clearly relognized by the administration,.,.;'. uo4 staffmembers were encouraged to continue their educationalwork.

4 years, less than 5------ 135 to 9 years----- - 3210 years or more--- 30Not reported------ - 1

::- i'i:j : i : i : ; :,:.j,., The superintendent was primarily an educator. His educational'.,j ' hae.l<grouid included tra,inini *t thrp.-e. normg,l schools and at Colrrmhis.-:;-i -

,j background included training at three normal schools and at ColumbiaUniversity, and his experience included teachingln both gr&mma,r and,,,,*, uurvel'sruy, a,IIu IIrs expel'rence ulcluoec [ea,cllrllg IIl uuurr gr-rurulla,I' a,Ito'.:i' high schools and administrative work as sqhool pnncipal. He had

: , : 1 . 1 , . * r ) " : " " " " ^ " * - : * , * * : ^ - - 1 ^ e v r u v r v . v

.:ilL served as_superiltendent of s,c,hools in Auburu Prison, ps-sqped

:ir'':*::'."iJt*tEl-y-93T:i:iu^5,:l*i*y::-lf :f :tlq:*i-u:k

:, .. seryed as superilterldent of-schools-in Auburn Prispnr. as.superintend-,,i, ent of-a G_eorge juniorrepublic, and as superintendent of the Preston. - . j *

if-.warden at, Sing Sing and as wardgn in the Westchester County peni-

ffi ,*:l9i,T-11i:T::*:,ilrleflrJ':f :T'^1n:l:*'*+,:'-$ii:r1"Jpf education and

called on to help make spbcial surveys and reports on conditiqnsrrectional institutions in qities and States. His experience and

'-ot S+ tq !o1a u{ngitqnt positigEs in t}e American Prison Conferenceilnd the NationalConference of Juvenile Agencies.

[., , The assistant to t}'e superintendent, had a Ph.D. dggree. He hsdi:studied in the University bf Chicago, Colqmbia Univeisity, $arvard"'University, and the llniversity of Pennsylvania, His public-schoolir experierlce. ilcluded. not o4y.h?"So.S in .b-gth Souptry -and...cityu.r schools but, also servrce as nrincioal of citv nublic schools aud as direc-i,tor in special schools of vaiious Hnds, inil,raing continpttiop-schools-.r, Ilre had given courses rn psychology,ut New Yolt University and had.I s*ved al first assistant iliiector 6f .education and pg,role in-ihe State

bffices.' The director of education held t[e_ dgsrggs oJ P.S. un+ M.A, the

l,latter from Columbia IJniversity. He had had 10 years' experiencel,: es school principal. in J"*. Ygrk and New {gtggy and had .donej.gpver4ment eduCational work during the World IMar. In additidn,,,tb'his academic work he had taken-training in carpentry, .electricatri.;work, and machine work and had served as instruct'or in those trades-,.work, and machine work and had served as instruct'or in those trades-,[.Ie_ had had 6 years' experience a,s director of vocational education in, public-school systems.

?6870-35-?


92 r.IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUDNT BOYS

Amone the teachers were 3 with B.A. and 2 with B.s. degrees.Th;-*;;-E

"a""t"r oi oormul schools or teachers' college,", others

fr;,ii;kg;ffiiry rt;;i"t;;".es in educational work at normal schools,colleses, and universities.""tfd

;; ifr. ;t;ifi" informarion avaitable as to the educationalbu"-kn.*nJ- of

"oitug" pcrsonnel. Ilowever, among both cottage

;;J#;;;a ""tt"g"

ti"tioor "

considerable number rvere re.ported toh;;;;iri-h-r"loof-.aii"ution, and some had spent some time. inrollege.One cotti-ge master held a B.A. degree in ag.culture lrom the Unlver-.ilv of Mfrnesota. O; J the asiistant c"ottage masters held a B.S.

A;ir;; i;"-;ilt"i""tiiiv of llinois. As to-prior experience, ttre

i.3'"iiii.trit' "t

l".lgrorind.was clearly apparent, here. Among the

cottase masters *"r" il."-*ith experience in the Army and in the

N;;: in office work, and in various occupat'ions; patnters, carpen-ters."salesman, policemen, and farmers. I'he records showed com-puiitively littie previous institu tronal experience'

Personnel: Living and working conditions

The administration at this institution beheved it,important, to pro-

"iiJr"li"i#;"y U"i"g conditions for.personnel in order to have them

;;irt;i" ; hiEfi aeg.e-e of efficiency in their work. A genuine eflort

i'"r"t"i* "*8"

t" ?"miih not meiely adequate hut also comfortableffi ;;ffi.;it" ii"irg

"*"rgements f6r thein. This was indicated in

i[" t-.iin"t a ne*iuildin! had been recently opened, and.four newr""ut"t" .tuff honr".-*"i"-iindet construction. Practically the entire;#d-;idfi-uii[. i"rtitution. They constituted a small community;i: th;i";fi b".um.-ih" nearest, city or town of any-considerable size

was Trentonr 2T miles away-. A minimu.m amount' ol communtty con-iu.t. *.t" id be found in the nearby village-of Jamesburg'"-T[u

p"..rnnel ate in a pleasant cLntral "off-cers' dining room in the

,;;i""ild"id; t-h; b"yii aioiog room. The food was of excellentoualitv and the service was good."-;ilt";[;;;fi;"t;"* -uia" to Iimit the hours of v'ork per week 1o

" fi.;;;Bt;;l;r, it *u"iiut"d that so far it had pro'eclimpossible

t" ,"fi*. tne cottag6 personnel from being practica'ily on duty aboutb i;;r ;;"it.

-bt-*""." -uo.v of tho"sti hours.w-ere not spent in

;;;"ffiJ."toi"", buf continuoui duty of that kind ca*s^es- fatigueth;'t;";d; io l" oh""t by a certain amount of free time. Other_per-;;;;; ilJ ;;;L; h;'iJoi *o.k. office personnel worked an S-hotrrA;;ih; l"ifa?v

"n on Saturday. H6urs for others varied from

;fd 3b:il;r-*-.t lt ihe-leoche"s to the 48-hour work week of such-"i"t""""." offi""., at enginee"s and dining-room officers', Other;;;;;;-;J;th lons ho""t it autv were those-at the hospital, whose5"*;il;6"tdaTo

"n""ug" 9{me- 50 hours a week. Provision forlime on *a. u'. g"o"rout ut p5-ssible for all gmployees' Annual vaca-tion allowance

"was ."ia- t,i be 3 weeks for st-aff members and 2

;;;i,l;; -Jl -other

employees. AII workers were enritled to twoweeks' sick leave with PaY'Stafr organization

The stafi at this institution was weII organiz_ed-and department,al-irei.- in" autu f"om un organization chart which was supplied arereproduced on page 93.


STATE HOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG' N'J. 93

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Administrative leadership and stafr teamwork

The executives at ihi. irl.titrrtion believed firmly io t!_" necessityfor senuine team worf,;" til p*t of-the entire stafl' The-keynotel,itfi""*rr"i" i*;il;i"" *". tnd ia.a that the basic program is educa-;i";;i u"J-ifrut

".'r"t! u.ti,rii' of the.boys must be considered from

ii."i-p"i"t "f "i"*.

iI.o". ev"ery employie-who in any u-ay came into;;;;;;;h tL. u"v. **

"o"rila"r"d air educator. it was regarded

;i;;;";;i"" in"t ir{"v r1i;A;;;;;a lhl objectiveq.o{ tlre school andffi#;;;;;hil;;b;;jt i[;;;a;il methodd bv rvhich it was hoped;;; ;ilh"se o"bjectives might be achieved'*I;"rd;;

t "dp

uii;";k;;i" touch with these objectives.,. confer-

"";;;;; n"ta itfqu."ti',

""t for the entire stafl but for small groups

of workers whose d#;i ":"*-;;l;i;d.

th. t"per\ntendg*t -stated

;h"; ii;^f;lt ru"n "ooi.i.oces

to be_of inestimable value. .They were

""t"trriy progru-*"ii

"" inrt' vital questig"" 9l-tPlt:y.might,be

dis-

"ur""al" i.*[t" oppotir"it' was afioid_ed {or pariicipirtion in the dis-

cussions by every ";;l"t;.;

uod .uth , discussion was encouraged'ii"ri""-tnd visit io the'inJtitution a me-eting-for cottage masters only#".

-nhti;;;;;;iil -f[; meeting lastdd until neariv midnight'

O;; ;iih;;;i,, ii"*r'""J"t consider"ation was a more thorough anal-iJi."

"f rh" ffi.ibilti.; i" i-h; job of assistant, -cottage master. Discus-

ii"" *"" iiielv and productive of many good ideas' - --tu" *ii"ririt""a"ii Juiua inut one"of"hi. principal dreads was Iest

*i";'.0"";;;ii, ffi;;igg biilgt1, become ioo smug and content'edwith the present ways ot domg tnmgs',

-Uven a casual "rJiio"

wouia havE observed that the staff at thisi"Jnt"Tio"

-i""f"aud ro-u interesting personalities and that .a great

;ff;i;i;h;;i;i";f;;'lc;!;" 9I i| .ot more-or less experiment'al;h;;""1;i ;u" l"-i"e^do"Ll' ttti. is only p_ossible where there is ameasure 6f administrative leadership and where the u-orkers recerveencouregement from those in authority'


Intake provisions and PoliciesDelilcuent boys from 8 to 16 years of a'-ge were. aceepted on court

"";ilffi;;;.

"ii 1029 ihe la* cieating a state_-wide sysrem of,juve-

"it"

-""J a"mestic-relations courts vested in these courts exclusrve

i"rirJi.ii"" oo.t boyr undlr f O. Previously, boys within such.age

i;;;';;ifi" "i ""y

iti-" "*."pt

murder ir an.y court of record might

#;;rriliti..i'tv^iUJ""".t ioin" State Hom6 for Boys by warrant.i".td-;i';ii"t i"ag-"nt and sent'ence'u*"dffi

*rt[ n",i p--*;d ;h;i" sixteenth birthdav b.ut ̂ w]3^n1^evio'9s-lyhad. become

"outt iutd" *igUt also be commii'ted to theage of ,21

;;;d if-l[e iudee a"tit"a. -In

practice, however,. most'. of the older#il';;r;;i;6-";;f lt," t*,i Srate ieformatories-either Annan-d;il ;i,""1;r;torv-fo" the less hardened-offenders aged 16 to 30,;;R;h;;;.^;;;i;;'#;rv forthe more hardened 16to 3^0 vears of agefn" *""i.ioo toi transfer of boys past 16 from the State home to;;;"i';;;il;f;;*;-t""i;;-*ua" ii prissibre for the institution ro elimi-;;;;;ld;il"v. *5" aia

"ot nt into the training program, or who were

ilft;;ffi ff;;;i" i"; giotp consisting larfelv-of vounger bovs'ffi;h;;;;f;" ;ighr t" ,"i,a" bn the recommendation of the classi--"

Nut il*r Cum. Supp. 1924, sec' 31F142; Laws of 1929' ch' 157'


srATE HoME nontnovs, JAMESBURG, N'J' 95

commissioner of' t t e e , r v i t h t h e a p p r o v a l o f . t h e S t a t e c o m m l s j q r o n e l o lifcqllol.commr ̂ -^ --.L^

"^* ilI'i-'".^?,i-i+,i.a t ttr.-Stutr home re-nuaurw' '"""^^^";;;

;h;^h;,i #fi committed to the_state.home re-iastitutions' 1*r^ ,,-+ir *],orr rrror.o 21

"",1 ;Jd"bt;;til;;A i;"lrlstrruLrurwuD' "t;;t";til

th"y ;ere' 2L, and could,41ui"9.d

Staj'e -o-^r^ mL^ ^^-^-.r -r,onf.ina w^s not to return them

filiiii." LJ"put"i.. tn. gen6ral practice was not' to

to ttris school if .they. were p3*,t,16 y31sfl l9^tj^r^--o,l +.Jto tnrs scro()r rr LrrvJ wsrs "'i#"ii,ia ud ir-uorf.r"ed to institutions

t1" s-"1::1,::iv:r::i":#l*11*:^. nr rhe crassification committee,f"i;t i*;i;;r, fr^ r-u.qr'''o""dutloo of -the classification commrttee,:, i;-^-,^,1 r-o trrrn nh'sinia.n* o.i^ifr" i"ana-of thu CoUoty in which thesil.'"T:ll;-*i^n"1{:f tTfr

"T*f *;,1}1-f ,$f t:"'ttiJi,ffiitt homdwas locaied, after a hearing; : , i ' - - -^ : r - ^* I -^- ' r lo l inni 6apacity and PoPulation

ri, """tnr'siJ""ii"-, for Boys.nl{ a popularion oJ g'B1 !9{::l Y::r}3:i ' ; ' . :i,nifi' Tti: ;ffi;# *"uJ"iiiniri'i"";;;il"f th" ooi*al capacitvn

Lost during the Year------

Released on discharga- - -. - - -Released on Parole=Released on approved absepce---------Released on transfer--- - - - --Escaped-- - i----D ied--=- -

ii:" Poprrtation Feb. 29, 1932---- --- 642: l r i : . _ - r . , !

":':.r,:' l, New Jersey, Cu'm. Supp. 1924, secs. 34-155and 3+188'

. t , t j '

;.- .: ,,


966

1853r235776

L542

",' ' which was 625."T"h;

;;;#;ion of Negro boqq at, this school was relatively hieh-36

r percent of the^i"i"f"ti[" o""nu5t""ty 29, Lg32 (451 white and 191

. Negro).:' ^' f;;; of native birth but of foreign or mired parentage outnumbered

r,l tni#;r#;b;;;A;;ti".-p*"n"tage-37elf the foimer and 255 in,

::,, the latter gt""p. -

Tft.tu *pi.. o"ty E boyt of foreigR.birth'it: "^^,"{.ri;il ?h;ila*ittio". a"ti"g ihe ye"ar ended February 29' 1932'

ii ,no*ji^^Bri"r. td-il;tit"iibo *ur visfted,- rhe la- and lS-vear-old:i sroups comprised slightly *oie

'|il;"'iliif ;i ;h;

""-Ai@enti for the

,i+l-?Lutl- T[e[;;f-ffi; ioo Uoys committed were as follours:,lr:-i.- ./

- -

:Fi. ,=- Svears--- 1

,',ii,,,. 6 i'ffi---*.*.,' ' 10 years- 2l

* i l , ' 11 Years- - - - - - - - -..,;:' 12 Years--

46

i,P*!l' 13 years-- - -:- - 93

FJ; 15 years--E.r 16 vears or over--- 16 '

i ' ; i l ' r . n i op' During the year end.ed February 29,1932, a total of 358 b.oys were

tt. ,.*i*d"oo new com-rtmeni. u.",f t'"tbmmiiments, {0!-parolees were

F. ilfiil"# "fi ;h;,;il;;i; i 8 5 b;il;;; ai'"h"'ted, ui'd. a12 were placed#, on parole. The movement ;f'th;;;"p;1";i9""i" h.iqil during-tfie last

ffi ffi#ii; n*?*.Jr'" i;;ti;"ti'" *i" iiritud (ended F eb. 2e, 1e32) was#1"' as follows:F'r : - - - - - - - 637i*Hj;'Population Mar. 1, 1932---

i. ' Received during the year-- ----- - '--. --. - 97t

;":t i. r \

;.+ New commitments (includingrecoq'mitments)-------------- 358',.4r', i;;lees returned------- ---- 19?,,:*,' b;;;i;;."t"'""a---'f Retu^rned from approved absence------ ------ out'I i l l i;"- -- ------

96 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DDI,INQUENT BOYS

The policy of permitting boys io "-A " class (the highest qrgyp in thecredit-,iotniig system) to"make w_eek--end visits home, and the.policyof Iettins the" bbvs so home for Christmas under certain conditions,u""o"ntTot the IirEE number released on and returned from approvedabsences.

The large number of boys on -parol-e in New Jersey-1,177 onMarch B, Tg32-may be accountcd for by the {act that the^average;;;;o'i puiot" frorir this school was codpatatively long' The legalitrarimrrm'is to 21 years of &ge' as has been state-d (see p.. 84), but a

"Ji." tr"a been adopted of "piovisional release before lhat time in

iases of bor-s with sa-tisfactory records. (For detailed discussion seesection 17, p. 124.)

6. RECDPTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURE

ReceptionBor-s were brouEht to the State home at any tinre by an officer from

the committing Iourt, usttally a deputy sheriff' .Elch boy .wasreceived first by the supervisor of cottages and drsclpllnc, wno rn eIri"i i.i."iiv iftu""i"* iold him somethiig about the-institution,.the

".."rt""it;es ofiered. and the snirit of tle place. The supervisoropportunities offered, and the spirit ofsig"ned whatever papeis were necessary to a<:L<nbwledge delivcry

place. The srrpervisorhwledoe delivcrv of the

biy and made the necessary first record. The boy was then sent tothe receiving cottage.Receiving cottage

The receiving cottage.consi.sted of quarters.in one rvinq 9!lh:-P:;The receiving cottage consisted of quarters. rn one wrng oI tne nos-pitai. i. .oorr-u.. poss"ible each new.boy rvas given a complete physicalexamination try tlie .re.sident physician'

W1it" in th6 receivinE cottaee the boys had ver-v limited contactsth },he r"rr"rul life of"the inEtitution." Thel' were not completelywith the Eeneral life

segregated., since_. ihrthey did go to- the central'dining roorn for,theirinEtitution." They-were not, completely

-Erfi UiJ'tttq" an "[,t

utt.ia school.ol ttre institutiion'.s general rec-reation prograins. The only work rvhich they did outside the cot't'agewas worL about the lawns and grounds.l b w u r ^ a u v u u u l r E r @ v Y u D o u u S r v u u u u .

nov. i"*uined at the recei"ving cottage about 4 rveeks- Thattovs remarned at [ne recerl'urg coLtagcioit *u. used for psychological st"udy, foiphvsical examination,.andpgnod was useo IOr psycj lorogruar s{ ,uuJr lu l Pl_rvDtuar E^drrurr4Lrvrr ' qss

i* o"..nnal intervicwi and Sbservatidris on-the part of various otherstaft members in preparation for their first assignments.

First assignmentsAssrsnments were made by the classification committee maintained

in acco-rdance with the requirement of the State department of insti-tutions and agencies that each State correctional institution maintaina classificatioi committee. The regulation ryas the result of consider-able thought on the part of State ei6cutives with respect to improvingSiut" rr.o."dure in the treatment of delinquents. At this institutionthe classifrcation committee had been working very actively for sometrme. It consisted of the superintendent, the assistant to the super-intendent, the supervisor of cbttages and discipline, the.phyTcian, tlrepsvcholosist, the'clirector of educ"ation, one of the clerical force whoir"ied asZlussification secretary, and, if possible, a representative fromthe State division of parole.

After the bov had b^een examined by the various specialists, his casewas listed for'consideration by the classification committee for thepurpose of tleciding on his cottage assignment, and his general training


i

i' ^d^dn rr;,-rnn r'i s-r$he, x..r. 97L .sTATE I{oME ' FoR BoYs" JaME

r: rt program.. prior to the meeting of thp classification.

f :l*,m?J"il::f i";#t's**ft*$:'"ff '#'i*.':.*1?uff ""'u"&rli,report o, -. "fro;ffi;'

Flo#"in6*- t:tp"*t lho tt""ut?ty made &

t: crissificarioq .u*muiy *ni.f,iofr[liJ'i" o"tri". f"t!q th6 principal

[i nndings and tn" iurott*.n,luti"Jni;T.u,h tpt"iuiitt' In addition the

F. case ?qlur,ufil;il",i;d " rd##;; ;"6], t'h; "'ott*

of a preinstitu-

I* tionar *'.,rururgution and il ;ffi1;.i-"*""if"Llt btuting on the boy's

I ""tttr*Tif"* 9r-t9f::Titii". th"Ji',1"tarv present'ed the case: summu..y, o1.J-tie memb.r*

-oi-lhe co'miil;i"i"rmally discussed

; the boy and'Tf"J.oUf.ryr,.' iitu-"urious- tpltintitts did -not

always

, a,gree rn rnerr ffi"";;;oa"iio"r.^" wil;; thui *"* the case the discus-

- sion contrnue.i.;;itT^;";6; ffi; qi;;;Ailb; a conrmittee majoritv'j Cottage . ur.igoryent

^was ffi;lif made

'in--accordance with the

:,,i':roco*menoatioi of the g,op.roi.or o? cottagqt, ut that officer wa's most

,,rra;! { am i r i u, *i ttr'if"" ; ;tu "i

Apt #;ti;dgt ;f tte c o-t t' a ge p ers on n el an d

,,: the different cottage popyfufrl;;. -%-ty.caieful

cdnsideration was

; ,given to the u"Jr;;-togi"ltt9fi*ilit'i" 't9iJt1o" t'o those of the cottago

,, farher urra *Jit; "^i "f

;il"b"y. *t1[ -*.hom he was to live'.,.. school "r*d;;;ff;i; {il;#i"variably

based on the recommen-',, . darion of the-Jireclo-r 9f qa.#iiit*

' 'ffit,tl't|**tnaatioq was based

: on certain tcsts which h"q b"?+.-ll=::*:[:1**inn#U;::ured; 3 ;"il,Tt j}H;ffi ;,h; ;i hiil ; "r f 1 a,1 c ad emic a tt ai'm ents'

,- vocational a^.ssignm.ent *"r ;fi;;l!a- [" be made as a result of con-

:- sideration of the -boy's

u-gu, phfii;Jeq"9iop*t"i, upd mental level'

. also his own pref"renc"it rt "iiSiil?iiiu$;::*f::*t"J*:*t; T;iH:,Hl iT?"*T "#ff :,f*i ffi ;ff;ffi;"i- t' "i"i" g ;"ign* ent s' Anindustriat assiffi.ti-*uutt pt"u.ii;;6 a straiqht frork- job' on

maintenanced,r#":'^"vttv-"4t#i*il"vt?tttF*"?31*H"t?t"ffi tr?+;

i H3ffi:'"#H: tf#J. "Jil{t"1i.i^ i"i::rygitq trr;ou[' . rntensivQ

I supervirion duifi- ;6;4; *"at it possible-to set a better appre-

, ciation of the bov'F attrt'ude. ""d-"'itigg:* "'|*l:f;:Pfl* T3;:ciation ot the DoY's aLLrr''uut' -iilii#ffi;-;ta.-somewhat later dateil;;uk_"tly plac"ed in vocational trarnrng &0 a sorrew.frrl,u r'rru

7. THE BOYS' LIFE IN THE INSTITUTION

DailY routine -r - r^r L--At Jamesburg the boys'life was regulated by the following schedule:

6:30 a.m-- ----- _ Bi:'ffi#l*"'7 a.m-- -- rrrs@ar@]'. ' - , .r . .-+-;ol ^r vneational train-7:45 a.m------------- -:: fiiiffi't%- i"atiTrt" or vocational trai

8:20 a'm-- -- RePort to schoot' - k'11:30 a.m------ ---- Pifiit*"a

lio* school' shop' and wor

12 m-------- - R:tff[ 'to school, shop,-or yoTl' ' :--^12:55 P.m--- ---- *

4 p.*r _ _ _::: _ _:::: _ _ $:ful,s"xJff$.T:rf 'details dismissed.

4 : 5 5 P . m - - - - : : : P : : r v r e u ' r v - -

g P:.m---- -- -- PltlJiit"".5:30 P.m. to 7 P 'm-- - - - - - r i

" H';H:Hf li l1'*n, g.rsi g.n B1v eq by ir, q .o ur war d op p e ar a,n cp o f liYrqs

arransements and activiqi.Jg;thiJ #-tit"iib" *"^t^tnnt of a closely

reeulated bourffi;;h;;i."- i;;:"- tht i*.tg"ti"n of tho manasement

that everything about the boys"iil" "n"'ila

h.;;; tt"i"itg asp6ct and


98

should be considered educational in that it u'as preparation for normalcommunity life. However, the size of the group under care required acertain aniount of regimeniation, which tEnded to create an institu-tional aspect,. Longl"ines of boys marching trvo by t_ivo on_the.way to

FIVE STATE IXSTTIUT'ONS FOR DEI/INQUENT BOYS

and from their varioirs assignments contributed greatly to that imsion. On the other hand. little feelins of repression was anyvand trom tfrerr vanous asslgnments contrrbuted greatlY to tnal rmpres-sion. On the other handl Httle feeling of repiession was anyw:hereaooarent. The bovs neither Ioolied nor acted as if thev were domi-apparent. The boys ner ed nor acted as if thev were domi-nated by fear of any kind. Conversation and laughter u.ere notedfrequently in all groirps of boys observed.Cottage "family" atmosphere

The size of the cottage group at this school ranged from 30 to 50T r ^ ^ L - - ^ - - - ^ - . i f ^ ; : l - - t r - - - ^ ^ . . - l ^ - + L ^ l : - ; ^ 1 ^ ^ * ^ ^ - l ^ , . ^ ^ -boys. Each group, or "iamily

t', was under the direct care and super-vidion of a coitaEe master and his rvife, who assumed the attitude ofvision of a cottage master a 'ife, who assumed the attitude of

of thefather and mother toward the boys in their charge. In many of thecottases there was obviouslv a verlv real interest aid affection betweencottages there was obviously a rrery real interest and affection

gJace-r1 unis-on, at.tlre close of w:hich the in sounded as agrace rn uruson, at tne close oI wmcn tne gong was agarn souno(signal that they might begin to serye. They were permitted to carryoi conversatioh wliile th6v ate. As they lift the-dining room the?on conyersation while they ate. As they left the dining room theyu'ere again required to maich in silent lines. It was stated that thiswas merely to maintain order, as it was difficult with so many boys tokeep the conversation and the shouting between tables v-ithin theproper bounds if permitted at all.

X'ood was of good quality and seemed to be quite sufficient. Asample menu is reproduced in appendix A, page 29.Sanitary arrangements

Each cottage was equipped with adequate sanitary facilities.Shower and wash rooms were in the basement of each cottaqe. Eachboy rvas supplied with a toothbmsh and received clean tou'eis weekly.

the cottage father and mother and their boys. At this school eachcottage had an assistant cottage master. This position was .newlycreatdd, and there was much inlerest in the development of a distinCtsphere of activity for it. The administration's idea rvas that the manholdinE that position would have most of his time free to devote to theright klind of'leadership and supervision for the leisure-time activitiesof the boys. All three cottage officers u-ere expected to become thor-oughly and intimately acqilainted with the

^personalities and the

pr6blems of each of their boys and to devote time, thought,, and efiort'to helping individual boys overcome their particular dificuities. The

larger the cottage group the more difficult this became.Arrangements for sleeping

All cottages had dormitories, and all that were r''isited *-ere in excel-lent order. They *'ere more crowded than the administration wouldIike to have had them, but at the time of the visit they were notseriously overcrowded. The svstem of night watchmen on duty ineach coitage dormitory througLout the sle6ping period was founil inforce at this institution.Arrangements for eating

The boys ate in a very pleasant, large, centraldiningroom. Eachtable seated eight' persons and service was in family style. Boysmarched to meals in line and stood in silence until all rn'ere in place.At the sound of a musical gong they were seated. They then said


STATE IIOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J. 99

Living-room and playground activities

During the hours spent in the pleasantly furnished cotrooms the boys appeared to behave much

tly furnished cottage livingas a,ny large group of normalrooms tne Doys ap

Ygqngsters would.youngsters would. They were free to talk and play as they pleasedwithin reasonable bounds. Many of the boys spent most of theirwithin reasonable bounds. Many of the boys spent mosi of theirevenings on Boy Scout rvorkl others read or played games.

Whenever tlie weather permitted, all free time was spent out ofdoors on the cottage playgrounds. Although boys on these groundswere under constant, supervision, it was the intent that they shouldhaye some time for free and spontaneous activities in addition to theorganized games in which they participated.Miscellaneous arrangements

This institution did lot have a separate regulation-size locker foreach boy nor much equiirment which would prdvide places for boys tokeep private possessions. It was stated that each boy was permrttedto have a small box in which he might keep a few things of his own.

Smokins was not permitted.The bols wore institution clothing of cotton khaki, which was

laundered at regular intervals. On Sunday they wore resular suits ofdifferent kinds, the institution having no uniform. The ever.ydayclothes were made in the tailor shop "of ttre school, but the Suiraaysuits were purchased in commercial iots. Members of the Boy Scoutsor the Ransers rvho wished to wear their uniforms on Sunday werepermitted tb do ro. The shoes which the boys wore were pur:chasedfrom another State institution which manufactured them.

Life in this institution w&s rich in opportunities for boys to findoutlets for their individual personal interests. I)escription of thosevarious outlets in the educational and recreational field appear in othersections of this report.Outside contacts

Each boy w&s encouraged to write to his parents or close relativesevery Sunday. The letters were written in the boys' own cottagesand read by some one of the cottage officers. fncoming letters wereread in the offico of the supervisor of cottages and discipline. Letterswere withheld from the boys rarely, and only if they contained state-ments that were likely to prove upsetting to the boy and to interferewith the adjustment which he was making. Boys were also per-mitted to receive packages from home. Such parcels were inspectedin order to prevent the sending in of forbidden articles, especiallytobacco.

Visiting hours at this school were Tuesday and Friday afteraoons.On those days boys were pennitted to receive rrisits from any closerelatives. The administration preferred that boys should not bevisited oftener than once a month, and so informed relatives. Thereason given was that visits from relatives often mado the boyshomesick and unhappy and interfered with their progress. Parentswho worked during the week were given special permisslea to visittheir boys on Sunday. Visits were usually made in the living roomof the boy's own cottage or, during the summer months, on thogrounds adjacent to his cottage.

Boys who had won special privileges through their good conductand their rapid progress toward satisfactory adjustment were allowedto go home for week-end or holiday visits, provided their parents or

a;


100 FrvE srATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR, DELTNQUENT BoYS

some other close relative could come for them and-bring them back.

M;; t["" 100 boys had been allowed to -spend Christmas.at home

i"i-S3i-u"a only lwo had faited to come back at the exact t'ime at

which lhev wer-e due; these two were Yery young boys whoseDarents ne"elected to brinE them bacli as expected--Crttt".;a",-"ontncts

of o"ther kinds were -much

encouraged' ThoDarents neelected to brinE them bacli as expected''

Outside "contacts

of other kinds v'ere much encou

The physician in charge, a graduate of the university of Pennsyl-

"u"iu ft"iii.nt School rfrtn S'mo"ths' experience as staff physician

for the Philadelphia Hospital. 5 months' experlence as stafl prryslcrarital for Ntental Diseases, who had beenfoT the rliladelpnra flospltar ror lv-r_en-Lar !'lsedsus, wru-uau

appointed, September.l, 1031, was aided.bl a, consultant,il :119:1{eilnloved on'a part-time basis to assist in all cases requiring r-najgr- - - - r - - J . - -

operations. Uther consu.The dentist, who devoted

Otler consulting specialists were paid on a fee basis.who devoted fuil tiine to the dental rvork of the school,

the trvo reqistered nurses and two attendants on dut'y full time,the laboraiory technician completed the hospital staff.ine t*" registered nurses and t-wo att-endants. o1 dufir full time, and

boys whose

-.*U"". of the staff often took boys out with them-wh-en they wereaddressins various groups about, t6e work of the school. The b_ors;ft* i;E ,art in f,tog*n. in different communities. Every effort;;; ild; [o have'th6m considered and treated not as delinquentb;t* b"t;. school boys with abilities and interests like those of othernormal youngsters.


Hospital facilities

.q.s tne medical work here was done in one of the very o1d buil.dings,the capacitv was not sufficient to meet the needs of the school without;;;ria;";6i"" crowdins at times. Despite the unsuitable housi:rg,in"

"quip-ent, was irodern and in good shape. Plans for a nerv

hospitirl ihowed a proposed capacity of 90 beds'

Hospital stafr

Physical examinationsOn entrance all new boys were given quite thorough examinations.

The examination routine include*d u-eifhing and -the. measuring ofnAsnt and hip width. A Wassermann teJt of the bfood (and of

"pfr"t fluid if indicated), nose and throat cultures for diphtheria, the

Dick test for scarlet fever, blood-chemistry test, basal-metabolismlest, urinalysis, and complete blood count t'ere made. All boys*"16 i--uiired against '[yphoid, paratyplgid, and diphtheria andwere vaccilated a{ainst smhllpox.

^ Chest X-r'a5's were made when

indicated, althoug6 not as a matter of routine- Arrangements fornulmonaiv X-ray"s and .[or X-rrys of fracLures were made with the'Trenton

State Hospital, and every boy having a heart murmur wassent to Trenton to have an electrocardiogram made'-

tn" findings from the physical-examination rvork- were placed ona ruco.d blani, which bec?rnie a permanent, -part.of the hos.pital files,and alwaVs *""e ru--arized for the classffication committee's usein consideration of assignments for new boys.-

The examining physi"cian was much inteiested in research designedto develon -o"""ad"doate standards. He was making careful recordsa. to natibnalitv and race in each case in order that these data mightbe available foi study.

Each bov was weighed and measured each month. Any boy forwhom a detided variition was noted was given a special examination


t ion in order that plecautrons- mrght De.[aKerr ugarus!, u'br

"fri"i""f "-*rti;;';"[ i";;der that

"correction of his defects might be

undertaken.

Corrective work

A considerable amount of corrective medical andsurgical work was

d;-;-;;;diu" pu"t of i*titutional tre-atment' Vtlot operations';;"h ; circi-"isibnr ;;Al;;;val of adenoids and diseased tonsils,;,- ;tf";;;d

"t tL" n".pitut uv the resident physician' Major

oo.i"tiott were performed there by a consulting surgeol' .""li"u."irltil t.J""."f ai.ea.e wete quarantined" in the hospital until

,""1"Jr.a'"Jdf.;iil.:-"-Wn." [esti .nowed them to bave reachedi[e

"oni"fectious stage, they were assigned to cottage life, but treat'

ment, u-as continued and reexaminations $-el'e made legulalry.

Dental work

All necessary dental work was done for the boys tlt State expense.The hospital was equipped for dental X-rays'

the hospital line byvolition. No officerthe hospital, if theto the necessitY of

tre"atment rested exclusively with the physicran.'^ Bqi; ;;;q;tt;!pi6l cire were.tr'a,niferred from 99!t-"99 t"^l::--

qtaf ploqntly"lqa'were given such care us, \91q, 1t^l-T::::::flt{:D l L a l p l ' o l l l p t l Y a u u w e r u F , r v E u s u t u L @ r E * " : ' * "

i4'il1 ih; iiilii"J T*iiiiG,'occasion a I mild epidem ic s of v arious kinds;;;;;,i;";;iAltuut.

"to*diog. otherwise,

^care appeared to be first

oniii*l".iitrti,iripar. roll and one paid by the State _mental-hygienedivis ion a,nd assiEn-ed-to the Stut6 Home for Boys, ls has been str ted.division and asqign(pe.e n. .e0,) FPIJ'(See D. 9U. . ) l jo tD PSlcn 'visiori of the chief clinical

he Stat6hologiststs 'worked directly under the' super-

f6r Bovs, rs has been stated.

STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N.J. 101

to deterndne what corrective treatment was needed' Any boy

h;ti"g .;"ious .ph. ysical def ects., ?":h,,u: Ygtv. iT!l"If:- P:":t:j:, "::ud\r , ,b , l i r r " ' " * ' ; - - - - , ;

d i rdctor bf physical educa_p.oor hear t ,con$; t t9n, yT .19t : l t t1 , l l , t t "^ r . r .^n oooincr , rnqrr i tnhrciion in order that -ignt be taken- tsqiqJt unsuitable

;;i.;;;t.d ihqt th.;yi",lnd a large proportion""f th-: l",v:-^,.1b".Rf:ys rokinds.

caused considerable s.Oclass.

9. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE

Clinical facilities

The mental-hygiene clinic at this ins-titution had one psychologist/ r o a - . ^ - ^ ^ l - r : t L - , ^ : ; - ^

Other medical care

Sick call was held daily. Boys were sent tot'heir cottage officers or might come of therr owrr*as permiited to forbid anv boy's reporting toboy

'expressed a des.ire. to do.so., Decisigq as

Psychological tests

The resident psvchoiogists interviewed all new boys'- thgy gaveosvcholosical ex^aririnatio--ns to all hoys, unless a bqy had been so;;'";il;f t:"tt t".."tty and. a copy of iue findings hrd-been forwardedto the school.

The Kuhlmann-Anderson tests were used as a matter of routine,o"Jifr" Ei""i-Si-on test was used occasionqlly. One_of the PiYchoI-

"ErUut-i"o.r ooa to hLve language"hundicaps of various kinds-. _They

ir."""t^"i,1-"J" it q. nrn,ctice in ttie n consid-erable number of different;i;;;;;;;;J" it * practice [o ,ri" a considerable number of different;;;?;;;;;. i".t..

'These included such standard tests as the Healeyperform,ance tests.

ii.;;;ilf;;^pletion test, the Witmer form board, tl: Tlill_1lblock,ih" po.t"u. ,n""", and the Stenquist mechanical-aptitude tests'


102 FrvE srATE rNsrrrurroNg FoR DELTNQUENT BoYS

All bovs were seen aEain bv the clinic personnel before reclassi-ncaTion dlrins their stry"at theichool and beJore their parole hearings,One of the p#chologisds furnished figures indicating tle mental level

"t tn.-r.["6i iopulaTion on March 1;1932, as shown in the follorving

table:

Mentalleael oJ white and Negro boys enrolleil in school on Mar' 1' 1952

Boys enrolled

WhiteMental level

132425

oo

138

t07

1494

318m

-t2l706

I

226216

13. 810. 2

5 lr l

II

1 A

1 1 .82

The averaEe mental aEe of both the white and Negro boys appearedto be lower tian their c[ronological age. The figures reported by thepsychologist u'ere as follows:

Iwhite bovs I Nesro bovs- lAverage age and intelligence quotient

Average chronological age--------- ) 'ears-- iA v e r a g e m e n t a l a g e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - d o - . - - iAvera le in te l i igen ie quot ien t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -percent - - l


A psychiatrist from one of the State ho-spital-staffs came regularlyooe duv a rveek to examine boys referred by the psycholoqists as aresult oi their intervie\ys and tesls. .In addition the iesident physician,who was very mueh interested in psychiatry and who had had someexnerience in a hospital for mentai diseases, gave a brief psychiatricexirmination to eacfi bov at the time of his ph-vsical examination. Hewrote up a summary report and a problerrranalysis for each case.

Personal histories

At the time of their interviews with new boys the psychologistsobtained from them as much personal history as possible to supple-ment such social historv as hhd been furnished by the committingcourts or had been obtiined through correspondence or by a reportfrom a parole officer who had visitedthe boy's home irnmediately afteradmission.Application of findings

The findings of the clinical staff were recorded and a summaryprepared for- use of the classification committee in malieng firstirssignments for boys on leaving the receiving _cottage. The clinicalrepo-rts wcre very carefully considered and usullly given great weightin mal<ing all assignments.


The svstem in operation at this scho-ol {or foilowing Yp 3 boy to

det-ermirie his progr'ess under the original plan seemed to, be lunctron-

-*, "n""iit"to]

Wn"o the original assignments were made a date rvas

iltd};;hi;'h' th; il; was-to-conre befire the committee f or .reclassi-'n""ii"". tlu

"o*toltt"u-*."tu"y was responsible folseeing. that

;;;h"".*r rfiouta-U"-"o"rialiea a[ the- profer time. This did not

, ."" tl*t a bov,s ""."-*la "ot

be called ui for.review at.an earlier

i'"if ii"iii"T ;;d;"4- d;;i.;bl; io o nv staff . inember, bu.t .it gu ardedagainst any boy's being forgotten and. st?yilg,to, tle, oIlgIPg asslgn-

iii*i.-if itqy h.t" no1 proving pnrticularly helpful to hrm. The

iii,ii"if ?"Jil'gr' ""a "aa

itilo ot rl',, iy by the ;linic pcrsonnel, j-"9. l1"Iwith reports fiom cottage sttpervisors, tea-chers,.trade tn'qtructors' ano

other officers, formed fhe basis of tho drscussrons a'nd declsrons on

""?.ft""*"s in the ptu" of ireatment. A second reclassification date

t;;; ;h;"-;;t at rvirich time the boy's re.sponse to treatment was

ilrifllt *i,tv";d. At*"is ihe clinicit n"aiitgt were made a part of

the discussions."" ;Iil;;;;ilol ositt. gave p artic rr lar atten tion to p-ers-on ali ty p roblems

""e'; "b3;;;[";;F; e*Jeptionally unstable and of ten_ in diffi culty.

ti; il;.""d"-*ifo"r LuJ tr'.. aecess to tbe clinic, and the sprrit was

ru"h tnirt manv boYs came voluntarily t-o talk over thelr problcms or

i" .""."ft tn. psycl"rologist about *sorn-e desired change of assignment-'"iii" ,il"i"f "*ia""i""-"i;t"g"

f* ;-.rtai+ boys fdund to be emo-ti"riilt""".;;bl. th;-"nu-t,ji") is described op Pases. 86 ,?nd 117'---Theie

was no definite provision for consultatron oI the cilnrc per-.oon.t with respect to-aiS"iptinary action in particul*r,cases,and noililltd;;

^*ili"tn"-p.v.n'ologicil and psychiatric-.findings be used

i;i;;;;;;""ii"". --ff'#"".r,Ttt"

direct6r "o_f discipline, wh^o rvas also

; ##i r;i"iir? .t"*incation committee, had .qll these fi n dings "at

h;;;["*d lh";il;;aching 5is dssirqions. It was customary foriil"

"*fi"i" "i"n to lL urf."a io t"ltra"" ad.vice in connection with release

STATE IIOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBIIRG, N.J'

of bovs from the segregatton cottage',The clinicrr.l findin-s likewise plaYed an t

103

in the deter-- ttt'" clinical findiigs'iikewise glayed an important part tl l!9 deter-

-i;;ti;;;inil;; i"?io"ot". Th_"y were pairticulnrly useful in deter.-

lliiiitis IU;Xi"a of pff".r^"-"t to [".-aae-and the type of work and;^.#?"""t""Tr tn"t'*o"fJl" ruitoUt" and useful in liding in a boy'sadjustment in the communitY'Attituile of other staff members toward clinical services--

Manv officers at this institution rvcre consulting the clinic ptrsonnel

ir'r"-lia iJiii"i. il-"if"g "faim"qtt.boys.

Tlr6y came freely to thei'm""ffi i tii" Ji"ii ."-.tines f or ad vice i som-etimis to pro test agai n stif"l"t]"ti"t-tn" iiur.in"ution committeb and to learn the reasons foril" il;;r i"ft 1t

"t the cli"ic could give much help to. some of the

.ire *""',1";;: ;;;ti;"t"rly cottage superv'isors, in. understanding prob-lem boys and iir attnining more objectrve attltucles toward f,ilelr nus-

;;d;1. -iT;;[;

felt"that such interviews were indirectly helping

iiiii,{j""t J"ii;il6;rs with maladjustments of their own that were

brinsins them into conflicts uith bo1-s'"'e"ffi"-."o;;];";ih" iortit,rti.. stated that it had become the

"#;#;; i#i6u difi;;r[.t"g members to attend the weekly meetings

;iiil';t"r;lfi.uii* Lo--ittec, and that this had brought about more

tolerant and s.vmpathetic understanding of one another's proDlems'



Research activities

Research work was a definite part of the progrqm oJ clinical service.Th; Aili; had undertak"" io ."i up and stCndardize for certain of the

oerlormance tests ro-. fot-t that' would be -more -applicable to boys;i ti;;;;;,

""*-iit"J to the institution. One o{ the psychologisl,s

was to "#orit in close cooperation with the new tesrdent-phystcran,*tr" p"tli""iutty alrit"a t'o .ur"y out a number of research projects.

10. DDUCATIONAL PBOGRAM-CLASSROOM WOBK

The staff seemed of the opinion that the equipment-was.reasonablyadeouate, tbouSh their ratber complex program_ could utttrze a great

a.ui-o.6 than"their budget permittedl the school building u-as at

all times a perfect beehive of activity.

School staff

AII educational work at this school was centralized in its department

"f

^"a""utio". A" shown in the institutional-organization chart re-

"roduced on Daqe 93, the director of education rl-as in charge of the

;;;[;;i. ."n5"t] tn. -*uul-.du.ution school, the vocational school,u"l uU so-called " exttacurricular " activities.

iU"'t.i."ni"n-rt"n i""iua"a Uotn men and n-omen, all of whom held-+^ +^.^l,o-oY ^o't i f fnof.pc nr hqd crrrsl i f ied rrnder State crvt l-servrceSt"te-teac[ers7 certificates or had qualified under State crvil-servrce

,"-,,trt;.rtt* (Persons holdins Stafe teaCherst certificates were notieeulations. (Persons holding State teachers' certil;;X ;i;;t ;;- to,ke a, written civil-service examination. )required to take a written ci

ffi $;;d : - .n "-j'".

- "! t9" at a s cho ol on e -h al f a uy ?l-d -: P-u-i !. Jh " .,?'li,:Ofjefatect. IJOYS attenctecl. sclloor ulre-Irarr ua.J auu DlJUuu. u'L

#ii ;;; i" i"affitriut, "ocational,

or extracurricular pursuits.. M1.n.yha l l c ta ,Y ln Inousr r ra l r vuu l r ,u ruu&r , u r uaur@wurr ruurer yq !psrvv ' r r ! ^wsJ

""iitiiitr "".t"-arity cla.red as'recreation_al^ rverg recognized u!. tFi?

School day and school YearThe school day was from 8:30 to 11:30 in the r.nopilS and,fronr 1 to

+ in the nfternobn. The school year consisted of 10 months. For

ti;y;;;; f;yt ; sumTer sessibn of.2.terms ot f ye{<; .,3:h Xi:

ir;"";ifil;;;;-6"i"d "

J"n"it" educatiolal function aid were listedas a component part

-oi the edr.cutional program. These included

mrrsic, dramatrcs,-hbrary use, and scouting.

Attendance requirements and enrollment

under the New Jersey compulsory sch-ool attendance law all chil-ar"""*iii"i uttu"a r"ttooiuol"ri they "are above 14 and have completedt["

"i*Uitt grade, o" rrtl".t they ar6 above 15 and-have completed the

;i.;;'?;;a;. -

e'p""-i.tio" "l-ur-,t"

in the larv, hou-ever, .aut'horizesI"-;u'o^o-"ed-educational program" in lieu of completio.l of the.i.tn-i6a":-iuttn"i-ote, boys"between 14 and 16 who hold work 13

i"r-it:" "r"'r"q"ii"e

to altend continuation school 6 hours a week.t"il;';ilifi"rt-i""

-"L--itt"" at this institution conformed strictly

;" th;;-i"E"l requirements with respect to school attendance' Thuyala

""t, ii"*iti-U="

"oied, reqrri"e sdme of the older boys to continue

with reguiar academic classroom work.;,^Th;;"h;of *""ti"r6"i u"a tne time of school for boys enrolled in. aspecified school grade or class on March 17, L932, were as shown rnthe following table:;Nil Jb*.y, Laws ot 1931, ch. 307.


STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N'J' 105

Time of school, f or boys enrolled in a specified' school grad'e or class on Mar' 17 ' 1932

- .Roys enrolled

Grade or classTime assigned

Morning Alternoon

Tota l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Academic work:Ninth sradeN inth srade- -- --Eigbih-grade- - --

ID

lo

14

10107720x198214

1726

3630a3230

72

I

o

Seventh grade- - -Sixth grade------Fifth gradeFourth gratFourth gradeThird grade-S€cond gradegrade- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

19t515

16

L2Mechanical-drawing class---- --- -- -

The ages of boys enrolled in-a specified school-grade or cla'ss on

March t7,lg3z,were as s[own in the following table:

Age of boys enrolleil in specif'bd' school grad'e or class on Mar' 17' 1932

Age of boYGrado or class

8years

2

t7years

T o t a l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I 378

10r0

20 l__2819

t4

;n[i:r_#luil$::rllff #,pix+sl*lr+ifl#,,t-",ri#.".fS[i*.t,,,k$q:rf.u-*i"id;fft&i;#i'i'06-in*e

iiidrlhed in tbe totar popuration'

1 '

1726

3630

30t2

s

ili"j-.".:iilulill$$i#i*".t'{ffiuil1f'ry*iffi*i'ie"r,tt'""ni.li'""ffi"m*""Tl;ff',111'n1\*r'trenttoschoorsra


106 rrvp srATE rNSTrrurroNS FoR DELTNeuENT Boyg

tr'rom these figures the froquency of school retardation among theseboys is apparen"t. The schobl adininistration expressed a beli"ef thateducational maladjustments had played an important part in bringingabout the social conflicts resultins in institutional commitment andstated that the boys' social histori6s, as procured from various sourcesand summarized for the classification committee. revealed that manvof the boys appeared to have been at some time'conduct problems o"rmaladjustment problems in school, truants, loafers, mischief-makers,or neighborhood nuisances if nothing worse. Assuming that thepublic schools in the boys' home communities had failed to satisfytheir developmental needs, the educational group at the State Homefor Boys had set about trying to analyze those needs and to deviseways and {neans o! meeting them lnore adequately.r,ys and means of meeting them more adequately.

As a prelude to the brief description of some of t[eir unusual devices!Pttorit seems appropriate to summariZe the administration's conception ofits general educational objectives. From their own statement ofgoals -these- particular extracts have b_een chosen. They aim "totrain boys in the actual processes, habits, attitudes, acts of partici-oatins. functionins. democratic citizenshio." Thev seek to adirrstpating, tioning, democratic citizenship." Thev seek to adjustthe social attitude of the individual boy, "specificalty to stabilizej angling, temperamental, discordant, non66opeiative peisonality mis-fits." They attempt to build up "an attitude of voluntary respon-sibility." Lastly, they aim " to reveal those facts, develop those skills,produee those attitrrdes and habits which are currently accepted asconventional and which will best allow each individuai to atiiust tohis own environment ", &nd " to equip every boy with the intetiectualtools of thought that he . . will best be able to turn to his service." ra

Courses given

As is indicated in the enrollment lists, the school was dividedinto a section for academic work and a section for manual education.This division was based partly on the mental abilities or limitations ofthe individual students and partly on an attempt to meet the needs ofboys of cert'ain types through different teachingmethods and materials"

In the academic school, grade work was taught from the firstthrough the ninth grade and three special classes were conducted forsubnormal boys and boys badly retarded. These boys were taughtin three classds that weie graded somewhat by mentai level and a"lsoby temperamental dfficulties. Special class- I was for boys witha mental age of approximately 5 to 9 and chronological age 10 to 15.Much use was made of simple hand work and of pictures and dramati-zation of materials. Boys were shown the use of simple tools. Theywere taught a certain amount of needlework, and this class madesheets, toivels, coffee bags, andbther so-called 'iflat work" for institu-tional use. Ylhile handlinE the actual materials thev learned toname the articles and spell t[e names correctly. Boys ii special classII were slightly younger, the average chronological age being g to14 and mental age 5)L to I0)/2. The work done was some what likethat of regular first and second grade public-school work except thatmore hand work was done and more colorful materials were used inorder to &rouse and hold the attention of the boys. Special class IIIincluded boys whose chronological age was 10 to 14 and mental age6 Lo l0!/2. To this group were assigned the boys who were to be

- 1r Educational Program; a Plan of Organization and Description of Activit ies, pp. 8, I, and 10. NeFJersey State IIome for Boys, 1930.


STATE IIOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG, N'J' r07

siven more complicated manual tasks and more individual attention.i;;ii iil.p."Gi"t"*"* a certain amount of academic i.struction was

*; ;;;;-*ith ;6" Cnd-craft proje-cts. This included reading,3"Liti"..-"ria verv simple arithmetic, i,ll correlated very closely witli["-*%"iuts an<l projects with which-the boys'hand,s were occupred'

The reeular seCond-grade work followed qurte closely.the usuar

.o"^ilI i""p"[ii" .LL""G e*cept that the_emphasis in this.institution;;;;;;#h;;-ii6;;t.

- si'i"" truancv hadbeen the major cause of

;;;itt""t of mosi of tn" younger bbys, an attemPt was made to

orercome dislike of school and to substitute genurne pleasure In

"..""i,ii1iln*""i. nu"n boy was carefully watched, a.nd s9. far as

il;i;tilh" turilr u.rie"ed io him were th6se known to be rvithin the

i"..ilitiW "f

achieverilent for him if he made the necessary attempt'.b;h ;."dfi-*ur gi"." praise that provided surprisingly efiectiveincentives to greater application.*

T[; tni"a-E""a" *d"t *ut conducted under a- partial contractol;:;"d*"U 6'"o""a tn"t grade was done under a full contract plan.

ih;i il i" th" tlira grade |art of the work was done by the class as a*[6tr itt members fiavind the same daily assignment, and part *'as

ii.aiiih"ilil"d-r" tn"t ea-ch boy finishe& cert-ain lessons wbich he

;;;i";;;;A to do as rapidly as he wished, regardless.of the progressiti"tii-uy

"tl"t" i"-itt"gto-"p' Above'the tfrtd grade'all work rvas

"..iEo"d on a contract f,asisiindioidual pupils progressing as rapidly

;;"h* *"ru ult" to "o.trpl"te

the daily assigr,rments. rvhich they

,."-ni;a';,u"a.t-"o"ita.t.,,' The eontracl ptqn_in use here t'as the

il"ft"" pt"" *iin o .o".iderable nu"lber of modifications and adapta;;;;:-'F;; ;h" Jo"ttn lo the ninth grade each subject was taught;;;;" t"u.t u", tl" giaae *otl being dlpartmentalized. Fou_r.majorJrlUi."iJ-*"."'i""t,ia"d below the" ninth grade-English, history,

"iit'fr'rirJti.,--"a g"ogrupny. Among the nint-h-grade courses u'ere the

ii.-"til--r'f uk;b.u- u"i-"''ro.aiional"matherqatiis, English, industrialhistory, vocat'ional civics, and mecbanical drawrng' Muc-b more;i*.;;, ,p*i i" in" tniia and fourth grades,on,language, reading,.""fii"e, u,id .o*poritio". it nud been'found thai theie existed a;i"";;tid"*

"""i"ti"" i" the stages of progress in the different subjects

;;qit;u bov. from schooli all oveithe State and that a Flgqti-"rit-"i Gai"iauat aid and attention was required. Nlost of thtsrvas amons the third-erade boYs."Ti;.;-h;"G;fi;;r

enthusiastic about the.practical values of the

.";trijfiiin i";";"f th" constantly changrng populatit-rn and its*idelv diversent chlracter, also of the varying- amount ol prel'rous;il;i ;;;[ ?i th; uovt *no were admitteci' Great care 11'&s taken

t" l"tr"a""e the boy [radually an<i without discouragenent.or con-

i;.i; i;t" iri. ;;rf ,i"a"" lh6 contract plan' 4x qh" wav ,through

"ii tn. courses, regardless of subject matler, emphasis was placed on

habits of study and of lessoq preparation.that would contlrbute some-;t";1;;"td inu gu"".ut- o[1'""ti"er of .the depa rtrr. ent . of , edu c ation.

fii',inli. *-""" *"Fnl"ar"iarial instruction ancl help until the boys be-

.^";;f";ii*t-*iln inu "ution"

reference books and other available ma-

;;"1rlob; used in g.tti"g iU"h les,qsns. Tl'is,opportY"ity 19 go ahead

;;i#;" ;h";;i;;"-;;'-*ia to \e. particulailv stimulating to theU.Gtitut bovsi once thev understood it and w-ere broug.ht into contact

"i't?, -"t|"i"il ;; ;bj"d;atier that appealed to their ilterest. On

ii,;';;il;;;;;i, tt* J"it-"oi^a-l boys likeivise responded in gralifying

iu.frio" to these -etnoaf *hich reiieved them of their forn'er feeling

76870+36-8


108 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS T.OR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

of inferioritv ensendered by group recitations and group tests in*hi"ti they "had "to compete pirUtiity with the boys of far superiorintellisence.

ThJmanual-education classes were developed in an attempt' to-pro-vide teachinE materials and methods that would meet, the needs ofUovi *nott tie psvcholoeical clinic diagnosed as of nonverbal mentalivi.. These UtivJ, it was found, mighi reveal just as 1lgh a mentall6.iet as the verbal'types, provided the test maierials did not requirethe use of lansuase. inrilt-en sYmbols, and abstractions. Obviouslythev needed a?iff-erilnt approach to the same educational obj_ectives.Th6 ^u.t,rul-education schbol was divided into five groups. Group Iannroximatelv paralleled the academic sixth and seventh grade#o'it . Grouis iIA ana IIB were practically equivalent, to ac-ademicfifth srade; Group III, to the third-and fourth grades. The " Co-op "Eroud$'as'desisn6d especiallv for retarded older boys of 15 years ort"her,iabouts. Tnis wai a still further diflerentiation in order to meetindividual problems. ft, was conducted bv an instructor with muchinqenuitv ahd understanding who used a uirique plrn for dividing theUoi*' u"iioities between ac"ademic and shop work under very closei-ntiiviauat supervision and with great flexiEility of both group andindividual programs.

These other-three manual-education groups (except, the '-'Qo-op"

eroup) spent 3 weeks each in classrooms devoted to the follordngJubi6cts. in rotation every 3 weeks:

t'. Applied ort-subjeci matter dealing with history and civics orcitizenship.

2. Clay'mod.eli,ng and cardboard, uork-Subject, matter in geography,Enslish. and spelling"T.

W;"d;rf:S"Ej".t matter in mathematics, spelling of wordsused in connection with this work.

4. Metal work (sheet metal, bent iron, etc.,)-Full-sized patterns weredrafted for objedts to be made and'such objects constructed withthese patterns.

Thioushout this educational program visual aids were *idely used.The stei6opticon was used exlenJively. The microscope broughta, new rvoild of natural phenomena within the boys' range ofknowledee. Educational filhs were used in order to show them theannlication of scientffic principles to industrial uses. The schooleiiinment included a seniiportable projector used to present 35-mmfilmd and also apparatus f6r projecting 16-mm pictures. - Tlt"y nt.ohad 2lanterns, ?rira Z sbreos-cop-et, *i14 several hundred slides andstereosraDhs.

'Each year much material was obtained free through

the coineration of th6 lendins c'epartment of the State museum. Acarefrrl schedule was prep&red aC the begi:rning of each sehool yearand was nimeograph,id sb that each teaCher nqrght-have a copy andknou- exactlv w:heri specified material was to be shown, so that allclasses whom it, could-possibly help might, have opportuni-ty to see it.All the classroom work in both schools was correlated wrth the voca-tional work in which the boy might be spending his other half day;and as all the educational w-ork sbught to prepare tbe boy for socialand economic adiustment back in his home community, the teacherstherefore made i[ relate, so far as they could do so, to the life fromwhich he had come and to which he would return.

In each schoolroom, posted on the bulletin board where tho boysmight consult it at any-time, w&s a daily-progress card for each boy'

l;


109STATE HOME FOR, BOYS' J^{IIESBURG, N.J'

attention was

resourcefulness in relationEnrollment

^+L^- .,,^-r, i- ,.,hir 'ed

The vocational or other work in wlich bo5's rvere occupl

Marci 17, 1932, and the time assigned u'ere reported as shown

the following table:

Time o! work lor boys occupied in specif'ed uocat'ional or other worh assignments on'

Mar. 17' 1932

Vocational or other work

il;"";6 ;il-a."ttop."uni of sui\ personalityr.

"aifln."*, initiitive, self-confidence' and

ion to iheir work.

The teachers reported that the moral efiect of this card was very great,

that the bovs watch"a it;i;"itu"d *"t" greatly disturbed when they

received a iloor mark.

11. EDUCATTONAL PROGRAM-VOC4'TIONAL OR PREYOCATIONAL

;'i;ia'"#ff;;T "i;i;q;p-,; fom a safetv standpoint' sattentron was Derng giv"ti tb the developmeni of ̂ sui\ nerso;t;i;*;; 4"p."["fin'tv,- dilig.o"t, initiative, self-confidence

As has been indicated in the pr-eceding section, the vocationalr-^^r ,,,-- ,,-,lo' nr.; Ji-J.r;;i"" k the dfrector of education, Its

."[oof*o" under the! supervision bf ,thetor of education, Its

;il;;;;; d"r".iUea * U":i"-g i"-gi"" t5. bovs knowledge of the funda--^-rol -'inninlpc "f .;;;;;""in?t*a.. stiil in handling tools, appre-;."t"i;.i".iples of some spiecific tradg,ciation

-ot tnti need for orderliness a^ndaccuracy, and -understan

n handling tools, aPPre-r,cY. and understanorngie# standpoint. SPecial

mental principles oJ some

of the proper tlu 9f

onin

i1{3

65366

5

261

182t

3

82

4

28t l?9 I3 9 1

o t32

7 la l

1 1 i6 l

I1 01 0

5

35 o l2

8 6 .13

20388

11

!4537

Boil€r room (two 8-bour shifts)------------Coal forc€--------

- - - - - - - - - ; - l - - - - - - - - - - - ;

1 _ - - - - - - - - - - -24 t, 13

l 15 4 1 1 4

i ' - - " ' i

4 l r- _ _ _ - - _ - - - - - l

2 2

5 i +

"*: *';rur,,*,'m%i l,'s I'Y,ffJ,"{ Eirl"t$:Tll: *"1'i:''daitli{i!!i'{{fl{[{f]'&"'-"ff"iid'""1t'"':dfrom the rec€ivlug cottage lor

"tljiioniiitl were included in tbe-tolal DoDulatiotr and that vocal

sork ssignments -.." oo, gro#ti"ffii-V"otrii"iUovl, ;nO afso t6-o-ine-r c-onditions of i'stitutioual Iife'

i:- :

Time assigned


110 F'rvE srATE rNsTrrurroNs FoR DEr,rNeuENT Boys

has been shown (sge p. 93), the school had cto-rs in the following

These onrollment, and assisnment fisues reveal that bovs wereeaeed in manv kinds of woirk that did not brins them wrihin the,ensased in many kinds of work that did not brins them wrihin the

definite vocation'al courses ofiered in the departmenT of education. As,has been shown (see n. 93). the school had instructors in the followinsIines of work: Automobile mechanics, electrical, printing, shoerepairing, tailoring, and woodworking. In addition, thd'trade-dr'awingJ'course giien in the school brSught in bovs learning othertrades,*such as

*masonry, plumbing, stealm fittingi and sheel-metal

work. In that course all the bovs besan with a series of 12 to 15drawings, designed to give a chaice to"become acquainted with theuse of drawing instruments and the common elements of mechanicaldrawins. After that each bov had his own series of drawins problemsdirectlf related to practical problems in his own specific tririe.

The automobile-mechanics shop had an abundance of material topractice on in connection with repairs on the various automobilesbelonEinE to the institution and on the farm machinerv. (An outlineof thelorlrse as give -r is reproduced in appendix B, p. 293.)

' tr'ollowing

therr seasonal riie all farm implements'ir,nd machinery were broughlinto the shop to be put into first-class shape. tr'or

-boys who were

likely to go into any kind of agricultural work this offered an oppor-tunily to"learn a gieat deal ab"out the mechanics of farm -u"tirervand about its prop'er care, both during use and between seasons.

The pnnt shop'turned 6ut a high giade of work. The boys in thisshop did gll the firinting for the in"stit--ution. Its monthly publication,"The_Advance", w&s a credit to the shop. An interesting type ofspecial work had been developed experimentally. This waJlinojeumblock printrng. Their attractive display of linoleum block printswould do credit to any establishment. Among them were someinteresting original designs as well as a great maiy cleverly executedcopies. fhe fiiished u'olrk was characteiized bv excellent cblor choicean^d considerable technical skill in printing. " An attractive colored.block print, designed and made by on-e of the-bovs, decorated the coverof each issue of i 'The Advance."'

-Although, tlie tailtr shop did not pretend to turn out full-fledgedtailors, iiclaimed that thir boys wer:e given sufficient knowledge-ofthe_ trade processes and of power-mac[ine operation so that Theycould go to work in a tailor^shop or clothing'factory and hold theirown while completing their tracle apprentic6ship. The same state-ments applied to the shoe shop. The woodworking course includedmaking and repairing furniture and general mill woik.

It will be nbted Ihat a very con"siderable number of bovs wereassigned to agricultural work.

- The farm supervisor was & fractical

farmer of 24 years' experience. His assistants were also men withpractical experience raiher than with educational or teaching back-ground. Obviously the agricultural training would be that which aboy would get from working for a successful farmer and would notinelude the-widcr knowledgii that he might get from taking an agri-eultural course in which the farm con"stitited the labor-atorv iordemonstration in relation to the courses beins studied. Thai thefarm contributed a Ereat deal to the good tableiet at this institutionwas-evidence_d by t}re valuation of $39,766 placed on food suppliesproduced and consumed during the year ended June 30, 1931.


STAfE HOME I'O'R, BOYS, JAMESBURG' N.J.

Maintenance and repair work


Bovs assrgned to trade or industrial work outside the vocational

""n"oo't *""u:""a"t-in" rup"*ision of experienced workmen in particu-

il;1ft":;-itt-tU" -oiof"ouo.e division of the business oS-ce, under;ft f";A tup;;;;.,;r under the farm superintendent'. Tlrere tleycarried on broduction, maintenflrce' and reparr work oI Y&rlous

ki;a;. i;t!;;;ltwls possible 1o d6 so, all of this v-ork was treatedu*-""u"ti"" ;;k. with ehphasis on its 6ducational, aspects. \{a.1y;;#;;f;*: ;;th ;;thos'elssociated with domestic sbrvice or with;1il-;;;-;;;;;;-hout. iuuot, were recognized as- having littleinherent traininir value except in the inculcation of good $-ork hablts.fh;;;;F asfisnmentJ wLre frequentlv given to- new boys for at"t-"rt'"*ioa- fi-o-ra"t-to afiord dpportunity to observe tlieir atti-;;t;;.il;;at*t, t["i"uUitity to'applv themselres to an assis:ediurt . u"a aov eeo"tJ aptitucies wnicf they migh-t displqy. Thesvst6m for classiTving and reclassifying boys was such that there was;;;il;; iil;; dt;;;td u" ti,tt "in sirch routine and relativelvpoo. a.Sigoment for any considerable length of time'

educatibn was therefore su

111

director of education.

Phvsical education at this institution wa,s a part of tho p-rogram of.

-i.c"iu"

"d;t;iio"* aupurtment. The zupervisor -of -physicaltne

-iesula,r eanc"tioout department. The zupervisor ̂of

educa,tion was therefore subordilato to the director of epfi;i;;i

"d""utio" and athletics were directed by a man specially

;";fi;d };ihi. *o.k. a sraduate of the Universiiy of Illinois' Hewas assisted by another gr-aduato of the samo university wfo SPvg na{;f hil;d; t;iilily'i;"L6ii"q* program.and partio the-duties ofu" u".i"i""t cottdge" master. TEe gymnasium in one wi:rg of thean assistant cottage master. 'I'he gymlaslum rlcentral school building has already.be-en describedLtLI'lrl su.tIUUr uu|.luS uoD ouE@uJ

Since 1920 there hid been no military training at' this institution.

Physical educationThe work was divided into two parts, one being p_art of .the school

"u".i"r]*, tle other being ttre lqtE"" piograp foi the entire institu-

tion. Both parts *e"e "oo".idered

eluc?r,tioinal. Every boy attendingschool wu. re'q,ri"ed to take phvsical education. Each class met 2 or 3ii-Lr u *..t.' When the w-ealher permitted, these classes me-t on the."[""t pt"yiiound, otherwise they'met in the gymnasium. The fol-lowing were taught:

Games (relays and contests):1. Loosi:lY organized (IeaP frog).2. Semiorganized (long ball).3. Highly-organized (playground ball).

Baseball .Track and field work.Basketball.Soccer.Boxing and wresUing.Appar-at.us work.Gymnastic dancing.Tumblins.Pyramid-building.

Care was taken to protect boys with any p_h-ysical defects who.mightbe injured by too strenuous a progra,m. 'I'he d[ector was grYen &

ii


TI2 FI\TE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUEN? BOYS

repori on each neu'boy b3' the physieian,-who listed any ph5-sicaldifficulties or needs. Althoueh if was the desire of the sehool to docon.ideiable remedial gymnaitics, the director stated that with theiir";;t their disposal Tor individual cases_it was not. possible to doo"uihi"" of verv considerable value' Effective v-ork of that kind'tt ta n-ecessitat"e having the same boy at the srme time every day,rvhicb the crorvded program rvould lot p.ermit.

tfl" classes u-ere bpeiated someu'hat iike orga-nize.d. recess pl?y' . 4

".r-nu" of the boys were said to come to the ichool in poor physical

.o"ai6o", underriourished and undeveloped, *iJb poof posture anddefective'muscular control and coordination. Ma_ny_ of -them werei"""a t" have had no opportunity to develop normal play habits' Inihe regular classes et-eiy boy was expected to be. busy.. . lifly !o.v'**" ol.ti.ntlv tauEht to taki part. if a boy had special dfficultiest

" *it Eiuei ittdi-rridual attention. This might consist of s.imply

siarting f,im out at batting a tennis ball against the wall ald playingbv him"self until his awkward attempts gave way to a certrtn amountoi skill in hitting, catching, and throwing the ball. . Gradually.he wasworked into pli';}' with one or trvo othei boys, and in a month or sohr *u. playin! gim". with the whole group,-accepted. as one of them'ii *u. Juia tn"*t""*ercise as such was not uiually particul-arly pppular.Therefore compulsor-v routine calisthenics we_re avoided,. nnd everytvoe of phvsicai e"er""ire was Eiven a motive. Instruction in tumblin,gtiua u""" iound to be particul"arly useful in that direetion. Boys withooorfv developed phisiques envied those who could do interesti:rg'.tr"t"r.

The \-ealiei boys were taught how to do certain exercisesihui *ould derelop the particular mulcles and give them tle.kind of.oot"ot that $-ould enable them to do the same stunts. This oftenturUt.a in astonishing perseverance in the routine performance ofprescribed calisthenics on the part of individual boys.'

Tlr" averaEe number of bovs in a class was 25, so tlrat it was possibleto e'ii:" a corisiderable amouirt of individual attention. The directorfelithat all kinds of games, from the simplest to the most difficult,were hiShlv importani for their therapeuti6 value in boys' mental andemotioial iif".

' Iluttv of these bovs had for varying reasons led lives

more or less isolated ps.vchologically' They did not.know,how towork rr-ith others. Th-ef knerv nothing about teamwork, good sports-manship, or accepting defeat rvith good-grace. It was said that it rvaspossible to .e" .h".ue"ters changing weeli by rvee' as bo)-s learrred horv-to

saerifice self-interest to team loraltv.The institution had no pool nor inv facilities for teaching swimming,

u"."pt such as the srvimiring hole at the Boy Scout camping groundin the rvoods afforded.Sports program

The sports program'lvas highly developed. The organization unit

was thetottage. " The principal sports seas-ons were spring and sum-

mer. The mi'in items bn the program of the spring season were thecalisthenic eonrpetitiorr on \Ieinor:ial Day and the gam.es of the firstbaseball-league-series. The events in the summer season were trvotracl and fiJld meets on the tr'ourth of July and on LaborDay and thesu."r of the second baseballleague series. Tbere were three baseballl-eagues for boys of different sJages of growtl.r and development. Acup.- *-as presented to the u-inning team in each league.


STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG, N.J'

to permit Practice.dilffi #rl;ffi h.asizedrepeatedlv.lh,:-f i:'.ll*f ::*T,11*g"T::aia

'ri"ii#"""^Jl"i"i"*-""t oi competition as their basic purpose' nor

; - - - - - - ia l r^ i ^+l - l^+^. . -hn rrpro oxncrts in ong,r-*l; their intent to develop st illed.ath]etes who wele exngrJ:]l:i:

113

During the fall and winter there was a basket-ball series for the

IeaEue of first teams to;1h; various c-ottages g'n-d on9 for the,secondi;:;;

"'oi;;' ";;;;i;-;;; "

basket-ball Joul-shooting .cortest on

Tlanksgivins Day, t; #;;:"-i'"1"v';;;i";t;" New Yeir's Dav' and

an indoor stunt meeT o"'{Vutfltigton'-s Tjirthdav' The school had

;';;il;; b;Ji"i lrri'iu;; '"hi;h ffid ptaved about 16 -outside teams

ir"- i'idn"*u",16;;;il;ii""-ttt'*ti, ind other institutions' The

i'"ffi;ilfi;;aL; il;-;.11" .i'. "i

its gambs. The seco-nd team also

;il;; i6*o oj t ;id"";# ;.. : l; . d;ii-o-" "i tt' this somewha t el ab or a t e

soorts Drosram tn" i"tti".t"tt *"tt aided by the assistant cottageil';;i;rJ;;",i z' .ii'-r,iii" ."i."i.a n"vs.from each of the 6 larger cot-

taEes. These uou. #.'"""it*[t i;"h;tp coach cottage teams and to

r*i""ee intermediate and junior games'^'v;;h i;;;ii.. *ort ioi t1e siorts events went on continuouslv on

t1e individual cottafe';i ";;;I;a;; ;;;h ;'iil ad&uatelv equif ped

snort. Thev sought to gi,,il of th" bov". BasicallYall of the boys.

o Ei""- a wor' ing knowledge of many games to

alio tn" work wis designeil to give.an gPportu-ti.lnqfo in n.ctivit.ies that would sirmulate nor-.'l

"i tn" U"'y""-B"ri""tiy the work wis.desisned to Eive an opportu-

rritv to all boys to puii#puT" i"-u"tioities tfrat woul-d-siimulate nor-

;;i ;t;Ji";i.'-""tli, ;;'d;;;ii;;i al""top-"nt and the growth ormal phvsical,-mental,sociai altitudes.

13. OTHER RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Many of the activities usually listed. as recreational were here

i";i;d;t ;il;; th*e^"*tra"urncular actrvrties under t\e department

ii"l,ai."iti"""l""A;;1il4il;i;t;i ;ch school year the .dtuctor ofJa"""*uli* ""a

i[L air""ifi.-"f tE" ai"isio.n of cotlages aPd disciolinervorkecl out togethet ;;;;lt;;oi *tititi.t *hi.n *-u. mimeographed

ifi Ji.triU"tioi among^stifl members. -.The program w&s .\-ery care-

f ullv prepared so tnaifh;;';;tJb. *. Uftt. "bofii.t

u. possible' This

#.j'I";i";; ;;.*;;;; ;il;;h and varied pro gram of activities

;hi"ii;;; ""

-"ti"i."""tv "f

tttis scbool' The.management here

i;;;};;il *""i"""J ttrat"activities of this description play.a verv

ffi;il#'"il il'ii'; ;;;;;i d;*topi+ent-of .a bgr.and in helpingiiiiili"?iia";;;G.ibi" ili*iii"i"g.

'They believedihat manv o{ thebovs' maladiustmenis-*Lre due io starved or thwarted needs for

mental and emotional development'

Music--tfr" musical activities 61, trhis institution were carried-on in a de-

oui#"""tii;;;i";;d["*iTi"t. At the time the school was visitedil;;;;il"J

"" i"it."ii"."i" a"..1"; therefore musical .activities

were somewhat at "-;;;;d;-tilf-

This was said to be metuiy.a tem-;;Ji .:rt;;ti"i, ,ira ii *". L"p"a that a new instructor would !," !t9;ffi;d'#;hi;-u rn*i ti-". lvheo the school had an instructor of

ffi]; ii'tf;fii Uu"a-of 40 or more pieces and a se-cond band of

b0 ;; ^;;;;. '-

i"-"aaitio"f it lua a fi.rit orchest'ra of 30 pieces' a

iecond orchestra of 20 pieces, and a. slr1ng quartet'-Ti'; ;';;;;f til ";;;i;'i--*iiuiti"'" t'he school ha{ produced

.."""Jr ;;";r;u, i"';iri;h-;;;uoy u" 100 boys of diversified talents


114 FrvE sraru rNsl'rrurroNs roR DET,TNQUENT BoYS

had taken part. Manv concert pmgrams had been given, and musicalnumbers for a wide variety oi oicasions had been provided' Aweekly song festival had be-en held, and this group singing had beenvery much enjoyed by all of the boys.Radio

The school did not own any radio equipment for the cottages.However. in each cottase the co[taeo mast'er Eave the bovs the benefitof his o#n radio. Th"ere was ai institution-owned iadio at thehospital with a Ioud speaker in each ward.Dramatics

Very considerable emphasis was placed on dramatic activities underthe diiection of a full-tihe instruc[or for that work. It was believedthat through participation in dramatics boys qight be- aided to builduD new dbi6 to replace behavior patterhs that had been sociallyup new hJbiG to replace behavior patterns that had been sociallyuiracceptable and that they would be greatly helped by these oqpor-by these oppor-

offered excellenttunities for self-expression. It was thought the stage offered excelltpractice in manners and in the exercise of good taste and poipractice in manners and in the exercise ofTrainins in workinE with the Eroup and in tifit perfe"ctly with that of all otheri was belie'

practrce rn manners and m the exerclse or good tasle and porse.TraininE in working with the group and in timing one's own part tofit perfeitly with t[at of all others was believed to be very valuablealso. Moreover, there was a wealth of oppor[unity lor the exercis-e o{individual initiative and originality in connection-with staging differ-enl kinds of enf,erf,ninment-- The-staff believed that needed-oDDor-ont kinds of entertainment. The stafi believed that ppor-tunities to satisfy a creative urge and a native hunger for art, formsof various kinds"were offered thiough these activitiei.

Plays, both short and long, modern and classic, were staged. Thebovs di8 evervthinE connecled vrith the production; this includeddesisnins and-makiig costumes and sets under the direction of theinstiucto'r. An impoitant phase of the work was that boys of widelydifferent mental levels, interests, and tastes were purposely included.That meant that the purpose was not morely to discover and cultivateunusual talents for ihiJ kind of work, but that the program wasdefinitelv designed to give an opportunity for this kind of self-expres-sion to any biy whori it mig6t benefit. The objective was not atall a finish-ed performance, but an opportunity for boys to work outsomething to meet their own personality needs.Motion pictures

A motion-pi_qture show was held every Thursday evening aldattended by aII boys who had not lost the privilege through mrs-conduct. fhe school did not possess apparafus for*showinglalkingpictures and it was said that it was growing increasingly difficuit tosecure good silent pictures.

Refeience has alieadv been made to ihe extensive use of educationalmotion-picture materiil in connlction with the classroom and voca-tional work. Most of those educational fllms were shown to limitedgroups asra part of their school work. Some of the industrial films,Eowe-rer, weie exhibited to large groups of boys whether or not theywere doing school or vocational work in the field concerned. Thiswas done in the hope that such pictures might give the boys new ideasand serve in a measure as v6cational iiforiration relating to thevarietyof worth-while occupations open to boys at the present time.Reading

The institution librarv was in the school buildins. The room wasfurnished with a sufficiint number of librarv tabies and chairs so


STATE EOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J. 115

that groups of boys could use it comfortably for study and referencework.

' The library had about 3,000 yolumes. A woman librarian*' was:in'charge full time, She stated that the lrresent supply contained aprep6nderance of fiction, though thereweie some gooTrbferencebookst preponderance of fiction, though therewere some good rbference booksand a fairly adequate numbei of periodicals intelresting to boys. Itwas the intention to spend some money on new book5,shortly, andthe lists were being carefully prepared.

-

i' Each school clasi had one-library period a week. At that time boys' L/ACft SCIIOOI CIASS Ir4,(l One rlDrAIy peTrOO A WeeK. A0 tnAE [lme ooJrs1 ,were permitted to draw books throirgh a regular library-card system

such as is used in public }ibraries.Boy Scout rvork

In 1921 the superintendent on his own initiative organized two orthree Boy Scout troops. The boys became so intereste-d that eveningclasses yere opened, and byDecember of that y-ear I4.2 boys hadpassed the tenderfoot test. This impressive showing gained permis-sion from Scout headquarters for the organization of a Scout troop,which was formally registered. The movement had steadily grownever since that time.

fn March L932 the institution had 10 regular Boy Scout'troops,one troop of Scout Cubs, and one of Sea Scouts. The membership inthese troops totaled 325 boys. The work was direoted by a Scout'executive who was a, membei of the staff of the department of educa'tion and who devoted all of his time to Bov Scout activities in the'school. He had a, room. in the school buildirig which served as. Scoutheadquarterc for the institution.

The scoutmasters were drawn from among the cottage supervisors.These men sought to perfect themselves in their work by attending atraining schoof each !ear. Each troop had a patrol lystem-fourpatrols to a troop with a patrol leader'over each and a senior patroll-eader who was directly responsible to the scoutmaster. Each-troophad a "scribe" who wis res^ponsible for keeping all reeords of attend-ange and.troop accomplishment.. Tle p.atlol leaders were given a4-day ffaining course in preparation for their duties.

The troops constituted part'of the Monn'routh Boy Scout Cqyqr_tl.Through that, membership many outside contacts were available.Each spring and fall a competitii'e rally was held at the institution-The twb trbops which won-the hiehesf number of points then com-peted with similarly chosen troopJ of the district 6ouncil at a dis-trict rally. This w-as said to bo one of the regular ovents wnich weresupplemented by many othor special outside meetiugs and entertain-,ments participated in by Scouts fr.om the institution.

The home Scouts had a camp in the woods on ground owned bythe institution. Each troop nia f week of int'enslve scouting workat that camp every surnmer. It was said that practically all of themadvanced at^ least"one rank ox won at, least ond merit badge while in'camp. The boys had made a very good swimming hote and. haddone a great deal of work in beautifying tho grounds. One Scout'troop each year was giverl a week at Prineeton Boy Scout Camp"which was maintained bv a srouD of interested people-connected withFrinceton llniversity. a Siout rally had recdntlf been held at the,institution, attended by the 325 Scouts and 300 other speatatsrs.The assistant dean of Princeton University and one of the manager$of the Princeton eamp summoned to the platform the institution troop


116 FrvE srATE rNSTrrurIoNs roR, DELTNQUENT BoYs

that had been at Princeton camp the past year, and together withseveral visiting Princeton leaders^they s-ang Scout ca,-ryP -songs- ThePrinceton sunimer-camp director their preiented a shield to the twoScouts from the State home who had liad their names placed on thePrinceton camp honor roll, also a loving cup to another Scout whohad made the best record for the 1931 season.

The Sea Scouts were carryinE on an exceptionallv active program,a number of the boys beinf inlensely interested in the work. TheSea Scout troop had recently played host to 125 Sea Scouts and officersfrom six different ships in rieirb-v New Jersev.

One cottage at Jamesburg wai organized into a Boy Ranger group'and this, too-, was very active and happy inits program.

The State iupplied uniforms for all b-c,ys whose parents were unableto orovide them.'ihe manaeement, believed that activities of this kind are a genuinehelp in rebuilding character. They said that many of their boys cameto ihem rvith sodial attitudes distdrted by their previous experiences.In their study for Scout, advancement these boys. often -made uncon-scious substifutions of wholesonte thoughts and ideals for their pre-vious antisocial attitudes. In soinE throuqh the tests for Scout workthe boys also were brought in t-ouc[ with a wider range of vocationalcontacis than might othlrwise be possible, and often s-ome particularaptitude was rev6aled or some interest and ab-ility discovered thatcould be utilized in workins toward economic adiustment'

When a Scout was abouf to be paroled the paiole officer, with thehelp of the scoutmaster at the scLool and the executives in the dis-tricl councils in the States, made every effort to secure the boy'sadmission to a troop in his own community in which he would becordially received. ln the earlier years some difficulty was experiencedalong t[is line. Certain troops liad declined to receive boys who hadbeen at the State Home for Boys, ancl some others would acceqt, aparolee but treated him in sucti a way that making him a markediharacter did more harm than good. Careful and persistent, work onthe part, of the school authorilies, together with -[he -cooperation ofScoui headquarters, was said greatly-to have reduced this attitudeon the part bf local'troops and"to have made them conscious of theiropportinities to help th6se boys in their own communities and of thec6itradiction of Scbut i<ieals involved in risking the likelihood ofdoing permanent damage to a boy through an unfriendly or super-cilious attitude toward him.Other organizations and activities

The smallest colored boys had a special club all their orvn, organized

belonged to a cotiage which housed about 50 of the smallest whiteboys.- These boys went around the grounds every day gathering updiscarded articlei. All usable materials they turned in to the tinhershop. During his spare time their cottage father took groups of thesebovs to the s[on to while away some hours tinkering. Manv useful

by their cottage mother.The tinker shop in the school buildiing rvas q bu.y place. Tbi.

boys to the s[op to while away some hours tinkering. -Many usgtulboys to the shop to whrle aw&y some hours trnkerlng. -vrany uselulu.ficler we.e m'ade from the riraterial the boys had-salvageil. Tfeidea back of this enterprise was that a measure of thrift might berdea bacK oI thrs enterprlse waF lnal & mea,sure or r,nl.rr0 fllr5rrL oetaught in this way, at the same time that the boys were learning toIaugl}l ln I,I].ls way, a! loe s&Ille Lrrrle Lrlau uIIe uuys wel'c lutl'_rilrjB uu

han-dle tools and clo simple carpentry jobs such as they might have oc-casion to do around th-eir own horo.ei latet. The bovs *ere said to

sj


STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N'J' Ll7

have made all the equipment' for- a camp of their own from materials

il;; il;d ;;ii"t"a ui a^"onverted to their needs'"'X";;h^"i;;T.i"rti"g-".itti*ifi ut ttti. institution rv a s the h.atnlet,

the miniatur" .,riltugutt},it"fri'r"f*""a"t.tiU"a. (See p. 86') It had

ffifi;itt ;iir"TiEy i-y; ;h" ilJb."o permitted to follow their own

bent, with lirtle direcfr;i;;h;".'iil" .,1.i helq and guidance as thev

;;;;A i*o",uek.'-'The t*Jt w;s *gmewhat motlev- arravof structures'

Salvased materials hil;;;n*ir*d"-u"d "tu"n "o-oiL had been put into

;#;?ilh;;;iil- A?;;i;i'';i""" "to'"a for some time-the hamlet'

had recently been t";p;;;d as"a co.ttage-familv unit' to be used for

, a Eroup of exe ep tion;liy" ;iffi ""1

t "nd

erio tion attv- 11s lftSboys need-

i""- tiihF *p".'iuiir"n treatment' - The new man in eharge' who \\'as

i'?r#f,iut"";i"i1'filiffiiil-;l lri'nesoto, had been in charge ofRdirEer units in that Stat'e''"tii;;

in" ti-" "f

t["f i.it the institution has continued to devote

much attention to ;fr; ;;;;i;""1 lii". ;f its bovs' Although all

;;il;d;H;"" 'tili.oiitiU"i" t" d-veloping this phase of the prosiam'

iil""ir"""t-pr""i;;ii;;;dffi;ti"."gli'sfrensti',sothatoneoffi cer,the assistant cottage"iaiil"t,-i*- n"ta specially" respolsible for these,"ii*ilJ.l- in,i-i"fi"*i"? i"f"t**ti"", furniJhed h Februarv 1934'ilii;;i;'ot"stil i" ih"'dwelopmeot of the individual cottage pro-

ilr;;:TriiJii,ig a *;;itn ot consrrucrive activities, covering manyffelds of interest to boYs:

A s i d e f r o m t h e g e n e r a l f e a t u r e s o f t h e . i n s t i t u t i o n ' s e d u c a t i o n a l , s c o u t i n g ,athletic, dramatic,

""a iJfi*ioir;;gt'u--., l.i*t" activities in the cottages have

included individual and group projects ot many kittdt-to-pttitive tournaments'

collections, and club work.Tournaments in . t tu.t?rr, quoits, marbles, pingpong' Pooll ?ig.Se.

l ike are

conducted in the variouJiiiritJ'g.;.""'p;!t ;grt+" 6timiiition contests and intcr-

cottr,se competition tr"""u#t-riiirviaed.. Each- cottaee acts as host to its oppo-

nentsl Highlv a".i.uUtiiie"r?"iiiii, JiSt. uie the natiral outcorne of the tottrna-

.""i""i'ia""."'lt ir iiit lnut cottage spirit, as well as intercottage toleranee' para-

aoii"ui as it may seem, have bot-h been impro.r'cd'""ii;;;;;i economic ';,i'i;i;;;i;ii"oa','":itt'"l?i""ffi"l:llfirit'ifi"ff.ill,lli3ilitime, !-pnasize the need for more specific recr

gls,:ift inli:lt'*ru'lliut"'iuitui:s';l,f ".:;'""fi "i::l-i11':1of 34 clubs have been

";;;;fi;:

"-Buti"r"i' *"eii rot an hour each-we"ek' nnder

the leadership of u uori1i"u."iatir* (r i"u.hu., uo assistant cottage fat'her' or

some other officer). a ,t".ii"i "o-midtee

composed of the director o.f education'

supervisor of cottage t.?rii,-iiii,""t"r,r"ti;,ii;;i*; ;.o"i cxecutive, and direetor of

il5;t.';;; 0."-"ii.? a.i!ili;;s;Iil;iubs shall'be organized, selects thc.sponsors'

;;ffi '1;;;;""iil";rieii,ii#;i';;t;1;;";bership"inthevariousclubs'

At a special hobby-club night held in November 1933-' a-total of 35

difi"["t'h;fr;; ;;t. ;;JEn"*Ji" th" bou'' 400 of' whom signedi;;;;;b";hi'p. E;"h

"r"u "*rirted.of not fewer rhan 6 nor more

than 20 bovs. S";;;itil"* "i"Ut

tttat got ofi to an enthusiastic

start were as follows:Boxing club'Ci*

Erriu G"r tumbling and apparatus work)Bisket-ball clubOffi;;;p;ils club (for fishing and hunting)Card clubdi'J#iitl (to organize and play. games ttsually plaved

gatherings and at young people's partres1Puzzle clubCheckers clubStamp clubArt clubModeling and artcraft club

in famill'



Handicraft club (for woodworking)Linoleum block and bookbindine clubNature clubScience and chemistrv clubAviation clubNavisation clubTravel and storv-tellins clubActors 'e lubRadio club (for radio construction)GIee clubHarmonica clubUkelele club

tr'ive of the boys' residence cottages had been "adopted" byPrinceton University students; 2 to 5 students came to each cotta,geonce a week or oftener to nlav ball with the bovs. or to sit aroundand talk with them, telling ihem stories--often adcounts of their owntravels, their hunting and fishing experiences. It was believed thatthe informal friendiy relations[ips^resulting were likely to be oflasting benefit to the boys.


The assistant to the suDerintendent at this institution was particu-larlr interested in the spiritual welfare of. the boys and in the develop-ment of a satisfactorv program for meeting their spiritual needs.

Church services for'PrStestant white Sovr reie conductedChurch services for^Pr5testant white Soyr reie conducted eachSunday by volunteers from Princeton Univeisity. The dean and theassistaht

-dean of the Princeton Theological School had become

interested in the institution, and they regularly sent either facult'y orinterested in the institution, and they reg either faculty orstudent representatives to occupy the pulpit at the Sunday serrrlces.On Sunday morning a series of Sunday-school classes were held inthe various cottages. The assistant to the superintendent planneddefinite courses ofstudy for these cl&sses, adapting them to the boys'interest and needs. The classes were conducled ly volunteers fromthe Princeton student bodv. An Episcopal rector visited the institu-tion about once a month io instruct a dlass of boys from Episcopalfamilies who were preparing for their first communion.

A chaplain for tfe Protesiant colored boys, employed on a part-tirnebasis, conducted services regularly for them.

A Catholic chaplair, employed on a part-time basis, conduetedMass for the boys-from Catholic families 6ach Sunday morning whilethe Protestant boys were attending their Sunday-school classes. Healso Eave some time durins the week to hearinE confessions and toinstructins bovs for their fiist communion. Some months before theinstitution"wai visited the Bishop of Trenton had confirmed 225 boys.

As the Jewish boys numbered only 5 or 6 in the entire school popu-lation, it was not thought feasible to make provision for special ser-vices for so small a group. However, a.rrangements were made tohave them reeularlv"visited bv representatiies of their own faith,have them regularly visi y representatives of their own faith,

i mafe for their observance of reliEiousand every poss-ible piovision was made for their observance of religiousfestivals.

15.. CREDIT SYSTEM AND DISCIPLINARY MDASURDS

Credit systemAt this institution a rather complex credit system was in operation,

having beel put into efrectin 1918 and developed in accordance withexperrence rn rLs use.


119

Each cottage master' work supervisor, shop instructor' or schoolt"u.-"t

". -u"f.":a u

"""ali'"uJ auity tot each boy under lis,supe.visio''

b#;;#-;;;; H,i;J o" i*o iui"gs-first, -orl

conduct and effort'second, on accomplr;il;t. The [erm "conduct and effort" u'as

d;fi""i ;'';;;;i;; ;;g;;;; in-those .qualities, t'raits, and habits on

i,fri"n-""iiJ"Lioi'-rir[ir6oi".ottru indiiidual happiness and commu-

"itt fifl ,iiitl;;d.-" n". a"t.t-ining the grade such items as the follou-

il;";;;".:"#;"ti u" til"" i"i" "-""Eia"ru"tioo,

\fhether the boy. apn]igsili,'."li'#ilr *"tt,"-a-trlr good use of ̂ his time, works to his maxr-iiiiiiiiiUifiry;-""rp."tJfitop"itv tigtttt of others, iells the. truth,.triesi"

"""i."i di6 t"rirp"{ iefrii",""froii. qu arreJing or complaining, shows

;;;i1;;ffi;;;hlp;';;d -t'k";

pii4b.i" beiis trusted' Rating 3.naccomplishm"ot *ur [iJ.t;;dtth; boy actu"ally had achievedin his

ffi#i";;;ilr;ig;;;;;r. -

xoi o"iy the amounl of work cgr-rpl_etqclrvas considered, but;il; til;;;;;ii *.1ittt it was done' The dailv,',il.;t"*^**;-;;a; i,'"t"-"-t of "Excellent", "Good"' "Fair"' ort t Poor."-cil"'rr.,-uer

of credits a boy earned depended on two t4ings-theclass which t e wus-in'L"a th" rqlqg nihich he received il thesei.itii"iJ.

^ g"ir

"iin"*..n-t *"i" ai"ifi-ed into four classes, designated

A. ii. a:;rd ij. N;; [l]l*"t"-atically took-their place in class c.Ai;i"";;Jif + *""tn" th"y were considered for promotton to classB, and after 4 -o"tn"i"^"ii*, B they might be eligible for class A.F|";;i""-iro-

"fuil"t" "t""r *u. a""tutfrined at a meeting of the

.up"i"i.ot of cottages, inu-"ottugu mastet, and the,\o{ "9:""tntd'

i;"J;;;,i"d-uponii;; b;v';;"fita, t't no bov could be-Promotedi,i,fir| rii. *"d"ild ;;;i.t.* ito- major disciplinary difficultv for#i;t 30

""^.""ti"" a"Vr.

- pi"-otion was auio,matically ruled out

ff;ffi;h;d;;;;i;;A*"?"" *";iPoor" mark during that pl'ifl;ReceivilE 6 or 7 ,oi,il ip-r-'imarks automatically ieduced q boy#;;';;3';;;;';;;.

-Ciass D was the "noncitizen- group",,111

;rJlt ir;Ai"ut"a t".ia"""" i" ifru segregation cottage or the impositionoi ^uiot disciplinary action of some other tvpe'"' f #;

"j;r;, h"d' difi ;;;;t

"r"di r-earnin g "c ap acit ies.. The n rr r nber

"f ;;Jitt th;i

"""ia u?

"""*d in each clas"s rvas as follows:

STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG, N'J.

Daily rating

E x c e l l e n t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iGood to excellent- r

At the end of each month the daily-progress cards for ".u"h*o^{*# J#ffii"i;; hi';;;;;s; r";ihd ryon14 was computed' rhat

dria?ooa rlararrnined ih";,;fi;t of credits with which-he would- beffi ru:'"dffi;t"# ;il ;;;';itse{ ;1 .;1"a't" 1x"11 *:*" }: y,: :l*,, I :;{ii;il.- E;#;iir"tL""itr [[e dire"to" of cottages and disciplineo"cni s.n evenins

"t ";;h;;;i"s"lg"i"g oos1s''ch bof's dailyrnarkings

:r:l?*1""{"nr":*:*1"":131t"*BTf 3J'in""f tf""'#r'il1l-tilTX'jH:i,fi;h"tft;;i"e? ;;i"" and"the-bof so that thectqnd eraetlv how his final credit' awards were '

n*i"r u"d"tlie-bof so that the-boy ryigh,t uhis final credit awards were determrned al

2402101801501209060

160140120100806040

8070605U403020

and, i fstand exactlY

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Litrrary, Georgetown University

T2O FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

thev were low. the reasons for this. On alternate months this aver-agiig wat done by the cottage master without the presence of the'director.

As a means of encouraging a boy to make special effort,,^extracredits might be awarded by tle director on recommendation of somoone of the" boy's supervising officers, with proper rePresentations asto reason. Ci"edits-once earned and averaged for the month weronever taken away; that, is, there was no systemof fining. What wastaken away for disciplina,ry rea.sons was-the right-to earn the credits,aceomplislied bv clasi dem6tion which reduced credit-earning capacity.After ihe monthlv averages were made up, a list was prepared in trip-Iicate of the credit standing in each col,tage group. (Jne -copy wasnosted on the cottase bulletin board, one was sent to the parolebffice, and one was k"ept in the office of the director of cottages anddisciriline. A copv of ihis nronth-ly credit summary was also.sent tothe Scout etecuiirre. He was notffied, too, whenever disciplinaryaction was taken against, a Boy Scout. It was believed that thisoperation of positivJsocial disapproval benefited the individual boy,iristitution discipline, and the Scout program.

At the first reclassification meeting for each boy, the classificationcommittee, after carefully considering his history andtris accompli*-ment since coming to th6 institution, set a credit goal belie.-ved to beaooronriate for him. A bov was not'eliEible for parole until he camen'ei" fhut gool. The aveiage credit, [oal was- 1,440- crediJs. An&verage bof could earn that iumber in about 12 months with deter-minedeffoit and application. If the classification committee decidedthat for various reaions inherent, in the boy's past life or his person-alitv it was desirable that he be kept a longer period, he was given ahig[er credit goal-which might be as high as 2,000 or 2,400.

it *itt be ai'parent that thii somewhat, complex systep was flexible'enough so thit treatment \Mithin its provisions might be higtrlyindividualized.Disciplinary measures

Staff ofEcels immediately responsible for the supervision of thecottage, the classroom, the shop-, or some work group dealt directlywith ftinor misconduct. Instani6s of major misconduct were referredto the director of cottaEes and disciplin-e. Usually the supervisingofficer took the boy to th"e director's oifice. The policy tended- towardcentralizing all reJponsibility for a boy's conduct in lhe hands of hiscottage father. This was iir accordance with the desire to simulatefamili life and parental control so far as possible. The superintendentof co'urse rnaintained final authoritv over the establishment of dis-

, cinlinarv policies. but maior responsibilitv for their administrationreited wittr tne director oT cottages and discipline. Staff memberswere of the opinion that the credi[ system and ihe thoroughness withwhich all officers made certain that ihe boys understood its operationwith respect to themselves wielded tremendous influence. This wasevidenced by the anxiety of the boys to do anything to avoid theratilE ttPoor. "

Foi minor misbehavior, such as persistently making a nuisance ofoneself in the cottage. boYs were-sometimei put "on line" in thecottage living room 6r'on the playgrould. - TEis meant simply thatthey could not participate in games and other recreational activities


STATE IIOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N'J' t2r

soinE on. Deprivation of privileges.w&s one of the customary.dis-Fi"lii"to -"u"irr"" ln use.- Sio"" tite institution was rich in activitres

;'#,ifi+tififfii "il ki"d."th"t were greatlv coveted by the bovs,

deprivation was &n .fl;"il;";;;ilive rieasuie' As a fe* extremely

iiff,i.ifi"ii*ipf i" ury fi ;bi;;"'*"re in evitable., the segregation co tt age

til;;;;ro'"iaea. ^As

has been stated, the boys sent to thrs cottage

i;; il; ""iirr.i, pririi.g.",l"*"a no credits, did not atte:rd sc\ool,

;;;;;;; ,'"q"ir"d to'JJ"ii,6 r,*ia."f""a most objection_able work of

inJiii""Ui,iti6;:--TI;;y ;""ir.abt".tically the sarie food as all other

bovs except occasionilly such items as desserts'Withinlhe larger segrega,tron grouq was a smaller unit foroflenders

*h;};iild'il"ff?;d "E"ii to tuipooil to the more constructive treat-

L'iitl'"ti""b;H i" iflir*ai..lpifrary unit did not Eo out with their"ia_"-"rfi'l.t"if. forteud thiy _weie required to spend tle entire

"ff

:il;ii"i dpl"* "rnrqGh-,ii;;ipri"ury ro,rtine exercises. This con-

sisted prmcrpallY or ;ii;i;l;Aii"henics for 5 minutes' a rest period

i;"J'; fiifi;iil;;a ;"p;q1,- Cr,e monotony of rhis routine, ratheriir." ii" aim.ilt),, lV;"#J t" n. what.ma,ie it, effective. - The boysi";;

^;"4i" "'jttnu[,

";;d -;[;" iheir attitude seemed to haveffi; .;fr;iJ"tiy-;;;i.g*rhuy *.t" trsnsferred to the regular sesre-gation-cottage detarl. There was no complete isolation' except' of

course for the o"*.io^out"'i"y "*n" -il;;;"

seriously disturbed

mentallv. goy. *"i.^..ot to-iUe segr.egatio.n cottage and released

i;;;;ttu t[e"directoi ot -ttug"" and-discipline. It was tbe. custom

i;ii;;; t"h;lii"i" .tlfr;;;;;libov-b"fo'" he wu's rele-ased in order

i; ;;;;;.;1i.i"laii"" i" th. "o'u,

ai.na,s been st'ated' - (See p' 102')'"N;;;il;al plltti.ntn"ot of uoy ki:rd was permitted' - .

iiffi;iT;ii;-.h;;i;"onria,it"d most serious at this institution

\rere esc&pe o. atte*pi^t;;;;p;; extreme insolence or insubordina-

ffi:;ili?r.iiiiiir; committing minor ofienses to an extent that

seemed to amount # "-iliilil;ffi"ce

of the i:o.stitution's regulations'Bovs u.ho did these ini"g.,-"ti"-[y. t.tutoed for violation of parole,

i"",i,tii,i[i'inJ tvp". ieit to th-e .segregation cottage. _Althoughsmoking was nor #;;;il t;t. 1t* insTitu"tion and wai a matter for

Ai."irrffi", it was riot considerid-a major offense'"'if;;;;;i i-p;;';i;-rnras that ah eflort was beils made to in-

,li;,1;"?;;;i;"iprlfi.t-".ti"" as completelv as pos,sible'. The pro-

-i"rli""'lititral "r-iil"*ttJf-"ffi.* iir charge,oi discipline- at' this

iririltritt." "an-Uest

;;;[;;" by quoting hiJ statement in a recent

report:

Weareincl inedtointerpretdiscipl ineasthe.developmentofmorale-_theesfab-lishins of those group ;;'d;;;i;ia-til t*ttott which made social achievements

nossible. Its punitive?1"a'ili.i6"ii;e-i'uirtu""" are now entirely discounted'

in a democratic societyi|i.^fr.'-ir" i:"portani foi tne individual to learn self-

control, group responsifrifiti,'i.a r".;._ia-f frrti"i""tion than for him to become a

subservient, ,"p."...o, ffiil"iTirii"J1"i l" uius" machine' It is thoroughlyinconsistent for us tfrereio?e to set up any program"of training hraying as its prem-

ise mass conformity and turn out a product wlicft is expecied to iompete ade-

ouatelv in a society *ili"n-prut"t 'ulct' a p19-i" oo-iiainiaual initiative and

juccesi. * * * Institriii"J":ift"#,- ;;a;dai.ti"; have been a most difrcult bar-rier to the universal acceptance of a progressi"Je"iieltte"ed form of boy control'

It is an obstacle *frictr"Ju;;?t""-do"Tn" of efe"ti-i"" defeat raises its head to

voice objection o, *t.J"itig,"i#;;;;;;hods or devices are introduced'16-?si-tiltgntn

.tnnual Report oI the New Jersey State Eome for Boys, 1931-32, pp. 89 snd 90'


I22 FrvE srAT-o rNsrrrurloNs ron DDT,TNQUENT BoYS

A report of further developments in n'ebruary 1934 is briefly sum-marized in the followinq paraEraphs:

The Jamesburg training program has been so organized as to con-tribute to the deveiopmieit 6f morale-the establisning of those

cottages. .bja,ch council operates under a system sul[eo_.[o lne age,abilities, and interests of ifs boys. One cottage has a military court,n. Sea, Scout cottase mav us€ ihettdeck courtmartial", another the

sroup and inclividual cointrols which make social achievement possible.X'or dhe vast majority, such indirect discipline (or training) is-sufficient.For t'he vast majority, such indirect discipline (or training) is-su-fficient.There are, of course, in any group a few who do not respond to subtleapproach.' It is for these ihat more direct disciplinary methods havebeen established.

Cottage councils, in one form or another, are in operatiol in allEach council operates urlder a system suited-to the age,

abilities, and interests of ia Sea Scout cottage mayiurv nlan. and the onen fo@ u u @ u v v u u w v u ! @ 5 u

jury plan, and thebpen Iorum is found most effective in the youngestgroups..-

Tliese cottage governing bodies have had a far-reaching influenceoutside as well-as within the cottage group. Any infraction of rulesin the cottage group is reported to the council by the cottage officers,unless the case-is unusual[y setious, inwhich caseit, is referred directlyto the supervisor of cottage training. Such referred _cases representonly outstandi^E and unusual forms of disorder. Dach cottage coun-cil,'under the direction of the cottage father, keeps a log of its pro-ceedings. This is subject to the call of the supervisor. Any councilaction is subject to review or appeal.

Maior ofienders and those r6ferred from the various departmentsof the institution outside the cottages are given a hearing before thesupervisor of cottages. If he deems the case suit?ble for dispositionbv the cottage council, he refers it to the couneil of the cottage inwhich the boy resides. The council, after trying the case, may returna recommendation of demotion or segregation to the supervisor. Inanv event', the final disposition of all referred cases must be approvedby him. it is sometim'es found necessary to return a case to a councilfor retrial when the penalty imposed is deemed out of keeping with tlieseriousness of the oftense." Penalties imposed range from rlprimandto segregation and include such tJrings as eltra duty, deprivation ofrecreation and other privileges, class demotion under the credit sys-tem, increase in credit, goal, and change in assignmsnl. _

The fact that most dase6 involving misconduct wilI first be dealtwith by the cottage council means that a boy's behavior_at-a y placebecom6s a matteiof cottage concern. Social disapproval of ttie mostconstructive kind is thus made possible. This type of program re-quires skiilful adult leadership, but the cottage perso _nnel believe theycan .guard against the abuses that sometimes result from juvenilepart'rcrpatron.^

A cobperative procedure has been worked out between the psycholo-gist, the resident psychiatrist, and the supervisor of cottage training,whereby all boys requiring segregation, or other forms of treatmentoutsidebf their cottale grolp, "arJreferred for psychological or psychi-atric study. In addltiSn niriny potential offenders, ai well as boysdisplaying emotional instability, are referred for study. The recom-menditions of these specialists are always considered. The clinicalexaminations and studies submitted are very helpful in arriving at thefinal disciplinary disposition of these cases.


ii;'

srATE rroME FOn, BOYS, JAMESBURG, N'J' t23

l , : ; : :

:::;lFrt ,iE;:,.

?j,,ii;t ,,ii..:,',;i ,i..:',;,:1::.

i1.'.,'a.: i ,

i : .

x . . -

i : ' . .

s*_it;'

Hi#itrit!$

-

;31rir'

rk:

F:F i r ,

r5,: .ib,-,,: + - .

*;'i ,ti.:.,l:t"i:;1,

.

1i,,,i;ii:;:i',' t :"

An advisory discipluqury clinic has b-een established, compgP"d of the

f"il.il"g;;inf;i Th6 superintendeat, the assistant, to the super'

iii."iffft; th. ;;;d""t p-ytqutrist, the.' psyqhologists, lh_e,^directorof education, -;A^;h;-rip".;"-iJt-9i cqltgd traini-ng- Outstanding

;;"bl;*. A;r *"" b. ;6.*d to thit clinid by the supervisor of cot'-

rase rrarnrng. 'C6r-iiSripii"+y

clinic is subjict to call, but u.qrlal\f

,"'!.tr ^""E"fitly

;;-M;;d;t ioilowing the cli,ssification committ'ee's

meetrng' ro. rNSTITurroN REC'RD'

A very complete record_system had been developed., .The Eeneral

administrative trt"rir-l""iri,A"J_u .rta file and a cqse-\isto-r/ folder

Jor each boy. Tli; Jitr;;i d.epartments of -the institution furnished

;;;;.,'"r tn. J.tuil.al..ofar that werg kep_r of g,ll- studies made

;f^;;;h Uov ""d;i-hil

piogr.rt in school an{ training progra'ms'

These central record' were f.upi5y tn.-omt" of the secr6td,ry to the

classifi cation committee.Since the time;f th*;;t"dy u coqference adjustmeqtreport' form has

been evolved u"Jbut into riqe_. --G16gr

offiters and in;tructors sub-

*i"d;ir'."rtiilr;Jr-;fl;di;a"uiuoyt- oo these blanFs p:ior to the

dates on which'in" .i"*rifration com"rnittee will consider them' The

;rft;-h;;; d;h-Ft-o.,rr*.d,-tnesu servinq a,s &n index to the

ffi ;i#i'r*iH'#et*$ini*""*'nti*JJ'3-T$#"'""I1"#;#i'&.*;ffi;

";;;;iJbt; 6 th; members of the classification com-

ffi* ;#"-thr; ;;k; "ut

their separate^ca.se summa,ries'.The card fl. H#;d';;ililrr iid.* ot tne bovs in the insrirution

and on parole. "fhi; pr";3;Aid;tity-g information regard-ing each

boy and his commitment,.""ftuil*""r.-nirtorlr folder contained' a face sheet; a-large.card on

which u *,r-*J#îr inJ?i*i;u;t..ota was entered'; copies of all

the classificafi;il Ji"i*itt.u;t'*po-tt? on the bov's -classificatiop,

recr assifi "ation,"inj-p*J;;

-

"opi.i'J th. t"po.ts of home_ visits made

bv the central parol-e bureau iil.dffi-oofi*it*ent and parole; all;.i.r;;;ar".i'Jr"t$-t" in^., ca,se;- i"d the comnitment papers

il;;;t:;;-th";"y;tif, data received from t'he court'The face ,h#i *#ra i"i,-pir*unent record car4. and included,

buri;;, ie;;tii),i;g d"i; lq"h urûgu, color, and nationaliw, a, summarJr

of the boyls institut'ional hrstorv'The recora tor"i" i;.d 6 tid d.iff-*ttot-dei.artments of the institu-

tion in keeping-d;t.ilrd---"*""qtq ;f the boy's movements and prog.

ress and r"rordio?";ffi"il&-;ahi* .ur" wer-e aumgo-us and' provided'

i;;""-;;il;;ffi? ;trHii. -"All

t"'at i"d records had been barefullv

h;tJ,i"#iif*L?i* u "ltu"

picture of the !oy't progress'.The medical department lr*.d-u ,rr**.uty foim fbr iecordt:gi1:

nhvsical examinatibn at entranco and varioris other forms for record-

iJJ"ffiiii-#ffiiTi;;-;d "ll treatmett given. A card file was

ffp;;i h"igh;-*d weight re-cords of e.a-ch bpv'The psyrnorSiili";i#;ig;T""i"oili ;4""u of its eontacts witn

indivi du aI b oyrl"'"f ,; ff ;f ll'." ";;;;i;r

itre p sy chorogic al ex amin a-

tion of all new cases was sent^!;1"h9 dit*clotôf thu men!9'1 hveiene

clinic work and to the centrtf om"" oi the *.ptJitty"gito"Ti"ic"oT the

New Jersey q.t";i li""';i;;f ;i C;;b*^^ -A 'a*pi'if"o'* was used for

reports on aII other cases, -r-;;#";T'*[itn-#us sent to the parolt:

d.'putt*ent for its record folder'76870r-35-9

fj.il"'

ii'!;''.i:..,.:

_2 : : \


T24 X'IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR, DEI,INQUENT BOYS

one of the interesting and important forms I'sed by -th" mental-nygiene clinic rvas the""adjuslment. score c.ard'i thicl,r containedeight groups of statements that would descllfle-Une- Doy's-Oenavror.Tf,is f6rm'was sent, to the cottage master to be filled in before a boywas .to come up for classificati-on or reclassification. The cottagemastar checked in each group the descriptive phrase which bestanolied to the bov under c-onsideration. The adjustment score cardsw'eie filed with tlie boy's clinic record.

ih; office of the ilirector of education kept.a.complete record ofeu"h bov'. proEress in school and vocational training. In each folderwere filed tLe f"ollowing data:

Carbon copy of all classification summaries.Regulur re'forts of progress as submitted by teachers and work

officers.School-record card on which school achievements were entered.Training-progress card, showing performance in training assignments.Transfei'slipi from one class or one training group to another'

The school offi.ce also kept a card file of the boy's progress cards,*hi.h, u. tru. been stated, \4'ere currently posted on a bulletin boardin each school room. (See pp. 108-1O9-)..-

The department of cbttagei and discipline,-because of t!'e varrousu"iioitiur'for which it was rdponsible, kep-t rather full records. Thesei""tuaua the movement, assignments, and discipline.of^the boys, al,.oit

" aut"it necessary f6r sti'ff assignments and relief duty in the

institution.-_ ti""ota, tept in this departme,nt that pertailed to tle boys included

ulf duluil relating to his^custody, such- as his form-al receipt at theinstitution, the lEave grarlted, p3role, -and transfer from one cottageor one assisnment to aiother.'

'Recoids of all disciplinary action and

"it a.lJ. 5t th" credit plan also were kppt_ here. - For. each boy there

;;. 1."tt a credit-sumrirary envelop, th6 back of which contained ap"i"t.dtt"* ior entering tfie summaiy o{ credits made from the daily;;;;;;;.;;d credit card"s, the boy's credit, goal, the credits added or-tak6n

&way, the date of escape if any, an4 the time spent inthe segl'-e-Eutio"

"oiiris.. The daily-frogresi cards were summarized monthly

ind then filel in this credit envelop.- th;;;"ds pertaining to generil iteTs in-cluded dailv-population

sheets *iin p"p'rt-tion dhang"es, reports by -the y*h.t watchmen whorrpli"ir"a ail

^conduct at ni"ght, arid the ichedule of stafi and relief-

officer assignments.- R;;"td ?ata pertaining to preparole inv-estigations. and prepara'-

tion for parole were on file in the boy's case-listory folder,-and copreswere furirished to the central parole bureau itr lhp State department;ii".;it;ti"; and agencies. For description of the records of ,parcle;f;;i;i"" kept by"that bureau, which-is described in tho follorvingsection, see page 129.--

Fo" i"p"odu8tion of some of the forms see appendix C, p. 302'


After the establishment of the state department of in.otitutions anduS";"i"r-i" igf-S, tnu parole work for th6 correctional institutions in;fi; St;;",

""r"pi t[" State prisot', was _organized in a bureau.within

that department called the central parole bureau.'o lts clilect'ol was

; N"* J**yrcum. Supp. 1924,secs. g42' 34-50' 34-79, 34-80'


STATE IIOIIE FOR I]OYS, JAMESBURG, N.J.

trdling o_r otber prior-expenenee.

under the general supervision of the State commissioner of institutionsuod us"o.T... This parole bureau administered the parole work for;isht ;nstitutions.r? bach parole officer had parolees from severalinititutions under his supervision.

The nrovision of the law requirinS that each division of the Siatedepartment of institutions and agencies be in charge of a qualifiedexiert made possible the appointnient of a director with special train-ini and qualihcations for parole work, and the director serving at thetifie of tfiis study had had special traiiring and experience for the posi-tion. The personnel consisied of the director, assistant director, su-pervisor of work with women and girls,24 parole officers (18-men,-6ivomen). and 10 stenographers and clerki. ihe appointment of paroleofficers'was under ciiil-iervice regulation, and within the -past fewyears the requirements for qualifications for parole officers had beeniaised to meet the following-standard:

Education equivalent to that represented by graduates from colleges, or uni-

"".riti"r ofi.cognized standing; standard cours-e in social servicel ?:)'ears' experi-

.n.Ju" social in?estigator, or education and experienceaccepteda,s.full equivalenttry tt

" Civil Service" Conimission; knowledge-of problems of .delinquency, lan's

sovernins comrnitment, care and barole of -del inquents;

knorvledge oI approvedhethods"of social ease work, invesl igation abi l i ty, thoroughness, accurac.v, tact,Ieadership, firmness, good address.

It has been the aim of the parole bureau continually to raise thestandards of its personnell and they had beel closely adhered to inappointments since the adoption of ihese requirements. Som-e of theoit"err rvho had been on the stafi for a number of years could meetthese requirements; others had been in parole wolk a number of yearsand were qualified ihrough experience on the job rather than through

125

procedure -9,4d -tleThe"rules and ^regulations

relating to Parole procedure.and tbqnf,inr nf ncrnlc o.tid t.t its terms and conditions. were established b

iles and regula,tlons rela,trng t(of parole, and toits terrns and coErantinS of parole, and to its terms and condrtrons, were estaDllsned D_y

ine Stale b6ard oi control and carried out through the central parolebureau.

In addition to the seneral provisions for parole, specific provisionsrelate to placement in'foster home-s of boys-on PPrgJe from tt'e StateHome foi Boys. Under these the indenture or binding out of. boys isillesal. but thev may be placed in wage or boarding homes wheneverthiwelfare of the individual boy makei this advisable. Furthermore,boys who have shown a capacity for more extensive ha,lning.than isoffered by the State Homeior Boys may be placed in educational orvocational institutions.

These legal provisions were administered through metllods adoptedbv the Stat"e d6partment of institutions and agencies. Along rvith thedLvelopment of the parole progra,m' it had built up the procedure anddetermined the standards on rihich'recommendatibns for the parole ofinmates at all institutions were to be based. In accordance with thisorocedure. the stafi of each institution determined the inmate's readi-hess for rei"ur" and made recommendation to its own board of manag-ers, which had the authority to make the final decision. In the major-itv'of cases ths board of rianagers accepted the recommendations ofiti stafi members and its final decision w-as merely the giving of formalapproval.

,.t.ilx'j'T,",ffii3b3'sl."['^?f#"l$ig],,\",N",lffiK"1ili'#?tT.J<tl3:'Ti{l;ilsfi33'Kftt''sif,i""1il-ii-ate gome'ioi oiits (treitbn), Reformaiorv for Women (clinton).

it



In New Jersey parole was regarded as qart of the inmat'e's treat-ment Drosram-a period of adiu"stment under supervision from life init,o inltitition bac'k to normal ii le in the community. The proccdure11.hi"tr hua U."" developed by t|e department of institutions andns"".i". tirroueh its claisificalion system had always clo]sely related-arole

to the institutional treatment of tire inmate. It has beenJi;t"d tlrat ,'one effect of tlfs conception is thai parole is in the mindsof the institution authorities frorrr the moment an ofiender entersnrison. and the steps for scientific treatment of the individual in theinstitution hrve, aitheir goal, release on parole when the time is mosbfavorable and under the b"est conditions ri'trictr the staff can supply'"18

Thoush the procedure which had been adopted by the State depart-ment oi institutions and agencies involved a classification systemt lthi" the institution and a" parole supervisory program rvhieh hadu"." -oa" uniform for all the correctjonal instilutions (except theState prison), it, will be referred to here as it 1-orked out in relationto theState Home for Boys.--

Aith;Gti fi" i"otk of the classification committee has been describedin aetait

-on pug*. 96-97 as it related to the planning and carrying

out of the bov'I proqram rvhile he was in the institution, some briefr.

"iitio" .*""*. iesirable here in order to relate it to parole and to

point oui how it fits into the parole plogram.^ The s&me sroup of officers'and st^aff ipecialists that planned each

bov;. pios.arfi at ihe institution decided ripon his readiness for parole.Aitnd tifie a boy came before the commiitee for his first reclassifica-iio]} (rsuallv 6 ironths after the first classification), the committee

"rt"liirtt"J "a credit goal which must be reached before he could be

""^ii"t"a t"r parolel This system_ had been v_ery.carefully rvorked

out to represent a grading plan wherely. tt'" boy's progress in a]loh*.." of'his institu1ionallrbgram could be measured. Each boy's-"lititv

uttd ptost".s were *digh-ed, and his credit goal set in-accordance;;;tA;.--6" i[" t..o"d reclassification, if a boy had made sufficient';;;;; uod hud

"uu"n"a his credit goal, a date-was set on wlich the

[o---ltt"" wou]d meet for parole coisidbration- If progress had not,bien satisfactory, lhe case'was continued for further reclassifi'cationwithout consideiation for parole.

D;t-g ; b"y's stay at tfie institution the central parole.b.ureau haduUeuay 6e"o-i, u"q..rui.rted with the case through a hbme visit nradetry;;;;;i" o{fi."t ut

"looo as possible after the boy rvas admitted' This

oiiii *ur considered a pa^rt of the classification .program, as it wasruq""rtua oi tn. parole d:epartment for_use in the 6oy s first classifica-tion. The parole department agarn b.ecame a,ctrve on t'he case lnif,"-pr"puiol'e progta- of the clasiification committee; when the date*u.'""ifo. paioliconsideration, a request was made for investigqlionof iir" Uoy'Jhome. fhis ilvestigatioir was made by the parole officerio .,'t o# the boy rvas to be assigned for supervision, if returned tohis own home.--Further

oreparation for parole included reexamination o{ the boyby stafl .p".iuiitt., includin! the physician' the psychologist, the psy-cl"tiatrist,'the educational diiector, and consultation rvith the chaplain,and the disciplinary officer.-;, l,*--a,

fv-trrrop D.: parole procedure in New Jersey, Journa'l of Criminal Law and Criminology't cl.22, no. 3 (September 1931), p. 380.


STATE HOME FOR BOYS' JAMESBURG' N'J. t27

The meetings of the classification committee at wlrich boys under

"on.ia.rfiior, ?o" putoi"-were discussed were attended !Y rePresent'a-

tives from the centraf putot" bureau-usually either the director or

hi;;irt,a;i:"nd "a"h ;f ih*;di.ttici p_arole ohcers to whose districts

bovs who *"r" "o-io;;;%;;il'ciassffication

committee would.

orobablv be sent."^ffi;hi.li"i"rl""" each member had in hand the original classifica-tio.-tu.murv, the reclaisification summaries, and the report of pre-

;;;;i""ii;;;'il;;'tis"ti"; for each case' In the uniform p.rocedure

##;;il;d'i;ffi if tt" classification committee the following

oli"t. *.t" enumeratldas those to which the classification committeei" i"" f

"*i*' ;iiil ;ir; p uroie offi

"".s- should give especial .attention

i" ;;;ir-;;;", fn. U"i'J physical antl mental t-realth,.his industrial

;;i;il";ti""*i .o-pdt.tri.inir social adaptability, and the conditionof in" home to which he was to be paroled'"-ih;

;;;; ol each boy *ur discussed and the_{ollowin{-mattersdel*r*ioed, First, whJLer or not the-boy himself, was really-ready

f;';;;;i;;,..ood, *h"lt.t he should be ieturned to his o*'n homej

;titd. ;h;il.t, it-fri" no-"-*". utterly unsuitable,.he should be tried

in some other placement; fourth-, -whether he should contrnue m

."f.""i.^"t-*ii"t'pt-" rti"rild be fblowed.in helping him*to make

uair.i*""t in tlie .otn,n""itv to which he was- g.oi"g' 1\-hen the

;;fr;;i;;t"d;;.h"d ;-a""i.loo, the bov was called in and tolcl in a

fti;dlt;;;""t *hut pI; h;a 6e"o '''ud" for him and whv' If he

*"t't"r"'r"r";;.4-;; iuiot", Le *ut introduced to !h^e parole, offi'cer

;h; ;;t" ;p.t"lru itiii. The parole offiq9r arrange-d for a conJerence;i;ir'iil;;i;ir;;idin" -""[iog and discussed-the plan u-ith himfffi"* d;;'"if."^^tu" B"v *". gi"J" a little pamphlet"which outlinedoarole duties and explained just what was expected oI nrm'.t

A" h;" t;;;;t"d,^fi";a"pproval for parol^e in each case harl to be

"i;;;-b;

-t-he bourd-'ot -uiu'g"rs of th-e institution, which usually

?'.t-tt,i,i ""J "pp.o"ud-th"

t."5 -m en d ations of t h e p arole committ ee'- Ai the time r:^[e institution t-as visited an interesting and rmportant

ri;; ;l ;;;k r -u" being ain" in relation to parole by a member of the

|i;fi Jtf-," St.i" depu?t-unt of institutioris and agencies' She was

irri.* t" stimulate ln io.ui communities in the State work which

;3;f3 "*iri-ii j

it.p"li"iihe home and,the community.for the boy's

;;il;; ;;;t"IJ- if t[;-p;""1e officer who made the visit to the bov's

ir;;;afte'r he enteied the institution found dependency.a factor, or

;;;;a ;;i';; T;;ilt ;it"uiio"" seriouslv- aff ec.tils the bov's case, that

ofi.., referred th6 family to her, and she tried to tind a locat a,gency

i" *"* "'irh

the f;i1i *nit"'t6" boy was in the institution. If

;;";;;; children in t-he 6oy's family apfeared to need care and atten-

ffi;::i;;;i;;;A;h;;;se io the p'dp"i ug"""v' - She also.had assisted

in making adiustments through securing the hclp oI local a'gencres rn

;ilffi'"?;l;;;i;"I".ty- tEo." invoiving pb-vsical handicaps or

eineciallv difficirlt school adjustment'""tfrilit'tf""i,oy"i;A5|*o iet"u.ea from the institution, the central

ou.oiu-Uui"uu b6eu*e responsible for his supe^'ision. The State rvas

5**itla gi"gr"ptri.rUj:io. ur.ignnlelt o.f ca.e. to the parole, offieers.

On-ftut .n" iZ] rbeZ, i6 -"n off i "" t" had 1.035 bovs f iom the State

H;;;l;i noy. ""h* ""plr"iri"".

These same "ofiice_rs also were

;;;;;;iti;s;id;t bovs and vouns men on parole frorn the Lwo State

i"ri**-T"t"id;d ;tild*; it;;ihe State institutions for the {eeble-



minded. Their avelage case load was 175, including all types ofparolees.'

The stan<lard for field parole work kept in mind by the centralbureau r,l-as active social case work for every person on pat'ole. Thebureau realized that the a\rerage case load of the officers, particularlyof tlie men officers, was too large to permit sati.lfactory case rvork.Nevertheless the standard ursld foi these officers was that ofthe better type of family-welfaie society. It, was believed that thiswas achievedin a larqe riurnber of cases,-though not in all. An effortto meet the situation"and to raise standards of u-orlt had been madeby adopting a progra.m of gradualty. diminishing supervision. Thatis, inteirsir'5 ruir".ii.ton was grven rmryrediately fofowing the boy'srelease from th-e institution and at times of subsequent emergencieswhile he was still on parole. The officers made considerable efiortto help boys get rvork

-and recreational connectio-ns 11+ to give such

other irelpin adjustment as was seen to be needed. \I'hen a boy haddone verv weil bn parole for some time, he rvas placed on what wascalled qtiarterly sr,rpervision, which meant that ihe officer was heldr".ponrible foi ascertaininE'his situation four times a year. Thear-emge period for rctive sluperrision-that is, before placenrent onquartirly supervision-was 1 year. The next-step was to pt'omotethe boy"to semiunnual supervision, lvhich usually rvas done aboub avear liter. $hen the bb.v appeared to have hade a thoroughlyiatisfactorv adiustment, he rvai eranted a conditional release, thoughremaininq lesally under controllntil he becante of age. This con-ditional ielease merely discontinued visiting and reporting as longas the boy's conduct *as satisfactorv. lf it was found that his con-duct was-not satisfactory, aetive paiole might be resumed or the boymisht be returned to t[e institution for r]iolation of parole. ThusthJboys were given the most thorough supervision during the earliestperiod of oarole.^

Anothei procedure frequently used in relqr-sing boys on parole wastrial parole-for 3 months in spdcial cases. These cases w'€re groupedwrth

^the actrve-supervision cases in the Par-ole officer's case list.

They received special supervision as needed. At the end of 3moo'thr the case foas reviewed to determine whether the boy shouldbe placed on the regular active-parole basis, or be returned to theinstitution, or contin"ued for another trial period-

There #at no fixed schedule of types oi conduct that were to beconsidered parole r"iolations. The- matter was determined on anindividual-cise basis and was left largely to the judgment of eachparole offcer as he knew his boys andtheir community. -T4e deci-iions of course were subiect to supervision from the central office.

Bovs were returned tir the insfitution not only if they committedovert violations of parole, but also if their family sitlations becamoundesirable or actually harmful, if thev needed- medical care, or iftheir conduct was so noticeablv unsatisfactorv that a short period offurther adjustment and training was deemed

-advisable.

Boys rvere not committed to the State home for any definite termbut might be detained until they became 21 years of age,. unlesssooner ?ischarged. Boys remained on the parole lirqt uatll fbsybecame 21, ev"en though they had been disContinued from activesupervision on conditidnal reiease. Boys who were committed toother correctional institutions while on parole from the State Home

ti


STATE HOME FOR, BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J. L29

for Boys were declared "delinquent parolees" and removed from thob;;i;;""';";;i; il;t''n--wheo paioled from the sr'rbsequent insti-tutional com'mitment they were again under super\'lsronoI tne cen-;;i";;"i; bureau, n"a il.uutiv a"ssigned t'o the same officer under;h;fr-th.; ild d;.;; paroleirom ihe state rlg4" for Bovs'" "f;;;r;t";;iirt. J ii*"iiti1"r/ r"toi"u *".e c a-rried as p aroLe es untilth*v ir""a*e 21, like those given co!ditional release''"f1,"

t*""i" ,ii|f,L U"oLT"r"te history kept by the central parolobureau consisted of a case folder for eac!' boy, c-ontarntng the rdentrly-;;"f;;-.h;;t i"f";;;;ion;

"opiet oJ ali classification-committee

;;";r"H;;iu" i"riii"ti""; Lo'pi", of the_ homeinvestigation after:,;1;'it;-'^til; iltit"ii;; u"h tito1e parole; field reports. of visitsiiffi f" ;h; ;t-i;;n.''; and all correspondence relating to theil;. ddirf'[i""i.r iu*r"'tut"i.hed for the relrorts of t]re homeiiiiltiiitl"il

""a-iln" parole officers' visits. Each parole officer

il;;;;?;;l;ui"otnuoori *itn u pug. for each bov on which he notedi;;:,hi;h ;n;t.';"i nl. puiole prbgiess as convenient means of refer-;;;. A;?i#-[it tuott i"-ine ndta." The on-lv records on parole keptf?ifr."irriit"ti";;;the-teportr of the home visits made by the;;r;1. ,fi;;tr;""t. Ii boys ivere returned for parole violations, thei."it"rii-t.'f,it.u" .."t""

"r--ury of pertin'ent data to the insti-

;;;i;: 'A;;';;1.;;;;ti"s

of the pe'ri.ranent parole record crrdsalso was maintained'

18. PLANT AND PROGRAM CIIANGES IN RECENT YEARS

Of the cases analyzed in part 2 of tlris repor! (see p' 10),.153 were

"f ;;;;h" nua Uu"." undei care at the New JerseyState Home for

il;;: "'ih;

;;.;-ot .o--itment of these 1.53- .boys varied nore;id;I" t[; tho;"f the-other institutions studied beCause of a differ-;;;;Ii"t;th i"s*d t" p"role and discharge in New Jersey' Some

;i;fiJse"6";;"L';d'b"en ;riginally co-mmitted"as earlv 1s lplf ,,aqd i|-ecommitmeits were scattered over the next 10 years, the lls!.?e\"9 t+Lg24. By far the greater percentage of the boys were admltted and

""te at ifie home d"uring t[e years tOt8-23, inclusive'

Great chanses had been made in both plant a-n{ program between1918- ;i193"2:- M;"t oi tho." changei were berng pu! into eflectei^,'iil A;it"-i"l"g p"'"iod of the 153"cases studied. The reportôfin. i"?tit"tiont liuia of managers for the_ year_ ended June 30, 1921,ilr-"Hu^;t;;ea tnat *nen that"particular board.took charge in 1918ih;;";iti;;;f tL" piu"t ;'*is almost, notorious, as a-result of;;;;;;il}""at to. i"puit., Iack of skilled labor, ind.other condi-fr|f"]--i;în" n.""t y'uu, igtg-20 enough repairs bad.been madeio fri"n about, ,,very s"ubstantial improveirentj' 'o In the following,.""

"iia"" " "ew ffierintendent, the program of reorganization was

beEun."""ii'tsz+ most of the old 6uildings had been put in good repair and,"ili ."".t*"ii"" *"it had been"done. One new cottage had been;;;;il;;;a1he *i"g *hich was used as a reception.cottage had beenadded io the hospital building. An extensrve buildrng program srnceinriii-"-t"a p,i-t i[" ptant-in the condition found at ttre time the

I Ff;el,??S;,fih,t"itff;J3?f'"]fti'3t"11t"*.1. " rr,e-Nêw Jersev stare rlome ror Bovs (ramesburs,

f l iddlesex county) for tbe year endrng June JU' 192r, pp /-d'


130 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DALINQUENT BOYS

institution was visited. The addition of 8 new cottages for boys hadmade it possible to relieve crowding and to cut, down to some extentthe size of the cottase families.

Comparison of thl fiEures shows an increase in school populationdurins'the oast few vealrs, accompanied bv an increase in personneltha t kep t t f ie ra ,x lo o l Doys to €mployees

r r , r r r - - r ^ r r ^a^ : r^ r

adjustment as their objectives.bhrough the i:rcreasingly thorough examinations a lar-ger proportion

of the ndw boys were found to beiuffering from remediable physicalThrough the increasingly thorough examinations a lar-ger

of the ndw bovs were foirnd to be"sufferins from remed=iatdefects. such i,s diseased tonsils and defec-tive teeth. Rer

capita cost had been coniiderablv'reduced, although lack of detailedinformation as to the method of iomputing the per capita cost at theinformation as to the.method of Lomputing the per capita cost at theearlier date makes it uncertain whether the two figures are exactlycomoarable. Fisures f.or L922 and 1931 (fi.scal vear ended June 30icomparable. Figures f.or L922 and 1931 (fiscal year ended June&re &s follows:

tioned as a medical social rinit in tirtional program. Consult-ant servico was built up and corrective work was undertaken rnrelation to treatment, plans. with the boy's social and econo-icrelation to treatment, plans, boy's social and economie

Before 1919 the facilities for phvsical examinations and medicalcare had been oxceedinglv limit-ed. the nonresident, physician incharEe then had only a

"piactical nurse to assist him. Th-e hospitalhad Eonsisted of z wirds bf 8 beds each, a small dispensary room, andtbe Trrse's apartment. There had been no equipment for.even the

Average number of boys in care------Number of employees-Boys per employee- - - -Per cap i ta cos t - - - - - - - - -

simplest surg-erv. In 1920, when another physiiian was put in chargean<Lmade resident nhvsician. he was Eiven the assistance of tw-o sur-and made resident physician, he was given the assistance of two sur-sica,l nrrrses- The oneiatins room waJbuilt and eouipped in 1921 andsical nurses. The obeiatine room was built and equipped in tgzt andin the two following years [he hospital was remodelei[ with the addi-tion of a wing for tih6 reception o{ ne-w boys, so that the whole func-in the two following years [he hospital was remodeled, wit\ the addi-tion of a wine for tih6 reception of new bovs, so that the whole func-tioned a. a m"edical social rinit in the institirtional prosram. Consult-

625t723 . 6

$556

defects, such as and defeclive teeth. Recommenda-defects, such as dlseesed. tonsrls a,ncL detectrYe teeth. ttecommen(ta-tions for the correction of these conditions were acted upon promptly.

The vear 1919 also marked the besinninE of extensive use ofpsychol6gical examinations at the institution.- Dr. E. A. Doll, nowdiiector of research of the Vineland TraininE School, and \Ym. J.Ellis, now commissioner of the State departmint of institutions andagencies, gave psvchological tests to 480 boys that, year, using theA"rmy alpEa tesi." Dr. M. J. McCallie, no'iv assistant-to the superin-tendent bf the school, gave them the Otis group-intelligence test.Meanwhile the State <jla"ssification procedure "rn-as being rv-orked out,and it was first tried at the Stite Home for Bovi late in thatsa,me year. During the next few years psychological examinationsbecam"e a matter of regular routine, and ih"e findings began to forman important part of- the material upon which the classificationcommittee based its plans for individual treatment.

In the fiscal year lgZO-Zt psychiatric examinations were given to316 boys. Of that number 2 had been sent to the State Hospital,5 percent had been diagnosed as "constitutional inferiors", 7 percent

;i;


STATE HOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG' N.J. 131

\\ere found to be sufiering from "personality disorde-rs"' and 20

il'il; it;'q" d";";6;d--uE ;'*",dlt d:l:'"1.':1'^ Yii1-,:l 1l:l'ere found to be sufrering from "

i.:;f:;1,ffi t;#;;;" *lru*f*q.t"t"

the State institurion fora.}""ti".t (Vinelaird Training School)'

r|hpcp rroqrq f,herefore saw the begrnnffi:fi #;#J'1 i";; ;; ti" i.gi""i"g,ef ,"li3i:1\?Pt'",i"tl'-:1:lru'ru r-v-Grr ""*-'";p"""ii."f "?e

of Ztinical findings in planning!9{'"^^p-1:ll"iT..?11i.**^-r nrqns r^" r,;--tiin,,ifi'r'?".lusJidcation#f "" #";#;T;1;#d;;;

"i6;' i;' ni- th rou gb th-e - c1 as iinc a tionuoJ

"*lolrrification p;;;d;il ir operation at thelime the institution

rvas visited.In 1g20 the ,,school of letters" had-on its stafi a principal and 8

t.*il.trr"o;i; t;i?ti"* ttua certilcates -for teaChing' and was

described as ,,woe[uii;";,i;;;*o"6.rrrr Steps_ to improve this

;ifi;i; were taken-litmediately, and through the next few,f9911

;i;;;;d";i" wotfi **. gtJ"utiy itirptou.d and"method,q of correlating

;ii;;il;;;; *"tt *ltillt'. a;+.l"ii"g vocational and prevocationai.oot."" were being devised and tried-'-"il;i".tit"tio"-frua

6il ;5" usual maintenance shops wher.e, hoys

"'"; k;;"b;;;;"kid ;if"il and sboes and repairing buildings

;];:l"J;i;;#i.;;;' tt"-di';[io" or foremen who were sli-{led work-;."i. "Ei';i;;ffi it.;;v, thi;;ppreqtice stvle of work offered tradeiriirii"*i"

" "L"t"i" ""-#ff b;'y-., But the work.to be done, rather

;ilHTh%;.;dr';1th" |o;;, wut ruled as of primarv importance' This

;;;;;;bi.- i" educatiorithe new managemenr tackled with interestilJ"#iti;ffi; il-ibt"i-h"-;u""ut-"t""ution school was opened,"J tfr"r""f["" tnr ptog"* ior

"oo"dioating the academic, with the

;;ff^;a -"*udio"'J

tiaining had steadily developed, changes;.;;;;;;;aicatea ;;;.ti';-bl" B"i"g *udt froin time to-time' )Iostilffi;aiiii

"1 i"*-in"-revoiution ii attitudes graduallv.instilled in

i#;;;;;"I. -^tn""rgl

p*.!.t""t."ducation of Ihe staff-all the insti-irii5";r"""tioiti"r h;d"bJen-ffiugtrt i"to the training picture, and

Uti,tr;,f*ri;v;;.;" th; piu"u nua"leen impressed with.the idea thathts ma,m t'ncrlon

"-ur fo U" a teacher. lJaturally this had been a

;il;;ffi;;1'"ktd-y;"* io- accomplish and "needing repeatedemphasis."-^ii^^#I"'i"

1928 that the classification committee began to assumo

th"-;;;;;#biiity i;;;;rkid aii a'.igo*ents to trade 6ourses as weII

as to other phases oi r.noof-tii* tfi" value of having this done by

;:# # ;'h""#j; h;il; ;r" ut' a" ulor i,n f ormation a6-o ut individ ual

il.iii;i ili"u, i'p'iiilG;":;i;eisonalities was soon demonstrated'il;"Lfi5 iil;i#i-fi;;ti"i .o''rrititt"" ha4 taken over all. assignme-nts,;r#"th;;;;;;iil;;'t a"i"ii'. -The most' important develop-.."t.-i" trade-couri- pt"""l"g

""d classification piocedure had un-

;;;;"dl;-;;;.d;iff;;.t-oi tu" bovs includett in this studv hadcomplete? their training periods.-'"i;'ili";r;-.tid

1o ;;" the doubt withwhich the board of managershfi"ie*;d the e"xtensive farming operations as far back as 1921:

Wehavefe l t inc reas ingdoubto f thewisd-omofan ins t i tu t ionof th issor tbe ingtied up rvith the opu.uti;riJii,lu.- ot

"".i, great size. The conduct of a state

i,itl.#tl, l" }r.-i"g tui.". t;o-6;9" u share'of the interest and energy. of the

;iri;;iJ;i iilti"'Iiifti.ii.--Th; idei tt'at there is available at the State home a

i;il;;ff oiri"u r"rro., *iti"rt-"'itt go to waste unless there is a large farm to

;3;;;:-t. ;;;tumrl, *i.-tiri";;lh; p.ele"t time even if it ever *as coriect. The

;i ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; i ; i bovs-ivhen enterihg is Iess.than l3 vears' and the avcrasc ase

i'1,;;i;r.,iil]" h;rdli -";;;I+l'i"d'tl,"

"uhter or bo5's suitable for farm work,

l , Ibid" p. 16

ti


132 FrvE srATE rNSTrrurroNS I'oR DET,TNQUENT BoYS

outside of the dairv and truck farmins is limited almost to the group in cottageEieht. Even in the case oI these bo.vs the purpose of reedueating them to returntoThe communities from which they-came is almost entirely defeated by keepilgthem at farm labor. They are neaily all city boys, and will return to city condi-tions.22

Out of that intellisent questioning came, no doubt, the backingwhich was giyen to the expeiimental work of developing trade coursesthat would- give the boys something different from the use of freechild labor t"o perform.niaintenance a:rd production work.

Until 1920 there had been no organizeilrecreation or athletic sports'Cottage masters had directed suc[ organized play for therr individualgronpS as time permitted. In 1921 a physical director,was-procuredind flanned athletics and physical-eduiation work developed rapidly.In t9zO this institution haii tieen in efiect a military school, with boysand staff officers in uniform, drilling regularly. All military activitieswere abolished under the'new minagement in 1920, and citizens'clothing was adopted for both boys and stafi.

The "Bov Scorit movement took form in 1922 and grew rapidly.Bv tho end of that vear 5 cottaEe masters had qualifiecl for scout-m"aster and 144 Boy" Scouts had*been registered.

- In 1923 the first

Boy Scout camp had been organized. Th"e immediately-ensui+g y-eprysa* the graduai enrichment, of the program of activities.through whichbovs misht find an opportunitv foi wEolesome expression of tho nor-mal impirlses which iir6vitably bring boys into conflict with any unna,-turallv renressive resime.

Th6 bo;rd of man"agers that took office in 1918, with the aid of thenow superintendent frbm 1920 to 1923, were responsible for the intro-ductiori of all sorts of prosressive ideas and proceldures. In the matterof discipline they did sdme straight thinking. As in 1918 they-hadfound liardly a i.ace of such idEas in the iirstitution, they hid setout, to- d9 sb49 experimenting _which they themselves said

"tigbtproperly be called nreforming-the reform ichool." To continue intheir own words-

The old repressive method of discipline seems to have for its main purposeaking life siinple and easy for emplofees, rather than benefiting the boy's underrather than benefiting the bo5s under

Corporal punishment was abolished. Experiments in self-govern-ment rinder officer control were carried on. Gradually the disciplinarysystem ca.me, by reason of successful experimentation, to be based onthe principle underlying the earning or forfeiting of personal privrlegesin relation to narticioation in the increasinglv informal cottase "home "in relation to participa

earning or forfeiting of personal privrlegesthe increasinglv informal cottase "home "the increasingly inform-al cottage "home "

life and the many forms of organized play and constructive activitiesthat were beins developed.

IVith the ceitralization of the administration of institutions and

to break the will, but to train it in the right channel.zr

agencies brought about by 1918 legislation the centralized parole sys-tem had come into beins. In 1922 the central parole bureau wastem had come into being. In 1922 the central parole bureau wasreported to have had under supervision about 3,000 parolees. Thereported- to hav-e had u supervision about 3,0O0 parolees. ThC

making life sihple and easy for employees, rather than benefiting the bo5's undertheir cllarse. Our belief iithet discipiine ihould be positive rather than

-negative

and should aim to make the bovs caiable of becomiire self-directine free cittzens

makrns llte ftheir ctarse.and should aand should aim to make the boys capable of becoming self-directing free cittzenswhen they go back to their communities. Discipline s[ould not have as a purposeto break the will. but to train it in the risht channel.23

ffi;l;ua F;n;td "ffi;;;;;dJ;;;; tio.

- i*;;ilil'uu" [ud

taken into its personnel the former field officers of the various institu-tions. Although they were stated to be mostly untrained officers, they

" Ibid" p. &

2r Ibid., p. 13.


srA'rE HoME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J. 133

were doinE as well as possible a.ccordinE to the dictates of comrnonsense. Tiained supervision became avaiiable about, 1923, and stand-'ards improved greatly after that time. Parole officers with trainingand exferience-had been sought and employed whenever possible,modern^ methods of case worlihad been adofted, and better super-vision had been provided.

Obviously the boys included in this study who had been undercare in the"New Jeriev.State Home for Bovi had been subjected totreatment under a coolinuouslv chansinq piosrattl, durinE tire periodwhen old repressive methods oi discipTin6 dndlnad equate*educdtionalfacilities weie giving way to progre^ssive ideas in b-oth fields. Onlya thorough analysis of all the institutional data available in each casecan show to what extent the new methods were brought into play inrelation to the treatment of the particular boys studied.


Chapter Y.-STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAT- SCHOOL, INDUSTRY, N.Y.

To obtain informatibn for this report relative to the physical -plantand the treatment progra,m in effect at the State Agricultural andIndustrial School at ln'dustry, N. Y., the institution was visitcd byfield worliers late in \{arch iga:. The material included here refersto conditions prevailing at that time, unless thero is a statement tothe contrary.

r. srAruroRY PR0YISIo*3"93I+S$NG DSTABLISHMENT AND

The Western House of Refuge for Juvenile Delinquentslvas estab-lished in Rochester, N.Y., in iilsO, having bee! authorized by a lawoassed in 1846. This institution rv:as to serve the rvestern part of theState orimarilv. the speeific counties to be designated bv the Gover-nor. The gno'"it ing liodv was to be a board of manrgers consisting of15 "discree't" men iippoiirted by the Governor, I,ieutelant.Governor,and Comptroller to- ierve without -compensation' The institutionwas to reieive bovs under 18 vears of age and girls under 17 who werelegallv committed a. r'agrarits, or on= conviition for any criminalofenie, by courts having authority to malie such commitments.The mir,nasers were qiven:power to blace the children committ'ed totheir eare Iuring their minority at srich employment-and eaus.e themto be instructed" in such branches of useful knowledge as might besuitable to their years and capacities. They.could als^o bind thechildren out as apfrentices or seivants during minority. Such inden-tures were to be for the purpose of learning [rades and employments,which in the iudqment of the board of manaEers would be ntost forthe reformati<in alnd amendment and the future benefit and advantageof such children.t

The provision for payment for care in this first law was interesting.It stated that the boaid of supervisors of each county designated tosend iuveniles to the institution were to raise annually such sllm "&sshall in their opinion be sufficient to pay to the treasurer of said houseof refuge 50 cents per rveek for the support, maintenan-ce, and-.care ofcverv pirson sentenced in thcir countv io cortfinement therein." Tltis,ho*ev'er. remained in efiect only uniil 1852, when it was repealed.2

In t8s6 the institution was ienamed the State Agricultural andIndustrial School, and in 1902 legal action provided for tbllselectionof a nerv site on which new buildinss were to be erected' \\laen com-pleted this nerv institution was t6 be called t,he state Agriculturali,nd Industrial School and was to be "used by the State for t'he pur-pqse of earinq for and training all juvenile.deiinqrrentsproperly-com-initted thereio by courts of comfetent jurisdiction in accordancewith existing laut authorizing commitmeirts to the state indrtstrial-.,

il"* v*r., r,uws of 1846, cb. 143; Laws of 1850, ch. 24.: New York, Laws ol 1846, ch. 143; Laws of 1852, ch. 387.

t34


r-EW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOL 135

school." 3 The buildings were started on the present site at Industryin 1904 and completed in 1907.

\Vhile the nerv institution 'was beins built at Industrv. the Statelegislature discontinued the girls' depa"rtment at the Weiiern HouseofRefuge and authorized the State Ihdustrial School at, Rochester tobe continued as an institution for boys.a Thus sirls have neyer beenreceived at this institution since its establisbmeirt at Industry as theState AEricultural and Industrial School.

Since'ige7 this institution has been under the sunervisorv control ofa State agency created in that year which, after some chanle in name,is now the State department of social welfare. The seneral reorsani-zation act of 1926- transferred to the department 6f social we'ifarecertain authority formerly vested in the lbcal board of managers ofthe institution, changing that body to a board of visitors, still con-sisting of 15 n'iemberi, irith no compensation other than actual andnecessary traveling and other expenses.6

The l6gal proviEions as to agb of commitment had remained thesame, exc_ept for the first fcw years. Bovs uncler 16 years of agefound to be delinquont by any children's court might be commit,tedto th-e scho-ol, but no boyi under 12 might be committed for anv crimeor ofiense less than a felonv. Commilments were indetermiiiate ineffect,.in that boys might bL parolcd or discharged at any time aftercommitment in accordance with rules and reeulations made bv theState department of social welfare. However, tirey remainecl waids ofthe schobl until they beeame 21 years of aqe, unless sooner dischareed.6

At the time the instit,ution w:as yisited-for thrs studv (Nlarch lg32)boys- migh-t be committect from any rural county in"tlie State, buinot from the urban counties of New York, Bronx, Queens, Richmond,and Kings. Bovs from these latter counties were tir be committed tdthe House of Refuse in New York Citv.7

Sinco that time;with the opening rif a oew institution-the NewYork State Training School fof Boys--at Warwick, N.Y., in 1g33, thegeographical districting for commilment to Industiy has'been furtherie-st-iic[ed-, and boys may bq committed to Industrj' from the fourth,fifth, sixth, seventh, and- eighth judicial districts only (including 43 ofthe 62 counties in the State). The House of Refuge in New YorkCity then became.an institution to care for.b.oys 16 ttlg years of age.8

Statutory provision was made for requiring parents [o pav some-thing towaid ihe boy's care in the institution.

- ihe court was Lharged

with ascertaining the financial standing of the parents or other personsresponsible for the boy's support. IT it wasfound that thev wereablb to pay anything

-toward- his care, the court was obliged to so

order, in whatever amount was iudged fair and equitable, but nor toexceed $10 a week. The treasuier of the institution uas'required to-t

N.;;l l;uws of 1886, cb. b39; Laws of rsOZ, ch. 522.,

I N€q Y,olF, f:?ws of 1904, cb. l6f. .Another law -of the same year established an industrial schoot for girls,

designsted.the New York State'Training_Scbool for Girls, py reserviDg for girls under 16 years of agd th6houso of refuge for women at Iludson, N.Y. (Laws of 1904. ch. 453).)use of refuge for women at Eudson, N.Y. (Laws of 1904, ch.453)

I New York, Laws of I867. ch. 951: laws of 1926. ch. 343: Cahil l 's. New York, Laws of 1867, ch. 951; laws of 1926, ch. 343; Cahil l,s ConsolidatedLaw, secs. 50-52, 180. See Eightieth Annual Report of tho Board of Visitors ofIndustrial School, Industry, N.Y., for the year eodins June 30, 1928, p. t6.

i67, ch. 951; laws of 1926, ch. 343; Cahil l 's Consolidated Laws 1930, State Charit iese Eig_hlieth Annual Report of tho Board of Visitors of the State Agricultural andry, N.Y., for the year eoding June 30, 1928, p. t6.onsolidated Laws 1930, State Charit ies .l-aw, sec. 196 (1).so p. 7 of this reDort.

6 New York, Cahiu's Consolidated Laws 1930, State Charities f,aw; sec. 196 (i).7 Ibid., sec. 1.84. See also p. 7 of tbis report.E New York-, .t:aws of 1932;ch.414.(1932_Sqpp,.to Cahil l 's Consolidateal Laws 1930, Penal Law, secs.2t84,84a). The following counties are included in tbe foutb, f ifth, sixth, sevotrth, and eiehth judieial districtathe State: Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton, Stratoga, Washington, Essex, Warren, ,Aainilton, CIintoD,

ranklio, St. Lawrence: Jeflerson. Lewis. Osweso. ODelda..Eerkimer. Ononriasa: Madison- orseso- Dctq.

2184a). The fouowing counties are included in the foutb, f ifth, sixth, sevorof the State: Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton, Stratoga, Washington, EsrFranklin, St. Lawrence; Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, Oneida, Eerkimer, Ontware, Cbenango, Broome, Tiosa, Chemung, Scbuyler, Tompkins,'CorlCayuga, Wayne, -\{ooroe, Oniaiio, Livingston; Aileginy, Cittardugus,

of the State: Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton, Stratoga, Washingt<in, Essex,'Warred, .Eahitton, Ctinton,Franklio, St. Lawrence; Jeflerson, Lewis. Oswego, ODelda, .f lerkimer, Ononriaga; Madison, Otsego, Dela.ware, Cbenango, Broome, Tiosa,.Ch_emlrng, Scbuyler, Tompkins, Cortland; Steuben, yalesfSeneca,Cayuga, Wayne, -Mooroe, Ontario, Livingston; Allegany, Ca[araugus, Chautauqua, Erie, \t1.oming,

. New York, Lawsof 1904,bh. 167. Another lawbf)signsted the New York State Training School for

Clenesee, Orleans, Niagara.Erie, Wyoming,


136 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR, DELINQUENT tsOYS

keep in a separate fund any such money that might be collected andat the end oi every month [o iray it to the treasurir of the State to beadded to the general fund.s

Location 2' THE PHYSI.AL PLANT

After the change of site the New York State Agricultural andIndustrial School- wap about 12 miles southwest of the city ofRochester, N.Y. The location was rural, Industry being lgerely thename of the institution post office and railroad station. There wasno town or village of that name. The village of Scottsville u'ith 936inhabitants wasl miles distant. This a{Ioided nearby small storesand garages, although Rochester was the real center for all purchasingand recreation.

The highway which passed through the center of the grou_nds wasa main highway, but not arterial, and w-as a connecting linh betweentwo main routris'; it carried considerable traffic. A branch line of theErie R.R., between Rochester and Corning, passed directly tlrough,ihe campus. This furnished train and mail service about four timesa oaY.

T[e surrounding countryside was rolling farm land with lorv hillsand some woodlan?s. Th-e Genesee Riveiflows through the institu-tion propertv.

There^wai no distinct central ca,mpus about rvhich all the buildingshad been grouped, as in the other schools included in the study-Wiih the divelopment of more centralization, diverging from the oldseparate colony plan, a unit of buildings centering about the schoolUrilamg was being developed. Aside from tliis one group of building-s,some of which were still in process of erection, the units were widelyscattered, and there was little appea,rance of an institution as oneapproached from either direction.Acreage

Under the old progra,m the entire omphasis was on agriculture.The institution owndd 1,432 acres of lind. This was

-originally

broken up into 32 separate farm units, operated really as 3?r indepen-dent farris. One hrindred and six acres-comprised the land used forthe central group of buildings, lawtts, and grounds about the separatecolonies. th; hosDital. and oTh'er unit3. So'me of the farmins wi,s stillcolonies, the hospital, and units. Some of the farmins was still

r all. 652 acres were under cultivation:done in separate colony plots. In all, 652 acres were under cultivation;the balance was meadow. nasture. and rvoodland.the balance was me , pasture, and rroodland..A.dministrative offi ces

In the early plan of this institution the underlying purpose rvas toavoid any appearance of an institut'ion. The original buildings wereall of frame, each of slightly different architecturaladministration building belonged to this

tural desien. Theof early Suildings.admtnrstratron burldrng belonged to thrs group ol early burlctmgs.

It rvas of frame construction, two stories in height, rvith an attic thatwas almost equivalent to a third floor. \Tith its pillared portico andu'ith its larvn it was like a large private residence in appearance.The offices of the superintendent and assistant superintendent, thebusiness administration, the chaplains, the head matron, and theparole department weie on the first floor. One large room was set,aside as the board room. The second floor was used for rooms for

. N-* Y*krcahill's Consolidatod Laws, 1930, St8to Oharities I/aw, sec. 196 (5).


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAI, AND INDUSTRIAL SCEOOI, L37

\\'omen members of the staff.offi.ces tvere small, and thoseroom were crowded.Boys' residence quarters

No sign design,ated the building.. Thein which seveial persons worked in ono

The bovs'residences were still referred to as "colonies", as in theearly dayi of the school under the independent farm u-nit plan. Theywer6 widelv scattered, some of them being as far as 2 miles from theadministration office'and the school buiiding. Twenty-four of thethirtv-two orisinal colonv houses were still in-use for boys. All werefram"e, of varfing types bf architecture, carefully designed so as notto be i'rifor- ooi t6-present the appearance of an institution. Theylooked, as w&s intend-ed, like ordinary farm houses.

Som'e of the smaller'colonies used one room as living room anddinins room combined. A ferv had separate living rooms. _ All wereattraddvelv and comfortablv furnished. The u'indows had gay. cJr-tains and-the wall decoraiions were cheery. The separate_ltvrngroo-. were supplied with comfortable chairs but had no tables forgam€s' the diniirlg-roonr tables being used for. that purpose' However,6oth livinE rooris and dininE rooirs were in constant, use and werein no renle show places. ,{tt ttre colonies contained dormitories.th"r. were small, as^each colony had a,maximum capacity of 25 boys'

The buildings were old, anl plumbing fixtures were lot of themosi mode"o iyp.. However, the upkeep was good' and sar,rjtaryfacitities *ere fiirly adequate.

' Two iolonies set aside ?s disciplinary

uoitr, oou for youhger i.nd ono for older boys, were little different,trom'tne other"s, exiept perhaps not quite.so attractively furnished.There were no additionaf security features in_the physical equipmentof tt."" colonies. None had airy bars or heavy screening at, thewindows.Staff residence quarters

Aithough the institution was rural in location, a number, of thostaff members lived in Rochester or nearby sm4l towns' .rlus w&sr*ti""t"rt" t"u" oi the academic teachin! stafi. The principal oftn" *"a".iic school preferred that the teaEhers live ofi the grounds.--foi

tne resident offi""rr witb families, there were 6 small frame

"oituSu. ;,1 iece"tly remodeled quarters'in 2 of. the 5 colonies which

h;A-B;;; discontini ea as bovs'' residence quarters' The offi'ccrswere charEed a nominal rent,"for these. The night gua-rds- had asmall cottise: the few single men living at the institution ha_d roomsi"

""ii""r i"tooiur; *o*ei teachers an-d officestaff had single rooms

i; ;il;A-;i"i;t"ation building and annex; colony supervisors lived

"t iU"it t".p""ti"e colonies; a"nd. the hospital staff, three nurses and

a cook, had quarters at the hospital.* f[o'.rp"riniendent's residente was a large rvhite house, at, the top

"t ln" Uiitl

"fi;;ailt; bea'tiful vieu'and standing out from the other

buildings as one approached bhe institution.Dining-roorn and kitchen facilities

Ealh colony had its own dining roorn and kitchen. SmaII tables*.r" !."a,-*iift *nit" toUt* Iinen a-nd china dishes- The only centraldinins room w.as one used for some of the officers located in an annex;di#;; to tn" administration building. tr'our large tables seating;; ' ; ;14;;^; ; ; ;JG" smal l tables 6ach seat ing 5 or 6:nade theA-ir.i;- ;;;-.-utft.r

"ro*a"a. Seating capacity wai not sufficient, for


138 FIVE STATE INSTITU,IIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

all the officers at one time. The kitchen was small but fairly wellequipped.Chapels and assembly hall

Two chapels. one Protestant and one Catholic, and the assemblyhall compriied'a unit of buildinss situated on a hillside, adjacent t<rthe centr^al school buildins. The two chapels were of brown shingles;the assemblv hall betweei them was frame, painted white. The lat-ter was one'story in height; it had a small stage and was used for allassemblies and f"or a g.yirnasium. Seating arrangement rvas by port-able chairs. The roo'rir was finished suitablv for use as a gymnasium,and hence was not particularly attractive &s an- asscmbly hall.

Both chanels had distinctive interiors containing elements of realbeauty. The Catholic chapel had an unusually atiractive altar andf*"i.k"g.. The wall decbrations surrounding the.altar -were richin color,

-with soft dark green and gold predominating. - The same

color scheme was continuid in a decorative band around the chapelwall above the dark wood wainscoting. The windows were colorfuland desiEned in excellent taste. It took very close inspection todiscoverlhat they were not stained glass but transparent coloredD&Der carefullv airrlied in stained-slass designs' Atl this has beende6cribed in d"etaii because it had bien done by the boys themselvesunder the direction of the officer in charge of field parole and the lead-ership of the vocational instructors.

-The Prolestant chapel was

simil^arly decorated except that the coloring was maroon and gold'Both cliapels had small fipe organs.Hospital

The hosoital. a 3-storv brick buildinE, w{l,s at some distanee fromthe adminiitration building, on a hiII commanding a view of the insti-tution grounds and the surrounding country.

The "hospital had a bed capacity of a0 but could care for 50 boysverr easily-. There were 3 wards

-(2 for sick patients, and I for con-

val6scenti), 6 individual rooms, and a very atlractive Porch, used forspecial convalescents. The hospital was equipped with its own sur-g-erv. co-plete enoush for perfoiming maiol operations, but did not[nl]e ao X-rav labdratory; such work was tone at the GeneralHospital in Rochester.

The third floor of the hospital was used for living quarters for thehospital stafr.School building

The central school buildins had been in use only since September1930. It was about a city block from-th-e -admipp-trative office aldp.art wg,y up a gentl:c sloPe.situated in the new plan of centa,s much as 2 miles from some ,

this building yqs. centrallytle slobe. Although this building wa,s centrallyplan of centralizatibn of training activities, it wassituatedin the n6w plan oi centralizatibn of training.activities, i

as much as 2 miles -from

some of the outlying cololies.The building was of red brick, fireproof, two stories and basement.housed. beJides the academic department, the office of the BoyIt housed, beJides the academib deirartnient, the office of the Boy

Scouts, th6 offices of the clinic of psychiatry and psychologY, the schoolScouts, th6 offices of the clinic of psychiatry-a4il psychology, the schodlnurse,

'the dental hygienist, the vbcational director, and som,e, trade

shops. A larEe attiictive room was set aside for a school library,but no consid"erable number of books had been obtained. Lightingand yentilation in all the classrooms were good. The walls werewhite and the woodwork gray. School desks of the usu-al tlype wereprovided. Gay paper cut-otits and art work done by the boys and


NEW YORK STATE AGRICUI,TURAI, AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOI, 139

pinned up aro^rmd. the blackboards added to the cheerful and attractivea,ppearance oI tne roolns.Shops

Some of the shops, including printing, -."6a1ilal drawing, and

"urp""iry, were in ih" bur"oten"t 6t tnc sch,oo! building. This" was a

temporary arrangement pending the completion o{ a group of tradeffiili"ss"*hose Eonstr.uciion w"as il progress.. 'lh"

lTd,9-I"i.,lET

;;;a;;tildifu. ;;'"; adjacent to the school, and rvere being built veryclose toEether.--

S".t ?roaes as pl'mbing, electrical rvork, and.painting were largely.**i*d oo in cooi.ection irith maintenance work; and-no shops hadbeen set up as yet. The transition from a purely agncultural

"trqlP.ng""r.r.

i"'a volntional program was still in process, and the facilitiesfor shops for trade 'worir were somervhat limited.

Farm buildingsThe existence of practically 32 ind_ependent farm units under the

forme" agricultural'program'resulted in n wide scattering-of farmUuilai"g*l While thb a[ricultural progra-m was being centralized thetu"io,iJtu.- buildings riere still scittered, an{the major farm build-inEs were at differenT outlying colony sites. For example, the dairyt-u?"r were all about 2 mile; distant {rom the administration and..h""t plants in one direction, anrl the poultry buildings werc I milefrom th-e center in the opposite direction. All the Iarm burldtugs wereiuirio ua"quate and rvei6 wel kept. The machinery and equipment*.i.i -oad.n and sufficient to perimit the teaching of up-to-date farmmethods.Gymnasium and athletic field

The institution had no gvmna,slum building at the time of the visit'ptans naa beon drawn foii, new gymnasium-to cost $150,000 but noi""a. nua been secured. The ai-sembly hall was used, as- a g'ymna-;irt". Besides providing space for flooi gymnastics, it'. \ui u basket-Ual[co".t. Am^ple spacE for such outdooi athletic activities as base-uun, burf"tlatt,inaiootball was provided near the school building-bach coloov hah its own play spaie. A new outdoor suimming poolhad been completed in 1931'

3. PLANT YALUATION AND OPERATING EXPENSE

The business office supplied the following figures relative to theplant valuation:

contemllated the erection of -12 small,each to^house a seDarate trade and its

1-story brick buildings,cOntemplated the erectron oI ,I2 small, sq_uarer l-stol'y DrIcK ouuurngs'

;;h 6ii;"se a separate trade and its -afiied t'raining courses' ., These

$184, 966. 88603, 331. 53241,376. 58

T o t a l - - - - - - - - - - - 1 , 0 2 9 , 6 7 4 " 9 9

The values qiven represented amounts expended by the StateacA nrrrnoses-and not the f indinss of recent appraisals.these purposes and nof the findings of recent appTho^ hriqinpqq office sunnlied the follornns inftfhe- bo^ritr"ss office supplied th"e followrng infbrmation relative

costs of operation for thrJ lear ended June 30, 1931:$279, 861. 46

1 8 9 , 2 1 1 . 1 5

469, 072. 61

for

to

Salaries-----Maintenance and supplies-

T o t a l - - - - - - -76870-35-10


L4O FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

As theper boy)

ayerage daily population was 572, Lhe per capita cost (costras $520.00." Tlii. cost did not include any charge for foodras $820.06. This cost did not include any charge for foodand consumed. These "home products" were valued at

w&s

The local board of visitors, subiect to the authority of the Statodepartment of social welfare, was responsible for the general manlse-ment of the school and was to " take care of the Eeneral interest of theinstitution and see that its desiEn is carried into iffect." '0 The boardor a majority of its members w6re required by law to visit and inspec-tthe institutibn at least once each month and within 10 days after eachvisit to make a written report to the department of social welfare and

produced a$89,587.31 .

4. AD NTTNISTRATIYE . "Tl33td^Rh+JI'

oR GANIZ ArI oN, AND

Aclministrative controln'unctional control'over the New York AEricultural and Industrial

School rested with the State department of social rvelfare, as has beeniously shorvn. (See p. 135.) Fiscal control was vested in thepre\'lously sno\Yn. (Dee p. r,Jo.J -lrscal co

State department of standards and purchase.

to the Governor. This board was repoited to be a, very activewhich maintained standins committees and kept in close toutwhich maintained standing committees and kept in

trve group,touch withwnlcn malnfalneo stanomg commlwees &no Kep[ ln close r,oucn wf[tr

the school. Its duties included primarily "t[e maintenance of aneffective inspection of the institution ", according to the formal bylawsthat had been adopted.rl

Close working relationships of purely advisory character were main-tained with other State departments and divisions, such as architec-ture, budget, education, health, and farms and markets.

Immediate executive control was vested in the superintendent, whowas appointed by the director of the State department of socialwelfare.Personnel: Number and duties

The pay roll at this institution carried 204 full-time and 7 part-time employees. The following positions were listed:Super in tendent - - - - - - - - - - IAsi istant superintendent---------- ISecond assislant superintendent--- 1Steward- - - - -Secretary to superintendent------- 1C ler ica l workers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13Superintendent of scbools- 1T e i c h e r s - - - - - - - - - - - 1 8Director of trade education------- 1Instructors. trade education 12---- 19Athietic director and assistant----- 2Colony supervisors--- - - - - - - - - - - - - 23Relief supervisors-------- 5Colony matrons- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - 34Rel ie f mat rons- - - - - - - - - - - 5General supervising matron------- 1O t h e r m a t r o n s - - - - - - - - - - - 2Day guards-- 2Nigh t guards - - - - - - - - 27

Relief guardsPht;i.i-;it"t[t-;i-- -- - - : - - : : : : :Dentist (part time)--Optical surgeon (part time) - --- - --Nurses-Hosp i ta i mat ron- - - - - -Dental hygienist-----Psychiatrist (part time)Psychologist-Psychiatric social workerChaplains (1 part t ime)-- - -- - -- -- -Organists (part t ime) ---Boy Scout director---- - -ii arm suDervlsor-- - - - - _ _ - -EnEineef and electr ician--- - -- -- --Assistant engineer and electricians-Chief parole agents- - -----Parole asentsOther p6rsonnel 13 - -- --- - -

rc New York, Cahill's Consolidated Laws 1930, State Charities Law, sec. 52.l1 R€vised Bylaws of the State Agricultuat and Industrial School, Jan. 1, 1932, sec. 3, p. 1. Soo also

p. 135 of tbis report.12 Persons listed specincally s "instructors" in the department of trade education at this institution

were: .Baker, bandmaster, blacksmith, canning-plant manager, carpenters (2), creamery man, electrical-consfiuction foroman, laundrjrman, machinist, mason, mechanical-drawing toacher, miller, painter, printer,shoemaker, tailors (2), and tinsmith.

t3 Thisgroupincluded2storekeepers,2boadcooks,3cooks,6waitresses,lbutcbsr,2carpentors,lpainter,aad 2 chauffeurs.


311I

211III32

11428

18

l

NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTUR'AIJ AND INDUSTRIAIJ SCIIOOL L4l.

The school benefited by the occasional servi--ces of additiong'l worker*

Notabre u-oog'iil.tJ;;i, qtr";;tiG conrribured bv members of t'hesraff of rhe

"hild;"iil;;.";l#;;dt;;h.d t;-iig Universitv of Roches-

ter. Thnt "lioir"*operated

*noi.-n.uttl4ly i'' giving ps-ycholosical

llii o!i.ru-. i;tri, service when ;;a;Ji.--qu6y "rEo pii,i f,arr of tne

psv chrarrrr ro"ruf#oti.r,* ;;6ry ";d

atl of a-part-time psychologist's

Suiuty for this institution'

Personnel: Salaries

The salary *J, at the school range-d. flolq $780 to $5,000' X'ull-

time employee. ;-*i-tft- t[u e"top tioo ot- tn" fi eld parol tig'S:^ received'

maintenaor. ,J ;aAidt; to iaffi. Thott not in residence at the

institutior, ,e"uive-,l* u -ui"t."u"d" alowance' A graduated allow-

ance was mad" il;; *iifu""lilir, 1.*iJi"g at, the Echool and main-

raininE rheir ";;1;1;.

=Til};;i" ageits- of course were reim-

bursed' for their';r_t!;i u*puorrS i"-ln"-field. salaries for certain

il;iti;"; were as follows:$5,000 | Teacherr t t--,---,---- l :--^-^- 1, 296-1,50O

Superintendent--- - Do' uuu I rstl(,uvrD --;;;;a;;;: - ' -- '

Assistant .up..rrrt"-rr-d-"nt - z" zio I

nitector of trade educa-Assistant supenntenoen! ', 'ow

I "T;L",i"^ "- ::___

Second assistant super- | uru',--

intendenr- -"-:"-:- ?, lg9 I r":l:y.l,ors, trade educa- 1 166-1. 80ointendent- - 2, :66

| ^ l i ; ; - ;__l

_-___ __ t , 166-1,800St"t"r ta- q '9Physician (part ti-.i--- - ,; 500 I Ati'rJic diiectot-- 1' 500

Head nurse------:- '---: - i, Ito I q;-I";t;upervisors 1{---- 1' 048-1' 500

Nurses- - :.--------::::- $i: gig | 99i?F1.i:,1'?liL'-;

5; ooo l - ! i -oq. 'u

N u r s e s - - : ' - - - - - - -psychiatrist (part;i-;i--

-2; qqq I gt*{bliggagents----- 2' 000

I.r:trt:*e'il:;;i.:^ll: ?i g[[ | Eil'1i"'itrLT;- --:-:-- r' ffi:l 333F*"u.iii"tt"ic social worker- ], uuuili,;;t"i;;J""t-or schools 1, 8oo

(JI [IIe luu-rr&rre s,"]'!vJ "'- - fO, ii_" SefViCe aS fOllOWS:

tional remuneration Per month

New.YorkStateemqloye^esale.e l ig i | ' l -e for9. ' t . lTaddi t ionalmonthly r.-,ro."**tio";?iti g

-yeais' cintimrous service aF follows:

$4 a month at the end. of B yeaiJ *ir"i-ri $9 u month at the end of

E years, rrroic"i;Tfi, "t

try."."d;f 1O; gfti.at the end of 15; and $20

afier 20 years''l.1"iti. "Tn.

i*ice it'11ot required to be all in the

;;;; qtut-..?gencv or unit. r, this school. 1{

- rg addi-"*oi m" i"l:tirtd employees 3,t thig schoof 1!9^^*"%,":,:33to"

8L21620

Personnel: Appointments and removals

At this *"noof-"i*ost all the staff r-ngpbers' including the super-

inrendenr, or..rr'i ffifirplgg Hoil^ "-i"il-rrr"ih-.tigiule" lists estab-

lished by exa'.n,r'utioor.^ -O"ly ;?;;p;-Jitioot *t"t liJted as not under

the civil serlrrce. Thougir tn. i""puti"ienaent was -app"^=l:* bv the

State board of social welfare, uU-5inil";;;6i"es were appoint6d by

the superintendent'.

l1 rofi""rl;?'f'['l$"3i?ffi"i3tfiT;tuu, 1l were receiving $r,4m, and 6 were receivins $1'800'


I42 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BoYs

Personnel: Terms of seryiceThe following figures show the length of service at the institution

of the 204 full-time employees:Number ofemploAeeS

Less than 1 year------- 161 year , less than 2- - - - - - - - - - - 2 l2 years , less than 3- - - - - - - - - - - 2L3 years , less than 4- - - - - - - - - - - 164 years , less than 5- - - - - - - - - - - 165 years , Iess than 10- - - - - - - - - - 4610 years o r more- - - - - 66Not reported- 2

Whether or not the State bonus for continuous service has anythingto do with it, the fact remains that this school has a very considerablenumber of employees who have remained in service a iong period oftime. Twenty-one of the persons who were on the pay roll had beenwith the school 20 years or^more and 45 others had bben thero 10 to 19years. In this group 1 1 colony supervisors and 1 0 colony matrons hadserved 10 to 19 years, and 5 colony matrons and 5 colony supervisorshad served 20 fearc'or more. Five trade instructors had served 10to 19 years, and 2 had served more than 20 years. Among the schoolteach6rs in the department of academic e[ucation 5 had served 20years or more, &nd 5 had served t0 to 19 years. In the short-servicegroup,,especi.ally among those who had been there only I year, weremany individuals who were filling new positions under the expandedprogiam since the change of admiiistrati6n in 1929.Personnel: Qualifications

IJnfortunately there was very little information available in therecords at this school with respect to the education and previousexperience of the employees. As many of them had been on the rolla number of vears, their educational experience prior to appointment.g- number qf yea1s, their e4ucatiolral experience prior to appointment,if-on-record at all,'would be found in oli civil-seivice filei^at Atbanyiwhich were not inspected.

The superintendent had had a lreat deal of previous experience inthe educational world and in institutions of similar charir,cter. Hewas much interested in developing and applying progressive methodsof treatment for juvenile delinqudits.tu

The assistant superintendent came to his position from the public-scl'ool system in New York State, having been superintendent ofschools in a small citv. The principal and teachers of the academicschool were all reportid to be norrnal-school graduates.

The director of-trade education and superiitendent of shops was agraduate of the State Teachers College-at Albany and had takendourses at Mechanics Institute, also in" Cornell, Coiumbia, and NewYork Universities. He had had considerable frevious experience inteaching ald directing vocational-education work. He hail served inthatthat capacity in a rural consolidated school, at the Oswego StateNormal School, and in the continuation and vocational school atNormal School, and in the continuation and vocational school atNewburgh, N.Y. Six of tho trado instructors were reported to havetaken volational training in summer courses at State iormal schools,and nine had taken exteniion courses of the State department of educa-tion. Others, some of whom had been a long time iir service, had been

l0 The superitrtendent in charge when the institution was yisited resigned Mar. 6, 1934,

Y


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAI, AND INDUSTIiIAI, SCHOOI, 143

Dractical workmen in their -own pa ticular fields priol to ,appoint-hent. Some of ttose #ho ftaa-tit." the teaching course 'ad lil ie-

wise had some yec,rs ot."pttit""e in actual^shop work' 1 i L^The 2 chief parole""g",it. r"i 'S-oi'1tr" field'agcnts h_ad ha,l coi-

lege work, 4 being unTt:*ttity ot tolltg".grad'uatc-s' Only 1 in that

crorrp had. not, sone il):;;d"[i;h"gi;dE' but he had been on the

s ta f l .a t theschoo l l .o r l5 . r .earsandhndbcenpron,o tec l . toparo lewor l t .Three of the agcnts iuu1" yo"ilg college. graduates- rvith no prevlous

erperience. One *.as trurn6a foi the i"i"i.iil' an4 rvas an- ordained

;,ft.;;;. ' 'e]'ntt

er t ua f,ua pr.riotrs experieico rvith chrrrch agencies

in Buflalo. r*-o oilltt tt-i;; ;At{'dtiott had not gone bevond

grad.ation tro*. nigit' Jlt""| *"t"' "q;";';"h;

h*a- r-"?1 pronioted

lifl riJf;,::.il'J:ff ;t*ix*ffi ';."w''i.t'l,i"J':1t#?'*?Tt;;;;;t ;ld,'["d-iot#"tly served as laundry inst'ruct'or'

Personnel: Living antl working conditions

Thestaf ihousingut. t t ' i . i " ' t i tut ionhasbeenor.r t ' I inedinconnect ' ionrvith the description;i th;ly;i"ui 1'fu"t' (See p' 137') Staff housing

;;il'ti";dlt il "o*iJ"ri,i" ".

eiiher adequate or satisfactorv rn

character."'M;;;;;t. of the stafi rvho did not har''e family quart'ers

officers' clining ,oo---itt the adminitt|1!1o" building'ate in theFood lr'as

ii."iir,l, "l- gol cL qu u Ii t-v' "i1 : "IJ J.1?::*#,ji#.|r*XXiY;li'Y,'-'t$#t#if ;'"",\"p,et'il:i,"Tl:1.."*::

g #t e iii; ;;;;.;' ; i ; iiili ;,i ;'r:: :i e :F : I, *l'i f.-::"q,'l;-1iflffi iif,li',:: :*.'?Tft"".? i l, iX i'i !' ;'Jr, J j'r "'i"- . "i J t" I e i "'i co mpli c a t e d

$ti;" ili3ii;" w as such tha t the ins.ti tu-tion. p ersonn el u'a i:f,T:::h i1d"ff"%""i'l'#'":;i"ii#;{l#li'tifi'g^it^'"']1-t"i^?.,i.:3b1:lf ii;:iffii'il ;; ,tiil' iii;

- r i';" ;Lti-; r R " "h g' t'I, l".Y:,"-*:.:*tX" l"'l,:'il'i1";;:1#?"#"i"'*."n i"r those.,*ho, h1l ll"ir own cars'ntt les au'ayr 1\ 'as easY tu redurr lur urrvDL

i;iir;. h;d'to dep"nd o" trtt infrequent railroad service'

Stafr organization

The stafi at, this institut'ion was organizgd o+ u :'-tl"lilrdglult:

"r""iuf

"Uu.i.. fit" -ott import'ant' d=epartments were sard' to De

th e follo wi n e, Trua" ;i';;"i1;;;;;trt"lai-tif edu c-ation' ph vsica l ed u c a -

t ion. relisio us u ork, Iili"S;;;'" o-rk, stewaidsh ip, a giicirlture, medi-

;;Tl;tf^ ."i"ntin"' ild";t1i;p;toit,' u"a thc mairois' department'

,\s the new ad.ministration was not yet.; years "11.1"-1:-lhe

entire

D'osram had been untleigoing more or less complete reorganization'

i;"fil;;ffiu;.o.;l #;; "i;;;"iil'"

ti'"i of rhe risit to the institutionto chart the new organrza't'lon plan'

Administrative leadership and stafr teamwork

Under the superint""a""' appointei in 1929' '" ?il:l:a:jrregular.t #'il"i"t*o "ei

tto a ueen in si ituted' . Thro u cl^ ̂ tl':,t"- f::t:trT::;f 'y'::.1T1"i"ffi i';:.;";hi'i;l:';peq;1^li::*:;1igf.Xl"ifi *:i]"u#""f ""6hlili!,iili'-,ll,l ;'r;'f - ;h: olde. st a ff rnemb ers, rvho"-^-o " ncr r s rorn ccl f,o

"Jti;I" iin"t""t rvorkin g rneth-ods and,pro grams':,1 :ij; ?'i;,,. ;"fi# t " " Xt* " rv ii tre r e nt'y g i\i I q i I : tl'f $.: ** f-'i:.11T;\ \ ' c le acc l l s [o l r reu LU ( ' r rLuru ' : ; - - ' i . - th " t

they mig i i t u ish toto bring ul-llv q#l*:",T^:ll3^tilii'Irt a verv difficurr probt"-ii";;'ti..1i;;,i: "Th;;,' perintenden t |o'gd 1, "'1{lllT JffiTi:3; ",', i;,,i;ii;'il";;;i;'i

o"i," the t re atrnen t a cc orded


L44 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

the bovs at this school. Althoush he had on the staff many men andwom"ri lyho had been thoroug-hly schooled in the old regime, hereoorted that for the most pait he had been able to secure, if nottheir enthusiastic support of the new plans, at least their promise ofcooperation in trying them out,.

General staff conferences atttion in trying them out,.ral stafi ionierences attended by all depart'ment, heads u'ereGeneral statt conlerences at,tendect Dy au depart'menr' neacts \\refe

held weekly in tho superintendent's office. Discussion v-as notedI I _ _

to be quitL free, an.d bpinions were cordially invited and franklto be quite free, an.d opinions were cordrally rnvtted anct lranlil-yexp.e.sed. Stafl confereirces for peruons other than department headswe--re nof, ohserved in action. fhese conferences u'ere particularlywere not, observed in act'ion. conferences u'ere particularlYimportant, in view of the necessity of winning supPort for.pro.gressivenolicies involvins considerable ieorEanization of the institution'spo involving considerable ieorganizatibn of the institution'sprogram.

5, ADMISSIONS, CAPACITY, AND POPULATION

Intake provisions and policiesCommitments to the State Asricultural and Industrial School were

made by children's courts and Included boys between the ages of 12and 16 years charged with all types of offenses; boys under 12 could becommitied if foun-d guilty of a felony, but for no other type of offense'The practice had aliayibe"n to send to Industry boys-from all partsof the Statc except the metropolitan district, and this was still ineffect at, the timri of this studv, as the legisiation establishing thenev' institution at Warwick did"riot so into ifiect until after the fieldwork for the study had been completed. (See p. 135.)

The superintendent had authorily to refuie to^receirie boys mentallyand phyiically incapable of benefiting by the prcgram ofiered. 17

Becairse many of th6 children's courtslaclied facilities for examiningand diagnosing the children, particularly as to mental ability, it hadbeen diificult

"to eriercise the-right to refuse boys on those grounds.

Therefore many defectives hadbeen received. " The superintendent

had been making a special effort to eliminate defective boys fromthis institution and had made some progress through the help of thepsychological clinic.-

Transfer or nonacceptance of boys suffering with certain diseaseswas the policy of the institution.

- Boys wiih epilepsy and active

tuberculoiis were transferred to suitable institutions for t'reatmentand care. Those with active sonorrhea rvere returned to the com-mitting courts. Treatment foisyphilis w-as given at the institution.Capacity and population

The population at Industry on March 29, 1932, was_This number was far below the normal capacity, reportedand several cottases had been closed.

The proportion of Negroes was very lorv. Only 16 of the 393 boyscommidted in the vear"ended June 50, 1932, w6re Negro. Figur-es

The proportion of Negroes was very lorv. Only 16 of the 393 boysmmidted in the year"ended June 50, 1932, w6re Negro. Figures

470 boys.to be 700,

on nativity were not' readily available.Duringihe last fiscal year prior to the study (J.ily 1_, 1930.to June

30, 1931) 12 boys undei 12 fsst. of age v-ere receiied, 1 being only7 years old. The largest age group consisted of l5-year-okl boys(i66), and the next largest group rvas the boys 14 years old (99).

l? New York, Cahil l 's Consolidated Laws 1930, State Charit ies Law, sec. 196 (1).


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOIJ I45

The age distribution for the 393 boys admitted during the year wasas follos-s:

Nunberof bous

7 yea rs - - - - - - 1

9 iears------ ?10 years----- l11 years - - - - - I12 years - - - - - 3713 years - - - - - 6714 years - - - - - 991 5 y e a r s , - - - - - - - - - - - 1 6 616 years----- 12

More than three times as many boys u'ere under the authority,ofthe institution on parole as 'wer6 resident. As in Nex' Jersey,aheparole period in New York was generaily long (see pp' 128,171.) The^turoot^et

in l,his group was small. On April l,lg32, the number onoarole was 1.742.

rvlovement, or pcpulation during the last, fiscal ye-qr before theinstitution v.as visit^ed (ended June 30, 1931) v-as as follows:

Popu la t ion Ju ly 1 , 1930- - - - - - - - - - 538

Received during the year--------- ---- 782

New commi tments - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 393Recommi tments - - - - - - - - - 3Parolees returned- 95Escapes re tu rned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 291

Lost during the year-----

Released on discharge-Dischareed bv court order--------Commit'i,ed to Randall's Island--Committed to Rome State School-Committed to Rochester State Hospital------------Released on request of committ ing judge-------Enlisted in Army----Returned to committing judge--- -- -Returned to children's asency-Returned to committing judge for commitment to Randall's

Island---- - - -Returned to committing judge for commitment to Rome State

S c h o o l - - - - - -Sent to parents out of StateReleased on parole-Escaoed- -Died-- - -

768

33I3811I81

2

1I

4t332r

1

Popu la t ion June 30 ,1931- - - - - - - - 552

6. RECEPTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURDReception

Boys were brought to this school by offrcers delegated by tle com-mittiirs children's"court-usuallv a irobation officer, or a sheriff orhis deiuty. New boys were received by the assistalt, superintendentwho tboi care of th'e necessarY papers and who obtained the factsnecessary to make the first enlri-es-on the regist-ration blanks. Atthis first" contact the assistant superintendentlalked to each boy ina kindly way about the opportunilies which were open to him at theschool. The boy was then-sent to a, receiving colony.


146 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

Receiving coloniesThis school maintained two receivinE colonies-one for bovs under

14, one for boys 14 or over. A very rigid policy regarding the strictsegregation of the younger from the older boys was enforced. Thesew6"e'pleo.ant, honielike"colonies, in no way difierent from the others.

Boirs remained in the receivinEcolonies about 3 weeks. While therethey "attended school but in a sp'ecial room for new boys. They werealso given a tgy-out in shop worli. Their only work assignments duringthis period were on out-of-door details on the grounds.

During this period each boy was subjected t-o intensive study. Hewas immediately brought into contact with the parole department,which would evintuall"v be resnonsible lor helpinl him to make hisadjustment back into iormal s6cial life in his ou'ricommunity. Thep-aiol-e agent assigned.especially to preparole work met the b-oy.veryshortly after his admission. During the boy's stay at the receivin-gcoloni one of the parole field agents inade a preliminary home, schggl,and cburt investifation for th6 purpose of getting, so iar as possible,a complete sociai historv of the liov. t[is iniestieation includedregisteiing the case with"any social-service exchange ihat might existinihe bovfs home communilv or in anv city wherd he was known tohave lived and following up r"eference. iecuted from that source. Theboy had meanwhile been in the hands of the staff members of thesc[ool clinic of psychiatry and psychology, who had been carrying or,!an intensive study of his mental and emotional make-up. He hadbeen interviercd by the superintendent of schools to determine whathis past school experience and achievements had been, and the super-visor in the receiving colony where he was in residence had been mak-ing close observatioi of hiipersonality and any particular difficultieswEich he might reveal in hid association with the other boys. He hadalso had a complete physical examination.First assignments

At the end of the 3-week study the boy's c&se was set for consid-eration by the assignment comri.ittee, which was composed of theassistant superintendent as chairman and the psychiatrist, psycholo-gist, psychiltric social worker, supervisor of preparole

'ic[ivities,

iocitional director. and suoerintendent of schobls. The committeeheld its meetings at, the receiving colonies. A report on the boy's casewas presented in detail Each ipecialist contributed a report on hisfindings and his recommenclationi. The case was then discusse4 veryfrankly and informally, and the necessary decisions were reached.

Colony assignment- was based on consideration of a number ofdifferent factors, the first being age and physical development. Nextthe boy's prior bonduct and eipirience were considered with a viewto deciding whether he was likely to need very strict supervision orwas of a type that did not require close and constant, attention fromthe colony iupervisors. Another point that was given much attentionand one that'ilas no doubt of greaf value was cons-ideration of the boy'snersonalitv traits in relation to the known temperaments of the colonYiupervisors and matrons. It was noted that ihe psychological cliniiworkers had a very good knowledge of the characteristics of both thestafi personnel anil ihe boy population in the various cottages. Theclinicts advice was seneralivin-e determinins element in the-decisionsreached.

This school was exceptionally fortunate in having sufficient coloniesso that the several grorips could be kept, down to aieasonable size and

l;n


NEW YORK, STATE AGRICUI'TURAIJ AND INDUSTRIAI' SCHOOL T47

so that there could be a real-attempt.at segregation involving nrany

facrors additiont;6"î;d ;i;;,' e p".frbei of the colonies were

reserved. fut Uoy, *iin a.irti"J ;h";;tttti"!G, to-e of which might be

described ,o-*#frut;r f"ilt;ti-Cil; for boy's 13 and oYer who were

very definirety fiI.;.";f#,p.*bd;;;-;;; f6r older boys, 15 and 16'

who presented "a.t"i].^pioffit not quite so serious nor so acute;

one for dull boys LZ to 14; anotil.tlot biys of the same age group not

dull but mischiJv;;, ;"d f*"uturome; one fo1 the 1,"_"1?::1b:vs who

presenred very few beharriot p.i[i;;J ;44-*r'o maintained -extellentinorale in their;i";y;;--i"fiiJt i.-p*]-I.- colony for older bovt;

anorher for old#'#Jd ;ff^ffi;. p--l"ttv'B,oios t-o be returned to

rural environml"t "i pf"r.-.ti; o"L-fot an olter iroup who were shop

boys, probably";;ft"# *v;il;;;;i;u"q *n"" wdre fairlv steadv

anh reriautu; ufo"iil8'. "i.i

ihd very young bovs distinctly -prob'lem

cases; another i;;";ia.;-bo', "f [&ati-tio"t--6"talitv; and t :t"::*l

colonv for order;"il;;;ib.,t; iidiu*oods in the rbugh ", a rotrgh-

and-t"umble group but not in anv sense rrlclous'Assisnm.ot iltrJnltl;";-bu."ud almost entirelv on the tss66rm€r-

darions made ; ;;;;I; A til;h"iC, "-tu-ioa''tions, supported by

tn.^"a"i.t-"t the superintendent' of schools' -Assisnm.otr'i"o ;'.;ti;;;-l fiitilg we-re said to be based on & c.,m-

bination of rhe *irft"r "i

tF; bg;;.fitt, tt "*i"g

in- the .ptyth?ll*:l\ffi;hi";.i;,.;t,d ;;;i';t;i.uf-upti[.ide tests, aid the observations of

the vocatronal Ait#;;A;.i"g^ th" shop ,tw;qlt period'

After the assignment committee rei,ched its decision tLq boy was

calted in and ;;fffiii;!;i;;-;-[ua uttt' made for him' The atmos-

phere \!.as very"#f"H;i,i;Aih;il)' 1". ?t si""o eYery opportunit5r to

discuss the planJot-f" "Jf.

tot u""y"Joaint"lioos of them'- The meet-

ins a6end.d fift"ufi;pi"*i9;tfi.i"dli uqi intellisent' interest in

th e pro br .*, oiiil;i; ai"ia6f F;y** ";d ;f ".oiai"r rer a ri6ns b erw een tJae

commft r., **-u'JrJ-;;'d ;il ;;i-d"-tt"g ihe classifi carion proced're.

?. THE BOY'S LIFE IN TIIE TNSTITUTION

D a i l y r o u t i n e , ? , r ! - - ^ m l- irTorigia daily schedule w-as allowed g,t this institution' There rsa's

said to u. o#i,d;; ff;[; il;;;i-'igi"g u3d retiring in the vario's

colonies. Th"-;;i;; -fifito" h*.a tfre hours iusf as anv parent

resutates the hours oi hii r3,*irf it';;I3il";lq; ,hq [[i"gt wliich lhgvare goins to a""a"tirig inl J;t.

' titit il.iiself tended to contribute to

fi; ?;il;# Jir.*itf lif e out"side an insti tu tion'Ir was ,.poitJt"dnu]"ii*g;;.1 th" q"ir io tUu various colonies

rose arouoa oô;Jorr."Li-rntr'try-iGu"itJt, u''a were throuqh with

rheir breakfast by about ?. - ffil'#';h; difi tnt no"tework i'nd the

outdoor work rL, inJii "*"'.oro^"iu?""Tir

ti*u to ruport to other assign-

ments. Boys *fr"-[ra *otoiogLi-i*ytents to^the.Shpns went ot

8 o,clock. School pupils fgpott.a at SI+S' At 11:30 all the bovs went

back to their coloiriei. Dinne, *as at 12' -$t;;;t;ncL

shob work

besan asain ,r"iii;;;a f*tfi ""tif

+.--A]"* ot tLe thops c-oitinued

wcilt< unlil 5. Most colonieshacl*;;pp;{ about 5:30. From.then until

bed, time tne niir;;i66ilt"y.' - M-o.t'- colonies sent' the bovs to

bed ar 8 o,crock". -

some of th;rl.'i{;hfh"trru-trJ"r }ovr resided did

not send the boys to bed until I or even until 10:30 p"'P' In sorire

colonies boys ;i;9 p.i"itttaîl ;; i" -t"d if thev 'wished

until e

;;;dk; *n6" Jt tigttt* were supposed to be out'


148 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

General atrnosphereThe general atmosphere at this school more nearly escaped the

institutional flavor than did that of any of the other schools visited.The colonies really seemed somewhat like individual farm homes clus-tered about a community center which contained the school, workshops, and chapels. Boys might be seen at any time moving freelyabout the srounds. sinslv. in couoles. or in small Eroulrs. Thev didabout the grounds, singlv, in couples, or in small groups. The;' didnot Eo to school or work in marchinE lines but went iust as bovs u.ouldabout the grounds, singlv, in couples, or in small groups. The;' didnot Eo to school or work in marchinE lines but went iust as bovs u.ouldgo fibm any home. They talked and laughed with perfect"freedomgo from any home. They talked and laughed wias they came and rvent. No evidence of restraint of any kind wasobserved.Colony "family" atmosphere

Bach colonv had a sunervisor and a matron I'ho were husband andwife. In some colonies ihe suoervisor also seryed as a shon instructor.In some of these colonies an offi.cer knorvn as a day guard'ivas suppliedto proyide the davtime sunervision that $'as considered necessarv.The colony superriisor and'matron assumed a relationship tliat wasvery like [hat bf a foster father and mother. As the colony groupswere small, by far the most of them cont'aining fewer than 25 boys, onehaving as feiv as 9 boys and several having"only 16 or 17 bo1's, thecolony father and mother could really know each boy intimately anddeai v'ith him on an individual basis, It rvas believed that the feelineof a family unit was closely approximated in a good many of thecolonies at this school.Arrangements for sleeping

The dormitories in which bovs slept in all of the colonies werecomfortably lighted and ventilaled rooms on the second floor, ade-quately equipped as to beds and bedding. In some of the colonieswhere the boys presenting.the more difficult cases resided, night guardsremained on duty during the entire sleeping period. The staff wasnot at all certain that night supervision was desirable. It had beenmuch discussed in staff conferences and rras still beins carefullyconsidered. The clinic personnel seemed to favor 24-hour Jupervisioirfor certain classes of cades.Arrangements for eating

In each colony the kitchen and dining room were much like thekitchens and dining rooms to be found in many farm homes. X'oodwas prepared there under the supervision of the colony matron,assisted by some of the boys. There was & provision that, no boyshould do kitchen or dinins-room work lonser than 2 months at atime, so as to guard againJt any bov's getiing lost in this kitchenwork and missing an opportunity for other kinds of training. Ineach colony the personnel ate in the dining room with the boys.There was no uniform menu for all colonies. Each colonv matronwas permitted to use her olvn ingenuity in utilizing the suppiies whichwere issued uniformly. That resulted in considerable variety ofpreparation of the same staple materials. Food, however, was"saidto be plentiful, and the colony matrons were for the most, part reportedto be very good at maintaining variety and serving attractive meals.Sanitary arrangements

As none of the colonies at this institution were new. the nlumbinsnrlulrr l ly las seldom of t l re most modern type. However, sanitar i '


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAI, AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL I49

arrangements rvere fairly adequate, and everytliing was kept in gooclconcUtron.Living-room and playground activities

Colony'living rooms were particularly homeiike. They rvere fur-nished comfortably but not expensively. Pictures and plants helpeda sreat deal to make the rooms pleasant. AII of them that rverevisited rvere distinctly the type of ioom that is for use, not for show.During t'he hours when bad rveather kept them indoors the boysIounged about these rooms, played cards, checkers, dominoes, andothei games, spent the time in reading, or worked on Boy Scoutprojects. Spontaneous conversation, laughter, and play of any kindu'ithin reasonable bounds were permitted and encouraged.

Each colony had its own playground, which was large enough forfootball and Lasketball practic6." A feiv colonies had Tennis cburts.Play on the colony grounds was quite free and inforrnal and not veryclosely supervised.Miscellaneous arrangements

most of the colonies the boysin rvhich they might keep their

No lockers rvere provided, but inrvere permitted to have small boxesllersontl possessions.'

Khaki uniforms, cotton for summer and wool forlvinter, were \vornon week days. On Sundays and for special occasions boys *-6o nudgood suits of their own and wished to rvear them were permitted todo so. Boy Scouts wore their Scout uniforms if they so desired.These unifoims rvere furnished by the State if their parents could notafford to furnish them.

Bov officers were used to some extent. servinE as assistants insupeirrisittq some of the activities at the individLial colonies. Thissvitem wals a holdover from a former regime, not approved by thepresent administration, and it was expect"ed thai eveiriually it couldbe abolished. The boys had a special term for these boy officersrvhich was quite expreisive of thbir opinion of the system. Theycalled them "P.C.'s", which stood for privileged characters.

Other aspects of boy life, particularly with-reference to education,vocational

^1,1a,ining, and re6reation are'described in other sections of

this report.Outside contacts

Boys were permitted to receive any number of letters from parentsor cloie relatives. These fulssming leiters were censored by the colonysupervisor or matron for the purpose of withholding any letter thatmlgftt prove disturbing to the boy's morale. Each-boy-wrote homeonie a^month. ThesJletters weie prepared at the school and readbv the boys' teachers. Boys with espeCially good records were giventhe privilege of writing oft6ner. Pa6kages-m"ight be received a[ anytime. Th6se were inslected to make su-re that only suitable articles'n'ere enclosed.

Visiting was restricted to the first Saturday of alt-ernate -monthsebruary, April, June, August, October, and December). Visiting(February, April, June, August, October, and December). \ii,sit-ing

hours on-thosb days were from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It' was said thathours on those days were from 7:uu ur D vu v l rvsu soJ ^ " " - : " " * -

tr?ny. relative.s came- and spent the.whole day.with their boys, oftenmrny relatrves came and spent the whole day wlth therr Doys' oltenbringing picnic lunehes which the boys ate with them. A boy wasvisited in-his own colonv so that the relatives could see exactly whererisitid in^his own colony, so that.the relatives could see exactly wherehe lived and get some idea of rvhat his life v'as like at the school.



Boys were not permitted to go home for visits.except in cases ofe-er[e.rcy. The ieason for not"permitting home virqits was said to bethat Juch permission would probibly resul[ in considerable unfairness.Very deseiving boys might not be able to go because tleir parentscould not afioid tie exp"ense, while boys whlo were considerably lessdeserving but whose paients had money might obtain such privileges.It was feit that this wbuld seem to the 6oys fo be unfair discriminalionand that the complete elimination of such privileges was a safer policy.


Hospital facilities

The hospital building and equipment have been described on pa_ge138. The whole atmoiphere here was unusually cheerful and kindly.Ilospital stafr

The physician in charge w&s a part-time employee who maintaineda practic6 in surgery in" ttre city of Rochestei.

- He spent -,\Ionday

afternoon and eadh morning except on Monday at the school hospital.An eye, ear, nose, and thro"at spebialist from liochester was employedAn eye, ear, nose, and throat spebbv the school on a part-time bason a part-time basis. Several other members ofby

was emproyeoembers of the

siafi of the Rochestei General Hospital served as consultants withoutcharge. The cooperation on the part of the medical men of Rochesterwas butstandins.- It was said that the best medical service in thecity was freely available to the boys at any time that a specialist wasneeded.

The dentist employed on a part-time basis spent 1 day a week at theschool. He had as "an assistant a full-time dental hygienist.

There were three graduate reEistered nurses: one served as matronin charge of all exedutive dutiei, one had immediate charge of boysunder hbspital care, and the third had charge of the operating roomand also served as school and visiting nurse.Physical examinations

Each Monday afternoon the boys who had been admitted duringthe previous we6k were brought in for complete physical examinations.In addition to the usual cliiical observations irnd taking of medicalhistorv, each examination included a Wassermann test and urinalysis.(The irhysician had his own laboratory for making urinalyses at thehospital; he had taught one of the boys to do this work under hisdirection.) Each boy was vaccinated and received toxin-antitoxintreatment. Each week the eye, ear, nose, and throat specialistexamined all new bovs. Everv bov found to be under weiEht wastaken to the county dospital foi a chest X-ray, as were also

-all boys

whose family histbry ihowed tuberculosis.''The county hospitalperformed this X-ray service without charge to the school. Thecountv hosnital also save basal-metabolism tests when need wasindicated, eith"r v'itho;t charEe or with a nominal one. The resultsof the pliysical examination were carefully recorded and became apermanent part of the institution's records. The findings were madeavailable to the psychiatric clinic and wete carefully considered b1-the assiEnment committee in determinine the institutional treatmentwhich tiie boy was to receiye.Corrective work

Corrective treatment indicated as needed by the initial examinationwas always undertaken, so far as possible. All types of major and


Finor sursery (with the exception of bJuT ?"tg-91{) Y:T:Pfen care

, of by rhe schJ# i'ny9l9lil-;;- td;9[9"] hos"pitai .l+f:'r"9?:?::of by the school pnyslclall at, uIIe lrulurrr u(rDr,Iu@r u*vvv

required X-.uyrli#fu";[.L. inl-palient was ti,ken to the Rochester

.c#;;iH";;i#i"iii.**dF;;+,If:.::Tll'*l-?3*,1'i1*:"f,3i:iYffift'ffiirrll, ";;[;ry,i;;.

" U;a"**iignt, birys were _carefully,followed up, ,oril #r;iJ"di*tr'b.i"t &tcii6.d as ieemed desirable,

ilu ;ffiill X'lf :i::1.g.*1',t**:o:':*'"t-ilY1'* ""Tf,* *W?3;;ilHT iJiUi *yii"J-.-*-"fiullo" qs a qa.tter of routine prior to,,Ielease. R.cord**""f-;ffi i"*u*i"ations indicated th* 99 pqg:i

NEW yORK STATE AcRICULTUIiAIT AND INDUSTn'IAIr SCIIOOI 151

juvenile clinics in largo cit'ies.

Dental work

i?1f,1";"yJ"f;AT.;; ff;G;;;;;t. or 20 porlnds ?,I9uT:, whenthe institution was vtsrted' It, was tf,e custoir to return infectious

##i;;;;;A;; t[. roilîtti"g t*tt to be rendered noninfectious

before admrssro;; t"t ;hi o;ii;ffi* changed later to acceptance of

infcctiou, .ur.r]' P;;;I.;t-*lo were ret'urned because of -infection

were treated r;' th. L.tii"til+:di;i u""'3,1qge it t19{a9n1:9ltlgi; ffiH"#Hsrd'&.il;;;.= 4fi;-ia'syphiutic cases were usuallvi: ;;a;, ilrr;fi?e rreatment. Wn.o boyt "we1e ralo|gd 11:1*s.3:il:" ##;^"ffi;;J,;4;-i;;-"o"ti""qi t"utT-gitl and rhe parole agents

,w,.eTe'"-q:ytli:1.*i*-lli,"**rr"":*llli'-mff ft H#ut;"#;"ii.;fiil""l$;;,,, ""au" tiuut-u"i-i"t prpmis were suffering from the

,ilo"gl""ffi ,#". 16 was stated that-thirir responso to such treatments.i was more ,u"lruf,tl tn* **

-indicated bi the findings in many

Afi o."..sary dental work w&s done for the b9{: 3l.?1it^t^f:tt"::*A #; #ffi#sHill'i'.,Yh;t ;lr+il"l p ie ce of *9i5 ?t lhi: ::*-" ?I Y::irrtiiTifr"';8#rt htgiu"irt. All boyJ were required to report to heroffice in the

"h;;i[iiidid tt

"-.tJT int.grva]s', ,+! fl* 1'-f::,:1:ll'ihil.a;q;-ffi ;.d-tilti;;.th-;;Jd:*g:ll:1"t|:"1?n:il*:"Y:Te*-i"ua and cleaned theii teeth and designated the noys wno were

;ffi;;;tt" tn" iJ"iitt r"" t*pt"?*t Sh;. aho taught' 4: *tt h."t:13 i3'03'lJi.Tf,t:T':ffi"d #ffiiFii ;";F;;';;"t. !e 9:::, *lh:adminisrrarion i;; rdil-thi- ;;vidr-*ur or giear value to the boys'

i:'Other medical care

; ""il;';ffiii;i did not maintain l"J lq:_t$ sick-call hour' Dis-

!.. oensarv ,.rorr'i ** ei".;;t eny uqe curug the rrnorning: ,-P1"7: lf"J l"y^::vvsrJ'

GUJ '*LLE' rrt to the hospital to be

,;. rUUrY, noweYer sHgdt, was supposed. to.repoi ltiil'u"";# d;r;;;:""hiiJir-was a stric-t regulatlo! that no "homei,, ilri.iiL' r'nliii";;

"a;'i"i*te'i4-i" colonids. Colonv,gFgtl: ff::

;ffiI#;d ff;#;; ;rh-", ti A . - -

M " i'ons were n,"l r glTl l t:*-t o dre s s

even sliEhr cuts." ^Th;fitriAu"

i";it;;A-;" !.eepi"g in his ow'r hands

i;ll "6;;biti;t

to* tt'ê lihvqical health of the bovs'- "b"i"Jrlilt ôirrr., was rn ttt

"tgg- 9f u tgl"pttlai tq{f::-dS::*H$*ru"ritlr? iririin"Jf .

-Sfi did fii n6t-uia #ork and-minor dressings

t:at that offi.ce *ifr"r tn. piiyri"i*;t diiction- Ho considered this an:.unusually out,il,ilil ;;;.d; tJ-;i;; b3{g , ,Hg ryqtd^*,T:: :1'ST.ery low rate'"il"f.rti;;;, u"Lo oi Jlight charactef, aqd was Yeryp;;""d;i tir;;rh"oTt t*"rdr of almost c6mplete freedom from serious

,i inre ctions or Jffiil;;i;';i ;;t kilq a$qlf ,t!9 _""Th1" :l -T::l. Hf.ihH;J it #r1i,i5#iriiliyl ;;#i t i".n -i"

Jtii" tio "' . r he du ti e s o rthe school o,rrrJ";ir; ii"ftA"d. ;isitiqg-+urse service, which meant

"iritl"g

-;;d iJ;d;i;q:t,Fi".io,r' colonies regularly i1,::9:t to re-

ffi;'r8 ffi*ptiv*cran rhe* di;"ty *"aiiions"and [o discuss health;;Jh;siuo.'pioUl;;; with colony supervisors and matrons.


L52 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNs FoR DoLINQUENT BoYS

All boys sufrering from acute illnesses or injuries received promptcare of hish standard.

The hoipital report for the year 1931 showed 20 maior surgicaloperationsibalf of'which were cbrrective or constructive in typef theothers being to meet acute conditions such as appendicitis and injurycases. Despite the fact that, there had been

-epidemics in adjalenl

communities, the school had been free from epidemics durins the year.communities, the school had been free from epidemics during the year,the only contagious cases beins 3 sufferins from scarlet, fever whent\e 9nly, co+tagious cases being 3 suffering {rom scarlet,admitted. Immediate quarantine and caieful treatment, preventedany spread of contagion within the institution.

PSYCIIIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVTCE

Clinical facilities

An unusually complete and active clinic of psychiatry and psychol-9gy^was in opdration at this school. It had been starfed unodciallyin October 1928 when the State department of social welfare and th-esuperintende,.nt requested the cooperation of Rochester lJniversity inplanning and putting into operatibn a school clinic. The head ofthepsychiatric clinic at Rochester University agreed to undertake toorganize a mental-hygiene unit for the school. The work was done ona volunteer basis until 1930 when an appropriation was obtained whichenabled the administration to set, up ihe ilinic as an integral part, ofits treatment program. The clinic-had grown steadily until ils per-sonnel consisted in tggZ of the director (a psychiatrisi), two clinicalpsychologists (one part-time), an additionaf psychiatrist (part-time),a psychometrist, a psychiatric social worker, and a secreiar.y. Thdclinic was in the new school buildins. The child-suidanc-e clinicattached to the university was payins half of the locial worker'ssalary,.all the part-time psycholffit'Jsalary, and giving additionalpsychological and psychiatric service as needed.Psychological tests

On admission each boy was tested by the psychometrist. Plansfor the psychometric study included the use df abstract-intelligencetests, performance tests, and aptitude and educational tests. Eachboy was put through a certain routine, and boys displayins particulardifficulties or problems were further studied thioughlhe use rjf suitabletest material. During the year 1930-31 the psychometrist had giventhe followine tests:

Abstract intelligence- -Nonlanguage-Aptitude and mechanical---- - - - - - - -

The clinic had classified the mental level of new boys examinedduring 1930-31, as indicated by their intelligence quotients, as follows:

294662741

Ment&l l€vel Number Percent distribution

Very super io r (120 and 125) - - - - - - - - -Superior ( l 1 0-120) ----Normal o r average (9G- l l0 ) - - - - - - - - -Dull or low normal (80-90)------Border-line deficiency (70-80) ----- -

213

Lt21189146

0 . 53 . 4

29.331. 023. 812.0Feeble-minded (below 70)


\EW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND


INDUSTRIAIJ SCHOOI, I53

atrisi'in his interview with the boy.Personal histories

The personal-history records wer-e built uq {r9m a number of.sources.These illicluded a certJin a-mount of personil history received from the*r"*itti"g courtsl reports of homê visits made under the direction;i;ilp;;l" G;;'in 6harge of preparole.activities;.and the ry!"I{;ti-i;;J^b; ;fi;l.y.iliofiit, ine'psychi.a trist, a1 d the psvchiatric.o.iut *Lrti.r in in6ir con"tacfs with i,he boy at the school- _ Evg{Ysocial worker in their contacts with the boy at the school- - lrYg{y.Aott #u. -ade to secure the type of inforniation that u'ould enablei[. cti"ic stafi to understand thi boy's problems thoroughly and,to

Each new boy was made the subject of a psycbialric study uhich; h"";j .,'' iho socia,l historv. the findines- of the psvchometricf the psychometricwas based on the social historY,rqas based on the socra,l hrstory, tne nnglngF or r'ne. psy.crur

stuay,. it-te -"aicut repo.It, a]}d.i6e material obtained by the psychi-

efiort was made to secure thei[. cfi"ic stafi to

""a.triu"a tflb boy's problems thoroughly and to

i"t"tptJhis reactions to otlrer-stafi meirbers at the school in orderlhat efiective t'reatment might be given him.

Application of findings

AII the findinSs of the various workers in the clinic were recorded,l .;";;;t;.

" Eusis for studv of the child as a whole. These recordsand served as a for study of the chil4- as a whole. These,records

t l f lu Dt i I Y EU 4D A UODrD rvr DvuuJ

u"a ifr" "Iioi"

rr*û.y of tfe boy's_pro-blems were used as the,basisi", fi;;t"*agd;;!r of "each boy to scliool grades, to,type of vocationalfortrrst assrgtrments oI eacn DoY to scnool graoes, LU uJPc ur vuuu

;;;i"i;Al;-tn" *1o1y in wlidh !e. wps td live, and,!6 u. qlogl"T,-fo"LI'ArI"IlnH, LU L.LIU UUTUUJ u w rrrvu rrs vY co -: '* :" *, r- -9- -

extracurricular activities. The object was to help the boy to & suc-cessful social adjustment.'"Til

"ii"i" pt"v.d an important part in every consideration of

.lu"e".-fro- tle b.igi"at assignments. The school program providedi;.;%;frl r".oia 6t tl" boly's progress or bis difHcullies,.and if hedid;"fti&G; iil clinic sou[ht to &scover the reasons for his failureuoa to ,iaAle changes that rrlght be desirable.-

Oo" of the outstairding charicteristics of the clinic work jn contrast'to

-some .iîtur organiTations elsewhere was the special ,attention

nven to personalit/problems and to_ difficulties in social adjustment,;;;;;;"i"d-bt-b"yJ with varyi!g degrees of emotional instabiliiy.Th;;Ifi;;"riia.r6a *ith

"ur,i th"e peisonalities of the various stafi

;ffi;.i.r i" relation to the boys to be'assigned to their"supervision incolonies, classrooms, shops, or work detarls. It was lelt tnat {nany;;;;:"*-"o"fli"t't whicli would not only hinder theboy's adjust-ment in the institution but also perhaps seriously_and permaneltlyaffect his personality could be avoided through .t4. typg pl. servrce.ii*"r tiui"a that cises had been studied in w-hich boys of fair intelli-;;";;;;;"ol"a""".ing in their school work' Ti'ctful investiga-[i;;h;d-;""."tfiiil;fr" such cases the existen-ce of q-eep-seatedo.*o""tito

"iutitt betrveen the boy and a teacher' Therefore a

ifr""s" il"the educational program #as worked out so that the boy;;l?"6; ;l;.;A-;alr diaer"ent supervision' In manv cases theboi's conflicts disappeared.""til;;hi;-;;-;;;."1t.d frequentlv on questions of discipline and

oruvii;;;rid";;b6;;it in cieterniining what measures should beil;i'i"-u!"

";i"ti-i" l"i"g about a chan"ge i-n ̂ a bovls attitude and

[;h;"i"t. When u boy -was

to be releised from the disciplinary;;1";;4"

"j;i[ of the clinic as to vi'hether he should be returned to

il; f"'";;; "*ign^""G

or whether some change should be made wasJiuuytgi""n gieat weight by the deciding commit'tee'


I54 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

After a boy had been in the school 6 months his entire -case w&s

"*r"iljiu-.."i6wed in ift" ai"i.' aevelopments both within and without

lfri"i,irii,irii"" t.irig ;;;4. That is,'t1te boy's progress was studied,;;;';;;;;rf.ua p.iroouiir,y .hottg"s or achidvemenls in the direction

of social adiustmeni-i; '-;i;p lTf" tu.t" considered and recorded'

F'riil'.J'ol#t" ii;;;;." ,uis giver, g, fi.nat .analysis in rhe. clinic,. This

;";1;".;;;;d .;gfiifi ru.io?' i" tt'e bov's mdke-'rp, orin his historv'

;i: fii til;;r""iri."i't" ;ir"i.h- h" ;ras t"o b e rele as-e d which would b e

irk;iy i;p;;d1rp-o." *, Jiti^q"gcy, and susEestions were offered as to

how these 1actors nrighi-beôfl'."i 'or cottEit"d. The clinic and the

p "'f

r" d !p -'t me+ ! ]'';;l;,t t'o g9 th.er r-err c|9 s9l1 :l ::l::Hâ trea t-

ment progr8,* *rrr"r, "*-orria

l"'.t"a" effoits to revamp negative family

uliiiuh*ito provide ."iiurt" home and neighborhood environment,

to make sure that tn. ["y nra ptqpSr recreational outlets and srritable

"IhoJi;;;"..o*iio""r bpportunit'ies, and to pl-an- for any tp-":i?i

;;il1.;f;; p#.hi;ilt" ai'rention he'mighi need during his parole

perroct.Attitude of other stafr members toward clinical services--

it "

clinic stafi had maintained as close-contact as possible rvith the

"ofo"u

";ffi;;;;, ifi r"ii""l

""tnorities, the vocational director, tFe

ii"iiJ"f rt"rf; ;"J tl; ;;;ole departmerit. It was recognized -th at the'.';fii,ililf,.;";;Ut""i 1"J plv"t'i"tiic studv of eac\

-individual bovwould be sheer *u.tu uot"." ih"e treatmelt piogram which grew out of

;i,#;ffi;';;i,Id btplr lntg efiect. .The-carrying out of the treat-

ment prosr&m was "itl..fyi"[""dent

on the underst'and;lg and the

;;;:,'"#3;;i ;h;;;;i;; *"'^t9'1 of the stafl under whose direct';;;;;b-;-b;y,

"ogus;a-i" in"i, daity activities. Therefore, educa-

;i;;ti;;d ;doi.oti' J"^'i* tot trte *tt6te stafl, thrgugir group meetings

""[-i"ti"iiruf "ohrJi"ii"ir, trud U"uo t part of fhe clilrical work.

Both the staff memilei-;a;!t boys thdmselves visitgd the clinicil;;iy ;i t[-"i" o*" i"iiti"". fhe s6rvices of t\e psychiatric socialworker were regarcl"a u" i""ur";bl; i" thls task of interpreting mental-

#;il;:r;Hlfi;;;Jir,. prouiu*s and needs of the-individual boyto statl memDers.""Til-;liti"

had attempted. to make itself a vital part of the school

ot*ii*.-'it*"i".ia!."d il"i p""t "fîts

function wis .lo.study all the"*;r?;I'th;"i"rti;;;io" i"-i"-r-s of values to the individual boy.

Thil #pii; ;i;;f;]t tu.t --o" the one side, to discover the most

appropriate prog"u-".fir-"*n Uoy, and on the'other' -to-consult and

advise as to rnstrtution-policies ti,'fut as they affected the programs

;;ti""i. "tU"

a-i"L[";;;;si";o-u free ]iand in its work in both

ffi;;i""". -it"

"a"i""-ur it"uriui,r modifications or-developments in

in" i".-tit"tioo prog."uln *ut io"it a.and given careful consideration'S;;;;;;;;f

"'"iui"il^ r""a"rud

- a*irrg tEe prec ed in g . ye ar included

ilffifiili;;" f";;;; ;; ;;;; p'"pu'oi'."ottages which rvere to havei;ii;;e

"?i;ilpt"s "ro

o -. and -ex tra p *v rleges To r fh,eir b ov31 _T lFi gu ptuo for a iunimer c-amp.for specially selected boys; devrslng a

i""o* Uuri"-for houseilott. ui.igo-*t, to"enable each boy. to receive

i;;;;; - ;;;;i";v;it"'""fti'"ta tisks and to pre-vent.iidetracking#;;;";;;A;; j;b; X,'a t"*"vi"g the recreational facilities of the

i*tii"1i"" *iih' sp'"cific recomme"ndations for subsequent' develop-

nrcnts.


;;.;;;-ili.utla -opp*i""Tties

for child studv andreseqrch as tn.' iii'tii"**o'il"b."#i; *tt* t:1:ll':l,t{^::{,*^t"d;;4"t;r"t *"tt

-rith the institution staff consrrmed less time.

t-di&;ho" of t[e school close_ to the prty of Rochester was ,velyi;;;blr to tt* A;a"pm.+t .of research.*ork. This gitv *i!\ l1:

ffi ffit;;;Jitu, ltJ^ St"t. [;5pit"l, G ptog.essive school -system, and itsffii social agencies offered all sorts of cooperatrve possrDurtres.

li.i Amons th;"r;;;-fpr"ir.tr ""at"^considerdtion at the time of t'he

f '::*,1i:{L'f{ii*T,fil"ffi ":-iT,??5Jffi Hlil}J'"iiur"ii:il,*l- Jrilfr-;;";;;;t6v u"i".ttititt arrtiog tho summer of 1932' No fees

,i ;"J4" il-;h;;s.4, ;d the instituti"on qqul.d supply maintena,nce;ft ili*it];;a;i fd't tttr.t"a.nts, who would give servibe to the school:lt il'i"."i*;ffi;[ir^.a".utio""t opirortunity. Lectures would bp sivenfy. il-;;;"".. .r1tre institution itaff and of the university faculty.ti il"t-*Jrin;;;

"f the institutioil^stae anil of the university f39ulty.

g, i!" -;;rf.

*ouia include some clinical psychology qn$ nsfchiatry-F;;. lt,ur-repott from the institution tells of the successful carrying outI$i.i?;ffi ;t;;; aisltiUi"g it as & summer institute for eollege students

# iit"*ttgq li th; p?I9"hiatric. approach.!9-9t -Y:L-- Tli H:^s::Htffi;i;AHir"J"tur, i'iJitr a oin.,ii"rtit"tio"*, and work and researchi;irhi" th;-ilidtion ut rndustry. .Staff m6mbers:J t1_t i*lititllil,#ll" iifrd i" ;;;fi;iiG th; ;""ise by me-lobers of the facultv of t'he

,.ttF yt''i!i -;i

nJ'h;t&" ?;hfii ";,1"M.ai'i"' , ul*^ P-.:^1'lil*^:l:X;li"i;;fa'iru.t"t ;i th; Rochester State Hospital.tho superilLtendenti# rh;-il;L;;t.iSorirty for the- Preventio,f gt Cryelty t9. Qhit{rgp';d; ffi;-hi;fii. roii"iworker from the child-guidanrie e.linlc of the

l$;;s"Ift;;;;i;i Hqp't+- rhp- t"llgry.i"g 1opi", Y-9",lo9lrrdg,Pidl"*?irr-"ii;;ffi ;" P;obiems of institution al administ'ration, admin-i;;ti; ;f th" ;#;hi;i'i; gti"ig, qaryip:llilil' i*Pi:!9, :l ,lt:$'^:t

i;;;; il;" -iortiti;io;,

vocational'administration and guida,nce in aniiostitutioo, school piograms an_d problems'- B9y Scout ,programs,op a role a dministration, F9." tul Fygl"1l, qyljt9{^.:o1,^ 31o:::,1":1tiI"iriiJ"tl"";i-il;;"pi'.t"tio"

-of "pEycndlc,bical t-ests, -child-guidancepiJur"'i"ii;th"'"*fi ""iti,"apii'ii.tratioig{f:gl""q9.1qt},"-lu:Tih;;ffi""ity, ;;i"l ;;"d work in the community, Togolal diseasesifrd"*"li"i*i" ar*o""itoiio"r), epilepsy, mental deficiency, and

;fs;chiat{f i" the court, :^^a_ '-^-^ ,.-;:: . severql .p'.'i.ql '.ptq'"p p'gi99!l Y9':_ Tlfi.:"i:i*"1:,*l-15*'til;'J th;-;irit.

-A siudy^of

'enuresis w*s about to be undertaken'

ilr;Jy rh" hi"ir.Jun.h-ai.a.tte,gpted. to b,e,of service tp Fg,:gtgl{tffi;#d;"il*ii"" *iT[ tnir difhc.ult problem. A little folder hadtoll#tfi-tn;;rir;ipql tacts concernirrg enqlqsis and suggesc.ga !o if9;;;;*t;hJ;ttifid.-6-Le taken tdward boys suffer-ing from t'his[iffi;"lry. ]i ;; t;ped that througb an inteniive study some betterilJiul'tiJ of hu"ari"g ihm" cases *iEht !e {gvelo,pui. Tyg cases of;il[t;'i"s ildb;ds 'pecially gludi,ed, bv the,'F11 T$;rtl"tL*

YORK STATE AGRICULTURAI., AND INDUSTN,IAI SCHOOI.. 155

iBesearch activities- .,.Research was a definite part of the prog.Iampf t+9,ghit, rng

ffi;;;;'putiot-;*? u^"d "g""ational -tesis and shop- efficiency.^Y3*

ib;t#;i#k;J;;[ u ,t"av io tni* field was one of the possibilities.'iiffur"h;;;d ih;ftil;-J""dy might be made o{ reafling d.isabilities,i;;e";ffi ;h;; Uovr,-""d"of cErtain other educational difficultieslfi;;;rd-:i[.-rfi"it-itrfi also wished to undertake & scientific

76870-35-11


156 FIvD STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR. DELINQUENT BOYS

study of a specific nature in regard to the problems of the delinquentsupeiior chiid. One of the imfiortant things which should be of con-siderable value which thev hbped to scrutinize carefully was thequestion as to what shouldbe the exact functions of such a psychologi-cal and psychiatric clinic in a correctional school.

IO. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-CLASSROOM WORK

School stafr

The school staff eonsisted of the principal and 18 teachers. Allwere reported to be normal-school graduates, as has been stated.(See p. 142.)School day and school year

The school day was from 8:.15 to 11:30 in the morning and 1:30 to5 in tire afternobn. Boys under 14 attended school all day. Boys14 or older who were enrolled in certain trade courses had no class-room work, their school work being done in the dePartment of tradetraining under a, rew system being tried there. (See p. 159). Theother b'oys 14 or oldei attended ichool half the day-and-w-ent toindustrial assignments (vocational or other work) the other half da-y'The school eniollment and the time of school for boys enrolled in thevarious grades and in a commercial class were reported as shown inthe following table:

Time ol schoolfor boys enrolled in a specified school grade or class on Mar' 30' 1932

Boys enrolled

Grade or class Time asslgned

All day Morning Afternoon Ealf daY t

I

r The difference between the school enrollment (278 on \{ar. 30, 1932) and the tota! population of the in'stitutioa on appioximately the same date (4?0 on \Iar. @, 1932) is duo to the fact that a few i,toys ol lorv-entaiii" *-ot'tiea on the iarm atl day and dial not attend 3chool, that boys 14 or older enrolled in.certair

;ame date (4?0 on \Iar. 29, 1932) is duo to the lact that a few boys ol lo\rl l day and dial not attend 3chool, that boys 1{ or older enrolled in certain.ork atheir schooling being given in the department of trade training (se€

6

66

aL4

--t-I

25mt8t7r33

I135I976

1214t4r830381I

meniality q-orked on

cluded

i the i rsehoot ine he ingc iven in the depar tment o f t ra .de t r -a in iog (sp€esed lrorn receising coloniesfor assiqnnlent to school grade were lnalso to other condii ions of institutional l i fe.

trade courses had no classroom work (their schooling being given in the department of trp.158), and that-boys 4otyet rel€ased Irorn receiving coloniesfu assignmmt to schor

rded in the toial population, and also to othe2 Not reported whether morning or afternoon

The schoolschools of theperiods. Theuntil July, so

year corresponded approximatelv to that of the public"State of \ ierv York irnd includbd all regulor vaiationonlv difference was that this school u'as not dismissetlthal it had a full lO-month vear.

Attendance requirements and enrollmentAll boys u'ere required to atten<l school e-xeept as they-were excuse(l

on ."coinmendation of the psychological and psychiatric clinie


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCIIOOL I57

from any formal classroom work, or except asoorarilv for phvsieal re&sons.'

The"ases of ine bovs enrolled in specified30, 1932, are shon'n in ihe following table:

they were excused tem-

grade or class on March

Age of bogs enrolled in a specified school grade or class on Mat', 30, 1932

Boys enrolled

Grade or class Age of boy

1 5years

^ _ l6 c l

16years

l4years

1 t

years

T o t a l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

N in th g rsde- - - - - -Commercial class- - -- -- -- - --E igh tb g rade- - - - -q 6 d a n t h d r t d o

Six tb g rade- - - - - - -

Fourth grade-----Th i rd g rade- - - - -second grade-----F i rs t g rade- - - - - - -

t n 8 4 l

1l l

6

3,: : - : - : : :

,4

5266

al44

1I

88

I D

t8I

I

Io

tI

3139

i a

13

I

1

I- io

13l l

I4

l The tlifferenco between the school enrollment (2?8 on Mar. 30, t932) 8nd th€ total- po-pulation of theinstitiiiion <lzo on M'ar. zs, ise2jllbueiolne ract ihat q few bovs of low lnentelitv-wo-rked-on the fsrm alla;;;;d aid;o1;;tena iciboi, ifiat tovs i+oi otaer enrolled in cdrtain trade courses hed no classroom work,ilr'diiscn"i,ii"s t6;teinm i; ab; dep-rtment of trade traiDins (see p. 159): 8!d tbat.bovs not.vet roleasedi;ffi ;h; t;ailird6tonles ior assisn'ment to school grade were included in tbo totgl populstioD, snd alsoto other mnditious of ilstltutional life.

These figures show that the boys committed to this school wereretarded in"very much the s&me wat as those committed to the schoolsin the institutibns previously described.Courses given

Elementary siork from the first grade throu-gh- the eighth grades-as being giien, as has been shown,-and a small class of ninth-gradeboys was"e-nrolled. The 25 boys who were taking special comrnercialrto".L we.e divided into two clbsses-one in the morning and one inthe afternoon-a,nd on the alternate half days were carrying eithereighth-grade.or ninth-grade work; their commercial course \\'as con-stdered vocatronal tra,rnrnq.

The curriculum conforited fairly closely to that of the New YorkState public schools.

For'bovs below the fourth grade two elassrooms had u'ork corre-snondinE"roushlv to that of sp"ecial classes for subnormals in the prrblicsi:hools." On6 was for the older boys of Iow intelligence' Both lhesesoecial classes did considerable handwork and carried out simplepro.i-

".t.. Some of the teachers had mixed grades, the boys in ttLe fourth

and fifth srades beinE so srouped as to put together the boys of approxi-matelv tlie same siz6 and ph^vsieal development. This was done inorderihat phvsicallv large'brit rrentallv r6tardeJ boys should not l^ein the .am6 c[u*t -ith .itull"r youngef ones' This plan worked outto the advantage of both groqps, i_t w-as stated that work in theselower grades wis much ind"ividiralized, there being little general class

i:

_ , t s


158 r'r\rE srATE INSTITUTToNS roR DELTNQUENT BoYS

work. They were operating as modffied opportunity. c-lasses.. Theteachers in these rooms were s&id to have had speclal tlarnlng -rDtranannE the problems of retarded or subnormal children. Otherwisei.""ni"i methods were apparently the usual public-school methods*itn

"o- particular origindl variations or adaptations because of the

special institutional prbblems involved'

I 1. EDUCATION AL PR OGRAM-iOOCATIONAL OR PREVOCATIONAL

Great emphasis had been plaled on agricultural work when theinslitution ira. ,"rrro,red froin Rochestei to the rural site. The

ra-i"iit*tors at that time firmly believed in the efficacyo{ countrylii; i l i l; i-i"gtiboy.. Inevilably.a eertain amount of industrial;;l*or;;;p nithin ihc institutionl in conneetion with its mainte-;;;;:- Bri'.utio".ty enough, from the -mod-ern poilL.of view, assign-ment to the industrial work was considered q dtsc_tpl-lnaly measule.tfru-"wot.t"'boYS v-ere detailed to shop work, and the "best" boysf"ff"*.a .iti.tl i i,gri"uttural pursuits.- .For.some years past this atti-

i"J. fr"a n.." ind-ergoing u .hunge, which the preient administrationhad Ereatly acceleral,ed, and the vocatronal-trarntng program \\'asbein irapitlly d eveloped in diverse d irec tions.""tfi"

dir;"iot of tt,ia" education was enthusiastic over tbe possibili-tie, ioneie"t in a trade-training program for Qoys faced with such diffi-

"rft ptiii.-s of soeial adjusiirien[. He believed l,hat finding work

i;;;ii;[ ;boy *u. speciaily suited and in_which he could gain satis-iu"tiorr and sdlf-confidence

-through aetual accomplishment. was an

il;il";t;onltibutioo torvard soc"ial adjustment,_ over and above the;H.ti;;I;;t*

"t teaching a trade in which the bov might find eco-

ilo-i. value. when the ichool was visited in 1932 it was qpparentinuT-inu director was devoti:rg a great deal of initiative and energyi"-in" a*"iop*u"t of an effictiie program. He-4ad surroundedni-J"ir

":itn i" i"t"t*"tiog and interestEd group of instru-ctors and

nua u"u" qivins a new visio"n of further horizo-ns to mqny of the^trades-men who'had-been long at thl job of supervising boys performrngmaintenance tasks. It u'as pleasant to note t.tre arr. oI_ eagel'ness*itn *ni.n some staff members were working out origin_al Plans ie-signed to meet the problems in this field, in which so much ploneenngrem&lns to be done.Enrollment

Farm work was assigned to +S boys who attended school half thedu". iS .,'ort i"s i" the ilorning, 17 in"the afternoon. The commercialt#;i* ;1." fias eonsidered"vocational work, as has-been statedi."" . iSii. in" Z; boys in this class attending eighth-grade and ninth-;;d;

"t"...r in alteination with their periods-of commercial work.

information regarding vopational or other work assignments was not

"Ui"i""l for tfie resr of'the boys reported as attending academic

classes half the day.All-dav assisnmints as of March 30, 1932, to vocational or other

*ott t*:"i" iep6rted for 189 boys, ineluding a number who.were beingEi"en Uottt academic and trad6 [raining in the trade-training depart-


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAI' AND

mont under a new system that was-just

"..is"mu"t. of these bo5's were as follows:

B a k i n g - : : : - - - - - - - - -

TNDUsTRTAL scgoor, f5O

being put into effect. The

Numberof bogs

BlacksmithinC- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Carpentry---Creamery- - -Electr ical work- -Laundry-Machine shoP- -

Shoe repairing- - - - - - - - - - -Trade cooking- - - - - - - - - - -Tai loring----Trucking-Storeroom---Off ice work------Janitor work---

t4D

233

12t7t21 1

I

1 8I

t265

T410t

34

Under the new system, boys.over.l4 who were enrolled in certainregular shop courses were. berng grven both scholastic and trade

i"3t",i"ti* i--" ift" trade-training fefartment' All their study was to

#;;;;;i;;;e^"ilnin"ii trade n"eeds. . In arr subjecrs insrructors were

;"""kiil;;;;";ai""dl;;-"hi"g-*ui".iut. with sf ecffi c. trades. Mu+y;;;ilit*;;;;fi;J;d f"?

"rigi""r ideas and initiative. in this di-

;J;ti;;:"1;;;pi*;i"g i" ""1"

tfie way. in v'hieh various instructors*"." t"L"ti"s i["'"n"ii;;g;.

- F;";+g-iitq, o-n the dav.thq paint-shop

;il#;;:t ?n" "t""*'i"'.-i"

th" nlidst'of' the applied-scienee hour'iil fi;;ti" n"u6 r"i-hf"G;r ti.tqg""r far afield, geog-raphically;;li bt;il;;;iiy:

- ;ril-.,Iul ""i11

the- discussion h ad b ein the bris t les

used in manutactunn-"g";[;;;y different kinds of paint ̂ brushes.ril"i;;lld' i; i'; d-f; ;; ;;it"ii"d' ca me f rom a l-?l!i' tI- o-{ i

n i mals

native to different, ;;";;;-io aiita"t, parts of the wo-rld' The

"op"*""iti"" ior t.iu"tti"g lilr|rgn the opening-of channels like these'

if;i;if,lh;i"V- L"a ""immedi"ate

inter:est, wltt Ue obvious to anvonewirh imagination. I;;;.il;;iiri4- tJ-'o[."""L instructors

"with

i"'r"si.;ti3" surrounded by alert aid interested bov sroups'"1".^ iil; ;;;;;;; a.;;I"p""a i t "i'q "ited.

c aref ul svstem a ti-zin g in ord ertr,ii

"'J"ni" if il;h;;"";;;id ;d :

- T-ri; direc tor air d his offi ce a ssist an t

lffii;;:;il"r"*i. ^i"t"il

wirh great care. Much use was_ made of

;i;;;;-JJ ;tup fii" t"prl"" t"ii!"r ."f t he orga niz a t io n an d. the su b i ect'

matter for the turo.r5""o.ii;:'"r i*g" f"63*i""f ""i"n""t

containedil"lil;l; ior'

"u"ri t;;.i;;i;;;io"

"u"r,-*""k, so rhat, rhe director could

;ii;h; l'"r.-"i""?;.;;;;t ii-" a"'i'ig the dav'. Through the

;;;;i";rd oi tnu.""."i,;ifi; joint projeEts could be worked out

with a minimum of conflict."'iil;T;;6ri"l" in:"* ur.d for irslructional work. Films were

exhibited. uoa ruoru"irl,'i|C "--p"pular and efiective medium of

instrttction.^^'A ;;;;;;1 shop l-as operated for -the vounger boys and for some

b"".?i ' i ;;- nl*nioI f".:. i . ' '"f i-t*emUtea an ind"ustrial-arts class rather

fii;;;;h;li; ;;e;'i;]--;;;";h;p'- Ho\\-erer' it provided a good

;p;;t;;iat io obsetve aptitudes and attitudes'

*


160 FI\IE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

reprodi related work schedule that had been developed isw. The outstandins trado courses that had been

The shop and related work schedule thatoroduced^ below. The outstandinE trado

""i into operation under this svstem-were in printing, masonry, elec-

frical work, carpentry, painting, plu-mbing, at baking- A fiTfsls55[.i"ui *oiti.-carpentrv, paintind, plumbing, and baking' A firit-classcourse in airtoniobile in^echanics had been outlined and was about tobesin. (See p. 293.) The form used for the electrical trade-trainingiefrort (see apbendix'B, p. 293) constituted a trade analysis, which listed

""ituin't"u.hiirg units.' ' Tt was used by th-e instructor to keep^a record

of the work doie by each boy, so that each boy might rotate.{rom oneiob to another and obtair as complete training as possible. (In'apoendix

B. pp. 297-301, are reprodfced sample lessons and projectsuied in this biectrical course.)

- Plans had been made or u'ere to be

made for all trades in which training was offered.

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Ihe mecharucal-drawrng classes \\'-ere III -clrur-Eie ur urr urD,Li

*fro- frua "o-e,

to the sc6ool 4 years previously -as a guard. His-qrrrrql infarpqf in mpnhnnicsl drawins had been discovered, and he

NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAIJ AND INDUSTRIAI' SCEOOL 161

The mechanica.l-drawing classes were in charge of an instrtrctor

natural interest in mechanical drawing vered, and he

problems

*ur-"tt"ortaged to take corresponden6e courses and spe.cial work at;ir; S;;tu ;;?rnai school. \1-hbn he had acquired sufficient trainingi;it"";;ieniiuir, 5u *us given an opqortunity to.develop a course for-tn"

f"tr. eti 66vs did tli'e sanre prd6lems when they entered the class.ln" f"yr. eti 66ys did tli'e sanre prd6lems when. they entered the class.Aft"t ih"v had prosressed a certain dist,ance they *'ere given.specialpt"Ui.-."air.&ty ilt"t.a to the trades in which. they weie registered'ini.'itiltru.t"iJrl'.lu-"ti" der:elopment, of ori gin al-drawing problems;;;;6Ut fiat"a to"tf'" trade-course substance-and needs was said to;; ;;;;;;itti

' tti. classes u'ere clescribed as verv popular with the

boys. No doubt his own enthusiasm was contagious.-hccurate detail as to how many boys were pnrticipating in farm

*;;[-"""fa ""t

be obtained. The for-er individual and entire]yindependent farn colonies were still operating independently to a;;ili" ;;tunt, with each colony supervis6r directing f arming. activities;; lri"

""- "6t""i acreage. igricult'ral v'ork rias in a transition

rius* fro- that p;riod to-one in"which the u-ork was to be lnder oneairE"ti"g h""a, *it5 agricultural training features introduced. , The;;1;;;r"..;;t;La ih-t sT il)'. ;;" d;ing-farm rvork, but' this includedcolonres reportect tnat 9J Doys \\'ere oolng lullr wurrr, uuu uurD t'r

u lon.ia"r'obie number of boys rvho rvJre merely doing farm choresrti* ."h""t,- j"st a. they woul-d on any farm. It ivas stated that some;i ii" ola"lfioyr of lori.mentality rn-ere employed steadily all day onfarm rrork.Maintenance and repair work

Boys were used. relatively little on straight maintsrance rvork.The riranagement stated thai this policy, of cotrrse, restricted produc-ti;,-til ifiu 6oy't adjustment,, ttot th" pioduction record, was consid-;A;f pt i -u i rnpot iot . . . A smal l amou-nt of ."squad,work" ofserviee aird ianitoi tvpe u-as stil l required of certain bb.rs, but it lraseurtailed as mueh aiiossible. About the only regular assignment to;il;;it;;ittt"ttutt""'."orli I'as the detail for kitchen d-uty in thei-*ti"Jr colonies. Bovs spent 2 months on that detail and were thent"nia"ed bv others. "Thd intent of the adnrinistral,ion was to haveil;; i" ttr"" i"Jitiaual colonies 4o their own housework w'ith theircoi*i-utto". ;" much the same spiri-t-that boys in large all-boyfamilies are required to perform household chores.

12. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATIILETICS

As the institution had no gymnasium, the old assembly hall wasur"a tor symnasium classes.

'ihe director of physical education was

assisted iart of the time by one of the guards'. - r

athletics were as yet the'flit"*.ilp"ti;t;;d"il'it;ittJv .t"t"a

-that physical edlcation and

hl;;";;;;; ". ""t

the weakest part of the plogram, but' devclop-t part of the piogram, but develoP-athlettcs rere as yet the weaKest par[ oI .rr le Pruglur]" Y"1 uEYUrwv-

"i""1. t" be made"in this field wgre'beginning to be tatt<ed o-f : ,lt l::

t-"-t ti"t.J, ir'" "ii"l"^[;A-L;;-;';ii;t

u"..,..'"v of the needs, andplans were in the making. (See p. 154.)Physical education

Bovs reported to the assembly hall for gymnasium perio-dq regularly

f.o^if,"-r-"itool. '

Calisthenics "were taug"hi during ltart of the period,

the remainder being used for gemes.

li


L62 r'rvn srATE rNsrrrurroNs FoR, DET,INeUENT BoYS

Slrimming was taught during tbe outdoor season, practically allboys having an opportunity to-learn. The Boy Scout_leaders tookanimportait part ii this work. Reference has 6een made to the newoutdoor swimming pool. (See p. 139.)Sports program

The colonies competed with each other in basketball, baseball, andsoccer in a regular organized sports progranl. The t'ea_ms wereorganized in 3 le"agues wi"th about iO coloiries to a league. The schoolha"a a team whic[ nlaved outside teams in baseball and basketball.Part, of the games wlere played at the institution and as many boys asthere was room for attended.Military training

There was no military training of any kind at this institutionralthough the law permits the suplrintendent, to establish a systemof such training.r8

Is. OTHD;RDCRDATIONAL AND DDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

As has been stated in the preceding section, the recreational,activi-ties at this institution were slill some-what unboordinated and lackingin plan, but it was expected that with the help of _t!9 cJinig's- surYeyin lhis field a program would shortly provide for all kinds of develop-mental activities "outside the school-aid vocational training.

The management felt that considerable progress had been made indeveloping ricreational activities since tfie institution was visitedbvrepiese-ntatives of the Children's Bureau in 1931. In a communi-citioir early in 1934 mention was made of the entertainment providedduring the holidafseason, when groups of entertainers from variolsdunng the holrday season, wnen groups oI enter[&lners rrom Yorganizations in Roehester put 5n three evening progra.ms at thescf,ool. More significant perhaps was the inauguration of eve.lngsc[ool. More significant perhaps was the inauguration of eve.lngclass-es. in varioui types .of handcraf t,

"in which b*oys. were, dfplayrn[

much ingenuity, fashioning all sorts of articles out of celluloid, imita-tion leather, and other materials.Music

At the time of the visit the institution had a small band of about,15 pieces. Some'30 or 35 boys were being instructed on variousinstiuments. The band was f6rmerly rated"as a unit of the trade-training program, but the training was formd to be of little effectiveuse on-the

-boys' release from the institution. Although the band

was still under the trade-training department, the boys ivho took gpband work attended reqular school classes and were excused forinstruction in special instruments at regular periods during the week'Saturdav mornins was siven over to seneral band practice.Saturday morning was given over to general band practice.

One oT the regular tea"chers had a misic room at the schoolool and gaveclassroom instruction in music to each class once or twice a week.She also gave individual lessons in singing to boys who had specialability and were interested. Group singing was a customary featureof school assemblies.

The school had a harmonica band composed of 14 Boy Scouts.This band was very popular, both at the institution and in the sur-rounding country. " it was 3aid to have particularly distinguisheditself at the Boy Scout anniversary program at a motion-picture

18 N.* Y-k, Crhil l 's Consolidated Laws, 1930, State Charit ies Law, sec. 187.


NEW YORK STATE AGRICUI,TIIRAI, AND INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOIJ 163

theater in Rochester where it played every night for a week and rvassaid to have been the most, popular feature of each program.

BadioThe school itself owned no radio equipment. However, practically

all colonies had radio facilities owneii by the supervisors, rvho gener-all colonies had iadio facilities o*_neil by the supervisors., ivho gener-ously turned on appropriate popular programs fbr th_eirtroy families.One'of the nurses^dad'eiven ir fadio tb the bovs at the hospital as aOne of the nurses given'a iadio tb the-boys at the hoipital as aone of the nurses had grven a, radro to trle boys a[ tne noslChristmas sift. The administration would have Iihed toation would have Irked to Procure

it them to have loudsPeakers in;;i";;"t -which

rvould permit them to have Ioudspeakers ineach cottage through which they could rebroadcast programs froma central c6ntrol, b"ut funds had- not yet, been forthcoming for thatpuI'pose.llotion pictures

The institution had a motion-picture machine in its assembly ha1l,and until the winter of 1931 a motion-picture show had been givener-erv 2 weeks. As the aQparatus was onl.y for silent pictures lnd it*ur "rr"rv dfficult to qet sood silent films, ihe pictures had been dis-continu6d except for-an

"occasional show. The entire school groupq-ere occasionaliy taken to the city of Rochester to one of the theaters.For the past 2 years the institulion had asked the state legislaturefor appaiatus foi talking pictures, but so far it had not been allowed.

ReadingThe institution did not have a central library. It was-making

DIAnS t,o open one ul [ne scrloor Durru,libru.y. fac\lities .yet, available were

the fa[;f 1932. The onlylans to open one in the schogl building in the fall of 1932' I'he on]yhrqrv fniilities vet available were ihe small collections of books

o*"..i bv the individual colonies and by the hospital' It was recog-nized thit these were inadequate, both'in quantily and in varioty ofmaterial.Boy Scout work

The superintendent and assistant superi:rtendent were convincedof the beiefits to be derived by their boys from participation in loyScout work. Thev had sousht the coopeiation of the Scout executivefor the Rochestei district, and with his help Scout, actir-ities weroorganized in December fggO. A-previous altempt to organize hadno-t been very successful. A full-time scoutmaster was appointedin March 193i, and his office in the schoolbuildin-g was -a perpetuallybusv scene. It was expected that one of the closed farm colonies*orild be placed at th^e disposal of the Scouts to serve as Scoutheadquart6rs for the school.

-

Th6 school Scout sroup consisted of 190 Scouts, organized intol0 sroups. It was eipecied that the number would increase untiltheie was a steady membership of about 250 Scouts at all times'

Various colonv"supervisors,-Euards, and teachers acted as scout-masters. Two 6f th^ese staff'liembers were taking a scoutmastet'straining course which consir*ted of l0-night sessions, 2 afterno,on out'door seisions, and 1 overnight trip. The same men \\'ere also plan+rngto tuk* a Red Cross first-a'id couise and during the summer months alife-saving course.

In addi"tion to a regular progr&m of Scout projects, the scoutmasterhnd a reqular schedirle for hlkes by the diffeient troops. He hadtaken selicted groups to participate in various o-utside prog.rams.For instance, ZE Scbuts from this school were taken to a district


T64 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

Scout council jamboree attended by 1,500- B-oy-Scouts from thesurrounding area. Recently a big Scout rally. had been held in theassembly h"att nt the institution, fith contests in variotts Scout workprojects. An all-day outdoor raliy for all Scouts at the institutionwas to be held in \ [ay.

The scoutmaster hbped to set up an outdoor camp for summer useon ground orvned by

^the institution, some distance away from the

maii campus. A c6mmunication in Januar-y 1934 stated that sucha camp hid been cbnstructed on some land on the Genesee River,which

^flows through the institution property. It had been in opera-

tion durins the srimmer season of t9af and tgea' During 1933 thescoutmastdr had 60 bovs in camp each week. At the end of the campseason 360 boys had sfent t t'e6k each at the canqp. -

The school administration felt that Scout worh had two particularvalues for their boys-first, in giving them oppor[unities for whole-sonre actir.ities of dirrerse charalter

-during tlieir leisure hours rvhile

in the institution: and, second, in helping to bridge tle gap betweentheir institutional life'and their life in rilation to other boys whenthey were ready to return to their home communities.

ihe scoutmaster discussed frankly some of the dfficulties that hadbeen encountered in connection with making the outside adjustmentfor a boy when he was paroled. Some--9nple-asant incidents hadoccurred"when an attempt was made to affiliate boys with an outsideunit. Through energetii work on the -part of the school executives,and particulaily on tiie part of the parole director and his field ag:nts,thes6 difficulti6s were iaid to have been largely oYercome' Closecontact was maintained with the district and national Scout execu-tives, and whenever there was any-di-fficulty the matter was.taken upthrorish official channels and worked out

-in that way. Since tr'eb-

ruary'1931, 160 Scouts ltad been paroled, and 65 of these had beensucc"essfully enrolled in active trobps in the communities to whichthey had [one. Records at t]ris school indicated that of 660 con-secutive ad-missions to the institution, 66 were of boys who had beenScouts before they u'ere committed, some of whorn had achieved con-siderable standing in the Boy Scout movement.

The scoutmasler issued a regular intertroop transfer certificate

paroled.suppl ied bv nat ional headquarters to each Scout r , r l ro was to benaioled. The parole asent found out whether the eommunitv to whichparole agent found out whether the community to which

inE had a troop in which he could be satisfactorily ancld. If so. the lransfer certificate rvas made out and his

the bov wassoing had a troop in which he could be satisfactori ly andhappiJv en.olled." If so, the transfer certif icate tvas made out and hishappilv

"n.oll"d." If so, the

-transfer certificate rvas made out and his

exi,it 'Scout

standing and record up !o the time of transfel wereenterecl on it. A relord of the transfer was sent, on a card madespecifically for that purpose to the Scout district council. In theheaclquariers at the siho6l a card-system record u-as being kept of allbovs lvho had been Scouts at the institution so that, the scoutmastercould tell at any time the Scout history of any boy enrolled there,whether before dommitment, during institutional stay, or on parole.

0utingsAll boys from the institution who v-ere-noi

"-o491 discipline were

sometimes taken on special trips to attend baseball-league games atthe ball park in Rochester. Tliese outings were naturally popular andmuch coveted by the boys.


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOL T65


This institution had always place{ hg"ny em-phasis on the impor-'tance of religious instruction and affiliation for the boys committed to,.its care. Reference already has been made to its two very attrac&ivechapels, one Jor Catholics and one for Protestants. (See-p. 138.)

' The school employed a Protestant chaplain full time to serve the-spiritual needs of boys from Protestant families. Ile conducted areligious service each_ Sgnday morning. Music was supplied by a boyorganist and a boy choir

Religious education was not made a matter for attention on Sqndayonly- There was no Sunday school, but, the chaplain conductedregular classes during the wee( meeting groups for 45^-minute periods,as part of_the school work, for Bible study a.nd to give boys an oppor-turiity to bring up for discussion anJr ma[ters that-mightbe trou-dlingthem.

The school also maintained a Catholic chaplain full time. Eleconducted a service each Sunday morning in the Catholic chapel.This group also had its organist and boy choir. During the weekCatholic boys were given religious instruction in certain periods, a,sr apart of the school program

Although the school had very few Jewish boys enrolled, serviceswere conducted at, intervals for them by a rabbi who.was paid on aper diem.basis.-

Close cooperation had been developed between the parole depart-ment and the chaplains. '[Vhen a boy was to be paroled his chaplainwas notified. I{e immediately communicated with the pastor of theparticular denomination to which the boy had said his pebple belongedin the community to which he was to be sent. This was done whether.or not, the boy liad been a regular church atttindant before commit-ment. Somelimes the chapldins wrote to,religious organizations'incertain areas as well as to the pastors in an effort to enlist intelligenthelp and guidance for the boy among members of his own religlousgroup.

If any diffieulty developed after the boy 'sasreleased and the paroleof5cers felt that t'he home pastor was not keeping in as close touchwith the boy as was desirable, or if the boy proved unfaithful to hisreligious obligations and the regular parole agent, and the pastor wereunable to adjust the matter satisfactorily, the school chaplain visitedthe district' and helped to solve the problems involved. At regularintervals also the cdaplains visited ceitain centers where there were agood many parolees and met with them, givl4g them an opportunit'5rto talk over their ethical and spiritual problems, answering any ques-tions and giving any advice which the boys might seek.


Credit systemThe program at this school did not include a formal merit or credit

system. Each school teacher, shop instructor, and colony supervisorkept an individual record card for each boy. On that card dailyentries were made. At the end of the month the officer entered amonthly rating, and these cards wero then turned in to the centranrecord office.


f66 FrvE srATE INSTrrurroNs FoR DELTNQUENT BoYs

Boys were graded on conduct, effort, progress' character of thework" done, aid attitudes. A cird giving specific instrucllions forkeeping th6se record cards was placed-in the hands of each officer whowas^ re[uired to rate a boy. Ratings were by letter,-one indicatinggood, oi above the averagd; one indicating fair (u-hich was a fluctu-iting ave.age or below-aieiage rating); and o-ne indic-ating. poor, orconslderabl! below the average. Sometimes plus or minus signs u'ereused to indicate gradations. Officers were continually cautioled to usegreat care in ariiving at these monthly gradgs as these ratings wereised in determining etiginnty for parole. The administrative officoexpected these ratilngs "to be'the riesult of serious thought and fairweighing of all factols by the individual awarding the gr-ade. Thecards w6re not handled by the boys. They rvere considered confiden-tial between the sradins"officer and the administrative record office.

If a boy had reclived a low rating and this tvas a determining factorin clelaying parole, t,he matter was explained to him. If he felt thathe had been unjustly rated, the rating offi.cer was asked to appearbefore the parold conimittee and e.xplain the basis for the ratings thathad been given.Disciplinary measures

General policies with respect to types of discipline to be used weredetermined by the superiniendent." \Yorking 6ut of detail and theresponsibility-for administering disciplinary measures under thesegeneral poliiies were placed in t"he hands of the assistant superintend-6nt aideil and advised' by the colony supervisors, -school.teachers,.shopinstructors, and other bfficers haiing'boys under their strpervtston.The assistdrnt superintendent prefer-red io far as possible to leavedisciplinary problems in the harids of group supervisors. Only whenthev'felt tiai a boy was getting complEtely ouiof hand did th6y referhim to the assistait sup&intenldent'i offic-e for action. It wasitatedthat relativelv few weie thus referred and that school teachers andshop instructbrs seldom called for aid on disciplinary problems. ItwaJdesired that colony supervisors approximate as closely as possiblethe parent attitude in disciplinary administ'ration.

The primary disciplinary medi"um in use was deprivation of privi-leges.

'Boyr i""re deprived of their play hours, having to rernain

inactive and off the playground while the rest of the colony familywas eniovins its eanres.

- Curtailment of food was contrary to institu-

tional'p,iti"i, th"ough it was said to be not unlikety foi individualcolony mations rotti"ti-es to take a boy's dessert awiy from him jgqta" onf mother might. Standing on line was not very much used at ihisinstitution, althoirgh boys wilhdrawn from actiie play o! colonyplaygrounds might-be required to remain on the side lines. Denial ofthe riEht to attend school entertainments was not usual.

Bovs rvere sent to disciplinary colonies by the assistant srtperintend-ent oh recommendation bf the colony superlisor if on investigationof circumstances that action seemed tiesirible. The disciplinary col-onies rvere not different in their livinE arranqements from the reEularcolonies. Their lir-ing rooms wete flea.anq hornelike plaees.

-Thc

supervision, of conrse, \\r&s yerJr' much more rigid. Niforeover, boys re-siding in disciplinary colonies did not attend school. They wererequired to do the roughest and most unpopular forms of manual laborabout the institution, usually working about 7 hours a day at these


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAIT AND INDUSTRIAL SCEOOL 16T

unplea,sant tasks. The length of stay at these eolonies varierl greatly.

d.i;ffi;;; air"ipii""r' c-olotties ahd decision as to whether a boy

;:#;;;;i;i; t" r'ii' r"'"i"";;;ia;;; "oit, o" whether his^program of

;;;;t-;i;as to be "h";s;d,

a;tended upo' the action of thg assign-

*iifi""i-til"q ;hi;i;;3"ria.t6J "ach

case on its individu-al .merits'"'ifiir"iii-ti'i"iio" ** making great strides in individualiziqg the'tr.;i;";i";f iir"ibfi""t' pt"Ut?f. throush its clinic service' - Tt was;'d;il,t .il;iiit;".1i";;".i,ii^;i;*t*t of-"tt"t*sis' for example' or of

'

sex practtces, was g;i;;"i;;ryte lnvaluable in connection with the

irirdri"i'"i.i,"rt iift."i?i... '-

rn" ciinic had undertaken, with the aid

;f ffi^ fir;ai;;f di;;";;, o"a with the cooperation of ,colon51 super-oi.or* and matrons, to try out various methods of treatment tn cases

i"r"*:frl"fr "o

a.n"it" ph-v"sical reasons which could be corrected rvere

il;";;;;;d:- f[. g."J,"ui".-tul+;;; ";ming

to recognize tlat problems

of tnit kind were not cleared up by severe Dtlmtlvc metnoos'Bovs were sent to the disciplinary colonies mainly for such things

".ir'"iri.i""i aitoUuai"oce, refisal to obey reasonable reqY--es!s' open

A;d;A;;kiE i" ii'; -b;ilAid.' stealirig, and runnin-g 1*3I^ The

iliittti;; had "a verv high runaway rate' supervrsron was very

ili;;;];;"d it *t *3v toi tt "

uovt simplv to walk a'wa'v' However'mosr run&wuy. *"r.*"f,i;[;J-;p. ;nd rel,i.n"d almost-immediately'ffi;kil;u.'to.riai"'" Fil*'iy bt"uutt of the fire hazard' This

;iL;HF iliii."iiriy im$ortant it this institution where most of the

i,i,iiaraj* {i";; ;il';'".i;ii*o," "o"sirucrio

n, so that d a,nger f rom fi re

;;;;ffi ;y. present. -*ihi;

;;; *ua" verv clear .lq,ll-t'Pv:.and an

attempt was m&de to nu"u tn.-ieel their iesponsibility for endanger-

ffi"#;;rgp"ii;-;#*."." f*;1ui1' tu! lives oi other members of theirgroups. lJoys were tota tLat it bas thoueht unwise for very vounq

bovs to smoke out that, the primary t"ut&'i* Gd enforc6ntint oT

ilii"#"#;ffid-;ri;"i"" in!- "ra"i boy' *". as a fire-prevention

measure.'- C"ttit"t punishment was strictly forbidden, and any

obser"L this rule would be met with instrynt actron on the

sipiti"t."aent against the offending staff member'

failure topart of the

16. INSTITUTION RECORDS

Alons with other changes made and tlre new developments in the

i"r;iil"fi";;i;;;s# t" r15rl"a-rssi, tl'. record system had.under-;;;;;;;$; i .v.t"*";; b.i"t developed which made basic a

F;;";,i i;;;;;r, mv,""rg""i r. J uio" gine lin es of case-work pro,ce d u re,

;hi.r:h;;;ia """triiir "fTin" "u.":his-toryda,ta,

including social history,institution progress records, and parole hrstorv'- "if,

" i"a^; iiJr?"ru ;p;t.;";q-ot

"o-u tt", kef t considera ble d e t aile d

aotu'il".'Jo;;;i""-;ith i-i'"ii iiuay of each boy and their jrrdgment as

i" nif p'"g'"..^i" tu.i. ;;;i,;qii'J frelds' ,Th"e TPTF,g,the'^variousdepartmen-ts were srrmmarized for the central case-hrstory Iotder-'"ffi;;;;i;f

t""trar^*"." "ita"t tn" general supervision of the assist-

ant superintendent ;i;;r; k.pt in n-is office. ^A

record clerk was in

;h##;?lila"t"iili tne iecoia ofrce. For ea.ch boy.therc lras a

iJrt"?l th" f;;";;i;hi.il;r;; u, u-r"". sheer, r,rith a prinred.outlinei;;;;;'"Ji";Ti*tirii"glti".-"iio" such as age, schbol grade' and

;;',i";;iffi' i;';'1."";;itr"i".d ,p""" to, summaries of shop, school,


168 FrvE slarE {NSTrrurIoNS FoR D.or,rNeuENT Boys

and colony assignments. In each folder was filed the follorvingrnaterial:

Commitment papers.Reports of psychologist and psychiatrist.Report of the preliminar-v home and social investigation.Report of the preparole home investigation.Notes on home-reconstruction work.Monthly reports from the discipline and trade departments, school,

and colony.Correspondence.Medical reports.Parole data (preparole and field parole reports).

Special printed forms were used for each of these reports. Theblariks rrsea for the preliminary home, school, and court investigationswere exceptionally bomplete, covering all possible points included ina thorough case inyestigation. These forms, wi[h supplementarysheets foi the parole agent's comments, consisted of several Ptges.The monthly ieports

-as to discipline, schoo,l, trade, and colony

record were inade on large cards, one for each department. Theywere turned in to the record clerk monthly for liling in each boy'sfolder. (See appendix C, pp. 320-324).

Forms'necessi,ry for r6cbiding the institution routine of transferfrom one assignment to another, leave of absence, Boy Scout cer-tificates, notices to parents, and similar items rvere in use.

In addition to the case folder the administrative record office hadan index file of cards 5 by 8 inches, *-hich provided for a completesummary of each boy's caie. These rvere filled out progressively andincluded very complete detail of the boy's institutional and parolehistory.

Separate individual records n-ere kept by the medical and academicschool departments. A full record was made of the boy's physicalexarnrnatibn and of the medical history taken on his entrance' Fur-ther records \!-ere set up for boys receiving hospital or medical treat-ment. These *'ere vdry comilete and letailed as to progress oftreatment. They became permanent, records and were fiIed at thehospital. The school numb kept records of all boys seen by her,including weight reeords for those found to be underweight.

The academic school kept a set of monthly report cards whichconstituted a permanent file. A copy of the rogular report card wasgivel the bof when paroled, snd-one $'es also sent to the boy'sparole agent.^

As has been indicated previously, records considered as prep-arolematerial and the supervisory parolC reportslryere included in the boy'sseneral case-history foldef.

- In addltion to the prepamle social-

i=nvestigation forms, there were certain forms used in preparole prep-aration which became palt of the record. These were the form letterof inquirv sent to the fudge of the committirg court asking his coop-eration in recommending placement or return home, the referenee forparole signed by the jud-g4,, and the reference from the pastor of thebov's church;and the sumnrary of the parole treatment program as out-lini'd. This iast was a.3.-pag6 form,giurng brief identifying informa-tion, brief sumnrar)- of institutional progress and problems, and anoutline of the program to be followed a.fter the boy's release on parole.

Forms u'ele-furnished boys on parole for their monthly reports, andwritten reports rvere required of all visits by the parole officers. Bothrvere filed in the boy's case record.


17. PAROLE AND DTSCHABGE

Boys rnight be. paroled or dischargt-d,llo- the institution at rnv

tirne after commltment, in accordancb u-ith the rules and regulations

nhich the State d.;il;;;;-of=.o.i"t welfare rvas a'thorized to

establish.'eThe parole department' was palt of !!9 ad'ministrat'ive organization

"f ;h;iiliit"tiori, "-itf|-fieadquarters

at the institution, and the assist-

;;ffi;;;;;"a.itt, u"i"a nt fitttt"r of.p.arole' The immediate super-

lffi;";ift;;gi" i;;'1. '* ""a'r 6is direction' D.ring 1e30 a

complete ."orgon,ro,,"it ' ir pit"iit 'work,**'at effected' Previously' the

;;"i;"*f. fi"a t,"""-odonirerl on a b-asis of relieious affil iation, a

6i.*i"fii ""r"i" "m"."

fi"i"g-il-gtr;rge of Catholic boys and a Protes-

;#';;;"i; ;l+L;;il;i;.F of.fiotEstu"t''' rn the ne$. program the

nh.i 5i"f frud uu"r, "or"frilt"a

into .one unit', and the assistant super-

;;;"4#;;.;;; th"-J;G ol directo' of parole. . The Protestant'

oarole agent, beca.t"- '1'*p--t-'i;;t ;l pttoutblu activities' and the

6?tr,"fi""oii'tf* age"t becarne supervrsor 6t ttt" fie-ld.parole-that is'

;i'ii;;;rffi..-of 'tn."po-i"

og""i. to.bovs after their release'

There were 8 field^ agents br parole officers, and it u'as expect'ed

that 2 more officerr-*3ri,i-U" Jdd"d at the beginning of the next

XEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAI] SCHOOI' 169

fiscal year (JulY 1, 1932).:li #'H;'!#il Jf d; "i ?r":er-. :tf rT^,*-T:* i'l'* T::1" % *:*1';

rr^,:P]ii;ti"o "q""rin"Jtil";; ;;d appointmeirt' have been given in

il# i 4 F i 4 i, = A;1T" ih "i'" It* ; ii lt:,. : ?L1 H: i"l tinTl?;t iS;u.-t 'o'-tuluties, qualif i catiors, and, a

lf 5"J"ffi t*;;r.ii.J["a"g;!,_{a-,,1^"1"-xgg:"T"--**l*f :lH',;"f ilT"J;';;'#;;;;? ;;;;;; u ho, had )e::_:ii]t :jtgii:.i'"Jtil#; illth;;;il;iti;? ror a nun'ber or v91l yll,ld^P:-*;il#t"4;;thi'p;;.";i";;;i''["r"::,*:*"Y?*1t:T*:"**n';ur'or'uucu uu urr.rr

' in frind and preparation"^i;;'";tig;tion u"'d planning uith paroleof the boy for parole ltere emphasrz,eg "

i"1ry111t-fl::t^"f.,ll:

ended June 30, 1930r-t 'he drrector oI p-arole sLtrueu Lrrau ru' 1,r\

tion for a boy's pu.or"'.io'uid il;qi" ih* -n*"ttt a bov is received at'

Industry."20 .q., r,a. b*eli*i"3, -a special stafi position had been

;;;ili1; .u,.v out';;i"i;"il; 'p["fi"q p'"q^I-9i: Pl"^911T rhe

first step in this y* ; ri"ii'", ,ii,,i.li; ;o eourt inr estigation, which

a field asent was Or"""t"alo ,i ake v-eiy soon after a boy-was received'

tti&;3 pt#;d i;_;i;;i" u "o-p-tet".case

history previous_to com-

nritment relating t" nlir", ""'ig-h"il1;iil;;d;

rchool, mintal status,.health

conditions, und court"'i,iJ#;i.'^ "itese

innettisations included regis-

;i-#^;fr;' ;; ;-ith'u'.o"iui-'"';i;;- ;'."h ""

gel ir one - existed in the

[,ii]h""iiv"rilrr^"ru"r,";h; i,;i^h;d "o*"1

'and foltowing up the

references -thus

obtained.The supervi.or of"iiuparole work was expect'ed to keep in close

touch uith the boy fi:f,;'h; **'i" it',"-iistitution, to iollou- his

progress records, and to serve as u *"-t* of the assignment and

oarole commrttees. h; ;lt";it"";"J th; field agent in work with

iil b"y,;'i;_iiv a".irs ilru boy'. st_ay at the ins-titution if, as \ as

usuallv the case, ,n. i^t?*iig";i"; h;J 6h-o* tt a need fol rehabilitation

work ln the home. 'Ti;";r"";;"'"*ty

"g"tf to secure the help a,'d

J":,ii"i"it"" "r ml"r #;";-i". i"-thiJ ptogrut''. Thus thro'gh these

;G p. rrGa csbilr-s-consoridated Laws leso' l*1S g.f3{itiToL"tIail?ilJitt!?;ff3'Eightv-r..ood

;I*lt'""j"*gr'il':glll'-?,f f3!bTi'*,;:%':fi-",[Hl':'l'''


L7O x.IvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BoYS

preparole_activities the parole force u'as brought into contact with theboy and his problems immediatelv after coirmitment and. remainedin close touch throughout his period of jnstitutional treatment.

Eligibility_for pat6le *ur not based on u"y .p""in. ;;t;. creditsystem b't depended on the individual boy,i piogress in his cond.uct,worl<,, and training program. The basis lor heasuring his p.rog.resswas,th,e grading,s5'stem used at the jnstitution in which the boys weregry.q"q on conduct,.eflort,,.-progress, character of uork done, andatl,i_tudes, as has been described. (See p. 166.)

The assignment committee and the'parole'committee decided aboy's readiness for parole, and the lattei committee worked out withthe supervisor of^ field parole the plan to be carried out on parole.The pers.onr,rel of these two committees was practically the same,both including the a.ss_istant superintendent, psycholofist, psychiiatrist, p.sychiatric social w_orker, - iu pervisor of p^reparole"woik, voca-tional,director, superintendent of schools, and sbcoid assistant super-inteldent. - The superintendent of the institution, supervisor of fieldparole, and the chaplains were additional members of the parolecommittee., {u.f boy's case was reviewed by the assignment committee whenhe had been at the institution 6 months. Lt that time the nrobabredate on which he would be readv for parole was determined. and hisneme was placed_on schedule fol a hearing by the parole committeeon that date. The average length of staf #as l3'months. Beforethis hearing, the supervisor of

-preparole'work reviewed the boy,s

record and had a check-up visii rirade to the boy's home. Ti,issupervisor, with the advice of the clinic, and especially that of thepsychiatrist in problem cases, made the formal recomniendation forparole to lhe parole committee. Each case was discussed in detail bythe committee and suggestions were made for the after-care treatmentplan to be_ followed by-.the su_pervisor of field parole. If parole wasapproved by the committee, tEe name was sent to the superintendentand to the parole committee of the board of visitors of tlie institutionfor final approval. References were also required from the judge ofthe committing court and from the pastor of-the bov's church.

Ilrhen t_be preparole invpetigationihowed that the boy,s own homewas entirely unsuitable for his -ret,urrr, it was the policy of the paroled.epartment to recommend pla_cement, in a foster home, uiuallyeitler a free or a yagg home iT the boy was of legal workin g age.

The State was distiic-ted geographically for assfinment oicaEes forsupervision. The total number irf bov's on pardle on a siven date(Apri l t , 1932) was 1,242, of whom t, t tZ w6re , ,act ive dases' , and630 were "semiactive" (legallv still on parole but no lonser underactive supervision). As the field staff numbered eight officerr, th*average load of active c&ses was 188 per officer. Tliis varied some-what in the actual assignment of cas-es, and it was noted that oneofficer had as-mafy as 185 active cases under supervision and anotherhad 150, while others had as few as 115 and 106 cases.

The frequency of visits to the bovs by the field asents denendedupon -thc individual case characteristics. Monthly"visits w'ere re-quired as a matter of routine, but difficuit problem 6ur"" *"r" visitedas often as there was need p^nd as- time permiited. After the first year,visiting *'as less fLequent if good progiess had been madel and attivesuper\ lslon was drscontrnued after 2 0r 3 years if the field asent sorecommended and the school authorities approved.


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAIJ AND INDUSTRIAIJ SCIIOOIJ T7I

The written reports required monthly fror-n the-boYll 01 forms pro-viaffiot-tnut-piripor", iere sent bf -tbe boy.directly.to the fieldoifi."., *no t"u,i" ul record of them for his olvi information and sent;h;; it t" tn" itttlit,rtion for filing. These mo.nthly re.ports had toil" .in*a bv the bov, bv his teach"er if he was in school, and by lris

;;;;? W6ekly refortJ of visits made by the parole officers during^each week were-sen[ to the supervisor at the institution. 'I'hese were

-"aL o" ."oaraie sheets, So that each might be filed with the recordof the bov concerned.'-

i"]Mu"hoted in the description of the wo-rk.of the parole committee,an after-care treatment program was caretully planned and summal-ized. When a boy was faroled, copies of this summaly.weresent to-in"

i"tt"*i"E p"orit"r The assisiant commissioner of social welfrre in;.'h;;d;i S?ui" iiistitutions; the local superintendent of schools in;il;;-;";ity to which the boy was going; the-.c-omrnitting judge;

and the parole field agent. The contact establtshed tbrough lnls-*"" *li[ the local s"chool authorities had been found to be veryil"ipi"t i" many cases in assisting paroled boys to make their schooladiustments.

bach field parole officer was expected to carry out the. treatment

""o*o* Jli""-i".a upon, and hd could not make any clrangc in it

;iiE;;-ntti-"oo.uttin'g tlie supervisor of field parole' [ussestionswere readily accepted by him, however, ald p?1919 olrlcers wereen"outasedio t""o-*end change whenever they felt it to be for thebest int6rests of the boY.--Si"."

in. chaplains ivere field workers as well as resident officerq,tfr"" f."q"u"ilv issisted the parole officers in maintai:ring contacts t"ith;il;"t.h-;;;-"#uiio". u"a itr making adjustments in regard to churchotoUi"-r.--i" uaaitio" to case woik with parolees, the supervisor ofheld onrole considered it part of the work of the paro.le agents to."*v'"" u" J""uiioool progto.n in the communiticsl to interpret the

;;;dl"-;;;t t" it; public, "and to mtke clear to soeial agencies the;;; th";;isht plui in th'e constructive work necessary to help-boysilt,;ffii lo ?n"ii-

".i-munities. The parole department had enlisted

the assislance of courts and many social agencies of vanous types lnconnection with the supervisory work.--1""t[Lr

interestinq ieature"of the parole program wa_s_ the staff

"oof"""o." of the eoiite field force and supervisors,_ held every 2

-""in" -ACth"re

conferences the various phases of the-parole work;;; E;d;d. It was felt by the supervisory s-taff that through;L;;;;;a;"-"*". th" field offic"ers got a'better understanding of thei"o;. o."li.ms, of the value of obtaining complete- and thorough easehislories. and of the importance of working out plans of cooperatron;itil;;;;G. ir ti" communities to whichlhe boys were paroled'" ̂ Ar;E;i;;tit"ti6"'.

legal control contiLnued until 6ach boy r^eached 21u"u*-of us"-rrot"tt too"tt"t discharged (see p' 135), m-ost of the boysiemained inder its supervision until that time, though -actrve super-;i;i;;ilr;llv was diicontinued after 2 or 3 years of .satis{act-ory;;;G t"*;A U"t"i* a case demanded speciil attention. the boyinerelv ,,staved on the books." Boys were automatrcally.drschargectt"i;i; reaching 21 if they married., enlisted.in rnilitary service, or werecommitted to "some other correctional institution.--

ffr" a""irion as to returning a parolee to the institution for violationof ni" poiot" was the responiibility of the parole department. There

76870-35-12


L72 r'rvn srATE rNSTrrLrrIoNS roR DELINeUEN'I' Boys

w&s no definite rule as to what constituted a violation. It was ieftto the judgment of the field parole officer with final approval by !\esupervi-sor, or to the judge of the court, usuall5' in consgltation withthe parole department. Boys were sornetimes returned for furthertraining when adjustment had not been satisfact'ory, though theymiqht not have committed anv specific offense.

The parole department in its reorganization rvas developing andimproving its record system. Because preparole rnd parole activitieswe?e all ionsidered a fa'rt of the whole ihstitution-treaiment, progra,m,they w-ere made a part of the case record, so that one record foldermight contain each-boy's complete history.

18. PLANT AND PROGBAM CHANGES IN RDCDNT YEARS

Of the cases analyzed in part 2 of this report (see p. 10), 148 were ofboys from the Ne# York State Agricultural and inouiirial School.Most of these boys (115) were admitted during 1923 and paroledfor the last time durine 1924 and 1925. Some admissions were ofstill earlier date, one asJar back as 1918. The program at this insti-tution was distinctly difrerent in several u'ays during this period fromthat described as in effect in 1932.

Except for the addition of the central school building, the plantelf was approximately the same. The boys lived in rvidely separated

colonies,itself was approximately the same. The boys lived in rvidely separatedcolonies. seldom numberins more than 25 to a qroup, and havinE am numbering more than 25 to a group, and having asupervisor and matron in charge of each such 1a!qi1y unit. Therewere two types of colonies, industrial and farm. Each farm gglonyhad about-50 acres of land assigned to it and had all the buildings,equipment, and stock necessary to carry on a small independent farmprogia-.

'Each farm-colony

-supervisbr was the direcling head of

his own farm, responsible only to the superintendent or his assistant.Supervisors of the industrial colonies were skilled tradesmen u-ho car-ried on production and maintenance work for the institution withboys doing the work under their supervision. Bach industrial colonyhah a larg"e garden plot assigned td it, and its boys u'ere expected t-oraise all the vegetables for their colony, in addition to doing theirshop work.- The boys. were segregated according to age, size, mental ability,home training, and previous experience. The segregation was ascomplete as ifwas possible to maintain. The aim was to prevent the"comparatively well-disposed boys" from being brought into anycontact with "the vicious and depraved." 21

Comparison of figures for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1922and 1931, reveals some changes in the intervening years:

r9z2 1931

5722Ir2 . 7

$820

Average number of boys under care-Number of employees-Boys per employee-Per cap i ta cos t - - - - - - - - -

6651943 . 4

$568

,r State Agricultural and Industrial School, seventy-sixth Annual Report, year ending June 30, 1924,p. 115. Industry, N.Y.


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOL L73

It rvill be noted that the population had decreased but that theruumber of employees had slightly increased, so that tbe ratio of em-olovees to bovs was even tnore favorable than at the earlier date. Theieicapit,r, co"st had risen, indicati!g the probable expenditure of moremoney: to procure not only urore but -also better-trained personnel.

Foi many years speciai attention had been given to_ihe pbysicalalth of the bovs admitted and of those under care. Not onlv hadhealth of tlie boys admitted and of those under care. Not only had

the boys suffering from aeute conditions been given excellent medicalthe boys suffering from aeute conditions been given excellen_t mbdicalcare, but much Corrective work had been undertaken to relieve con-been undertaken to relieve con-ditions noted at time of examination on admission. In 1923 the schoolhospital was destroyed by fire. Until the nerv fileproof hospital wasbuiit and opened in"I925,'the medical work rvas seriously handicappedb-v the inadequacy of facilities, and much of the correcti't'e rvork hadto be foreqone.

The bovs included in this studv did not have the benefit of thepsychiatric ancl psvchological services described as operating in 1932.birt all boys weie"given'mental tests (Binet-Simon), and the resultsof those routine erarninations were utilized in making assignments toschool classes and industrial training. The tests were given by ateacher who had taken sorne special training for that work. Theannual report for the fiscal year 7923-24 included the following classi-fication oir the basis of thoie tests, w'ith the comment that althoughthe examinations probabl.y- did not always do full justice to the boys,especially those from homes in which foreign languages rvere habituallyspbken, it s'as believed the findings tabulated gave an approximatelya-ccurate picture of the levels of intelligence of the boys admittedduring the .,1'ear:22

Nlental level

Superior ( l 10-120)Normal (90-110)Dull normal (80-90)Border-line (70-80)-Feeble-minded (below 70) - - - - - ----

In keeping with the policy of complete segregation by colony thoschool classwork was carried on in each colony home. During 1924

1 . 52L. O25.527. O25. O

tt83

102109100

on in each colony nngand 1925 there were 19 teachers under the supervision of a superin-tendent of schools. Each colony classroom really constituted a smalltendent of schools. Each colonv classroomcountrv school. to which a teac"her came eicountry school, to which a teacher came either in the morning or_ inthe aftbrnoon every day. Half the colonies had school in the morningand did their otherrvork in the afternoon, and t'he rest of them reversedthe program. Three of the 19 teachers taught special subjects (music,freehan-d drawing, and physical education), visiting alL colonies atresular intervals. The others taueht resular public-school work,work,;;Fhi inierval.l' The'others taught teg.,lu" purdaotins the courses to the varied abilities and desradapting the conrses to the varied a5ilities and degrees of retardationof their-bovs as best thev could. But the annual reports for thisadapting the conrses to the varied abilities and degrees of retardationof their-boys as best they could. But the annual leporls for thisperiod cont-ained comments on the handicap under which the teacheriabored who tried to t'each the work of several diflerent grades, andperhaps some high-school courses, during the short half-day schoolperiod.

2, Ibid., p. 90.


174 FrvE srATE rNSTrrurroNS FoR DELTNquENT Boyg

As has already bee! pointed out, this institution had been primarilyan agricultural 6chool,'about two-lhirds of the boys being engaged ihfarm" activities. At'the time this institution "u'a. reirovEd"fromRochester to this rural site, its founders had firmlv believed in theeffi.cacy of rural Iife and farm pursuits as rehabilitative agents. Theyrecognized the fact that most of their boys came from cities and rryouldretuin to city life. They had no desire to turn these citv-bred ladsinto farmers. But they 6e[eved there was a healthy freedbm in farmlife and activity, a ri-iolesome physical, mental, aird moral tonic incontact with the soil, the sunshine. and the fresh air. Thev felt thatkindness and consid6ration for the needs and desires of otiters couldbe developed through teaching the care of animals. It, u.as natural,therefore, that the most promising boys should be assigned to the.farm colonies, and the most hopeless types slrould be required to dothe industrial work in the various shofs. In ihe 1926 arinual reporttheso shops were described as "nothing but illJighted, poorly venti-lated, uninviting barracks which crelate an eiviroririrent "that ispositively detrimental to the best, results." 23 The training consistedof "learning by doing" tho maintenance and production work for theinstitution ulder the direction of experienced workmen.

In recognition of the fact that th-er educational and vocational pro-grams -were,not altogether satisfactory, the board of managers re-quested the State department of education to make a survey of theinstitution and to suggest such changes as the suryey mightindicateas desirable. That survey was not made until 1928, aftei the last ofthe boys included in this study had been finally released. Whencompleted it recommended centralizing of the school and vocationalwork, greater development of the latter, and correlation of the twotypes of educational activity.

The prevailing segregation policy was slightly relaxed from 1917 onbut was fairly iigid ri:rtit ttizS.

- The only r"elaxation had been in

certain general assemblies held, always under the closest of super-vision. But there was no intercolony play, nor organized attrleticsports and games until later.

The institution had never been under a military regime nor hadmilitary drill.

Noither harNoither had corporal punishment ever been authorized under theles of tne school since its establishment in nlace of the old House ofrules of tne school since its establis b in place of the old House of

Refuge in Rochester- Discipline was desCribed in 1924 as being"maintainea, Uy t<jnaly advic.e and persuasio-o., Fy egUlig. recognition"marn[arned Dy l{rndry &ctvlce anct persuesron, by publrc recognrtronof right.conduct, by the publication of a-l-reliabie'list"' (whigh^.e4-of right conduct, by the publication of a'reliable list"' (which en-titled a boy to certain extia privileges). When these measures failed,sterner ones were employed; for instance, the time before parole wasextended, one or nrore of the ordinary privileges was withdrawn,certai,n qplg,asqn! work had to be dode, br the"boy was sent for aterm in the disciplinary colony or experienced "temporary restrictionof diet." 2a

The annual reports of the institution for the past 10 or 12 yearsindicate that parble supervision has been consideied one of the mostvital parts of the treatment program. An eflort had always beenmade to maintain close contacl #ttn the boys during the fiist yearor two after their release. The supervision-had been friendly-and

,, St"t" ACri""ltu-a-l ancl Industrial School, Seventy*ighth Annual Report, y€ar entling June 80, 1926,p. 40. Industry, N.Y.

2. Sevonty-sixth Annual Report, 1924, p. 115.


NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAIT AND TNDUSTRTAT, SCHOoL -

i175

desisned to bo as helpful as possible. It had been under the directionof tfie assistant superintendent and 2 superviso_rs- (a Catholic and aProtestant, parole agent), aided by 3- additional field agents. In 1924ihese S pu"ole agerits *'ere responsible for 1,840 parolees...Of thatnumber.'870 weie on "active-" and 970 on "semiactive" parole.ObviouJlv the case load was too heavy to permit as close_ relationsas the adents desired to maintain with-the released boys u-hom theywere trvinq to help, but cooperative relationships were being built upwith oritsi"de agencies u.hos6 efiorts on behalf of paroled boys u'ereused to supple-ment, those of the institution's field officers. Themethod of

'actual field superYision, save for the reduction of case

load through addition of ^more

agents, did not differ greatly in1932 from what it had been in 1924 and 1925. An attempt wasbeins made to procure agents with college and special social-lr orktrain"ing during the later feriod, with a view to raislng the- standardsof worli still hi"gher and inlegrating it more completelyrvith the work,of other social- agencies in"the c-ommunities fiom rvhich the boys'came and to rvhich they returned.

The most important difference botween the par-ole work in the twoperiods iav in the procedures preceding parole and concerned rvith itslrantinE." ln t1e vears durini which [he bovs included in this study-were

in"the institution or on piarole, the prrole agents the-mselves hadno contact, with a bov's cas6 untii he [ad been granted parole andwas about to leave the institution. IJsually there was very littlesocial history available. When a colony supervisor lecommended parolefor one of his boys, a home investigalion qa,s made a few days beforethe bov was to be 6ent homo, but it was said that more attention waspaid t6 the references signed by the pastor and by the judge than tothe parole aEent's report on the home. For many years the super-vision had iicluded 6lose cooperation uith the pastors in the boys'home communities. Bovs we-re expected to attend church regularlyand to send in at regular intervals written reports signed by theirpastors.'

With the reorganization in 1930 the procedures were put, int-o effect'which started pr6paration for a boy's palole as soon as he was admittedto the institution-and which insured the procuring of much more com-plete social historv and the applieatioh of all-the findings of thetlinical study of the boy to th6-plans for his adjustment back intocommunity life. (The n-ew system is described in pp' 169-170.)

Througfiout the reorganization of the school program in 1929, 1930,and 1931] the institutidn management had had the strong support ofthe State'department of social welfare, whose staff took a. deep int'erestin the plansbeing made and were most helpful in procuring the neces-sarv funds for p"uttins the desired clranges into effect' Other Statedefartments prbved t6 be genuinely inteiested and cooperative. Theadhinistration expressed particulaf gratitude to tlre vocational sectionof the State depaitment of education for the aid giver-r in -worl-ting outthe comprehenGive plan for bona fide vocational training for the boys.

_ ^ /


Chapter VI.-BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, LANCASTER.OHIO

Tle Boys'-Industrial School at Lancaster, Ohio, rvas visited by fieldworkers in March 1932 for the purpose of securing tlre material rieededto prepare a description of the-pbysical plant an"d treatment programto be presented in this report. Unless btherwise speeified. all ."tatu_ments refer to conditions eldsting at the school at that time.'

r. srAruroRy pRovrsrons"$SlBrHlNc ESTABLTSHMENT AND

_ rn ohio the early statutes establishing institutions for the care ofdelinquent children made provision for ieverar types. In ig57 twose-parate laws were passed-, one to authorize tde establishment of"houses of refuge",

-the ofher to provide fo. the establishment of

"reform schools.t' The term ttreform school" was to applv to instit*-tions "where youth are detained under diseipline tor'd[6ir.eforma-tion." Three classes of institutions were indicated under the reform-school law;.namely, -city ins-titutions, farm schools, and institutionslor pnvate charity. Farm schools, the second class, were to be "reformIarms" to recerve .y.oung persons sent either by judicial decision or byparental or township a.uthority, rvho were to-be employed under lessre.glra,int,

"Fgfly in,agricultural labor. The Governor #as to appoint,

wlth the advrce and consent of the senate, a board of commis6i6ners,consis,ting of three members, to establish and supervise these reformschools.l

Provision was made in connection with the estabrishment of the fannschools for an "ohio state Reform Farm", and it was this insiitutionwhich became the Boys, Industrial School'of the present time. Theboard of state commissioner' w-as made responsibldfor lhe rr*"na.e otland and for the erection of suitable builiings to accom-rirodot. ,,+0p4e,.youth and necessary-officers and empl6yees.,, As soon as thebutldilgg were completed, the commissioneri were to call on the direc-tors of the house of refuge in cincinnati, or the directors of the ohiop:lil:"ji"r{, b,r jhe.officers 9{ any jail in ihe,state for 40 boys to ,,eon_stltute the first family of said reform farm.

Under the provisiois for commitmenilov. under rg ancl Eirls underr6 lound guilty of an oflense or crime againsl the larvs of the state couldbe committed to reform scho^ols, also those-under such ages who by lawmight be sent to h;.rses of refuge-that is, both delinqueit, anJ aepena-ent or-neglected children. In accordance uith the statutorv reserya-tron oI the ohio state Reform Farm for "male youth", girls liave neverbeen admitted. children committed rvere to"remain'u"nder control ofthe reform schools until legally of age. The5,- might b" pluc"Jo"t o"

I Prtih:i ffri::#:tt$:. t* (bouses of refuge), r71 (rerorm schoors).

176


BOYS, INDLTSTRIAI, SCHOOL, I,ANCASTER, OHIO

-rfuia. p. roa,."cs. 6-15; p. l?1, secs. 10, 11.p. 16J, secs. tFlb; p. rLaws of t858, p. 27-34

aDDrenticeship bv the authorities of the school and could be dischargedoiriv bv order of ihe authorities or in due process of law.3

fh r"sss the law of the previotrs Year in regard to reform schools wasrepealed and a new one was passediwhich stated that the purpose of thet"?or- schools was to provide institutions in rvhich youth were to bedetained under discipline for their reformation, rather_ tban__for theirnunishment. Three'classes of institutions were included: Houses ofi'efuge, ls organized under the provisions of -the 18-S? tl*i institutionssuclias the ;State reform farm already established in X'airfreld Coun-tv": and reformatories. The board oi State commissioners remainedthe governing authority over all reform schools, and the law specificallyotoiided for"the inclu"sion of the Ohio State Reform Farm under its'control.

The terms for commitment and discharge remained lhe same.aThere has been onlv one chanse in the name oT this institution, that

made in 1885 to the 'iBoys' Industrial School." The statement of theinstitution's purpose rn'ai modified as change,. were m-ade in the laws;an act of t9zt, #trich is still in efiect, provldes that the school "shallbe maintained for the industrial and- intellectual training of thoseadmitted to its care." 6 In order to carry out this purpose' the boys-were to receive such education and be instructed irrsuch branches ofindustry-agricultural, mechanical, or otherwise- as the State depart-ment oT weilare mighl decide, their reformation and preparation forusefulness to be keit in view by the administration.d In 1911 theadministration of the institution passed from a local board of trustees tothe Ohio Board of Administration, created in that year to govern allState institutions, and 10 years Iater to the State defartm-enf 9-f publicwelfare, which took over ihe po*-ers and duties of the Ohio Board ofAdministration (except the pilrchasing of supplies, rvhich was trans-ferred to the departmeni of finance).7

- Since jhat time there has been

no local board df manasement for ths "86v5' Industrial School."The lau'had undergoie fev'changes in regard to age ljmits and length

of commitment. Diring one corisiderabie periodlfrom 1878 until1913-the upper age for-commitment was l6 years, b-ut-the lower agelimit remain'ed con-sistently 10 years. Commitment had always beenuntil tlre boys should reach "majority", "l."gul QBe", or "21 years."The law of 1-921, which is still in effect, provided that boys not over 18nor under 10 years, of normal mental'and physical capacity for intel-lectual and iridustiial training, might be ioinmitted-to the "Boys'Industrial School." All boys #ere tb be committed until tbey became21 vears of age unless sooner released for satisfactory behavior andprolress in tra*ininE.8^

A"uthoritv to rel6ase on parole or leave of absence and to dischargebovs before reachinE maioritv was vested entirelv in the departmenb ofpub[" rvelfare, whi6h had formulated rules and'regulations in accord-ance with the law.s

The law of 1858 had provided for voluntary paymenL for thecareof children at this institution. If the parents'of fiiends were willing,

177

_ - z

. Ohio, Laws of t858, p. 27-34.6 Ohio, Laws of 1885, p. 141; Laws of 1921, p. 523 (Gen. Code 1932, sec.2083).6 Ohio, Laws of 1885, p. I41; l,awioOhio. Gen. Code 1932, sec.2094.? O h i ^ T . o w s ^ f l 0 1 l n t l t t L ^ w !?ohio; Lawsorrer1,p.212; Lawsor192r,p. 124(cen. code1982,ses. 15G113#i l l r , ** .1088,2084),

i 3[i3: Llx] 3'J.'JirblS;i3lr',; i;xif'1'lJ3; l'"n' Laws or re2r


178 r'rvn srA"E rNSTrrurroNS FoR DEr,rNeuENT Boys

they might by "agreement made between them and the authorities+ :k * be held to nav a, wceklv chs.rcrc nnf, ovnppdino R] Eo t, 'Th.io+ + * be held to pay a weekly charge, not exceedins $1.50.,, Thisprovision was omitted fiom the law of t-sz'S. - The only iaier slatutorys-tatu.,t.oIVieferenee to payment for maintenance was in the I"#;f igtr" ;iiiiieffect, in *'hich no amount was specified; the very seneral niovisionstated merely that "male youth

' x * * may be-admitt6d to theltatgd f":.^Lli"1_'l1yl" {gu!! -,1.,. * may mrtted to the

qchool under su-ch regulation- goverriing tuition, -ui"te:n&rce, and discipline as the con-trolling b6ard ma! provide. Irundscollected for the maintenance of youth so admitt-ed shall be turnedn&rce, and discipline as the controlling board may provide. Irundscollected for the maintenance of youth so admitt-ed shall be turnedinto the State treasury for the use of the school.,,10

No records indicated whether or not the department, of public wel-fare had made regulations regarding the paynient of any t'"ilio".

2. THE PHYSICAL PLANT

The natural setting of this institution among the hills of south-eastern ohio is very beautiful. Thguglr the ruralsecrion surroundingIt *u,? tarrly well.sgltlqd, many o{ the farm houses were ,,up the hol-_lows" or on tne hrllsrde, presentrng many picturesque settinEs. Allabout were extensive hilldide orcha"rds,

"hibn in thd .p"i,'E-fided to

the beauty of the whole countryside.' The institutidn *-as'-o milesIrom Lancaster, the county seat of Fairfield county, a citv of about1,9,000 population. No aiterial -rout,es -passed the'institition, built, was reached by two goo_d secondary highways. There was a street-car llne lrom Lancaster, th-e cars running at very infrequent intervals.The mail was -transported over this cir line. " Lancri.ter itseu *asonly about al hour's bus ride from Columbus, the State capital.

Tlq main buildings of the school were situited on a ro.i of "idg",roughly lhaped like a horseshoe and considerably erevated over fir6

ll_19\",{ing qoy}try. The deep .rglrne which- formed this ridgeyoypd through lhg Brounds and with its wooded slopes added mudh,to tle beauty oJ !he. scho_ol campus. The grounds rvere artisticallylandscaped, and .during the spring and surimer the various flowi'rgaroens were prolusely m bloom.Acreage

Location

studiedstudied-, although it only slightly sulpassed the New york "scLool inslze.. uf the 1,485 acres 502 were under cultivation and bOg were innative timber,'135 were.ogc11pi^e{.by the numerous buildings, thelawns,_and the athletic and drill field, 250 were in pasture, and d0'werewaste land. As the land was hilly ii was not pariicularlv ,ritult" to.farming. .Practically_ three-fourths of the cuitinut"d l"'"J"*as

"sed

This insiiiution had a larger acreage than any other amons the fiverdied, although it only slightly suipassed th"e N;; ito*'..-[oof i"e. Uf the 1,485 acres 502 were under cultivation and EOR were in

for general farm products (BZ5 acres); 20 acres were used for trucktafmrns: and 107 acres werA orahcrdq qnr l hot t . ' notal ,oo h^+h ^. f

- _ _ - - - - r - " * * v u v L v e , t , ! v @ v r E D w s r g u D v u l v M u u ^

tafplnC; an$. fQZ &cres w€re orchards and berry patches, both ofwhich were highly productive.Administrative offices

- The sup_erintendent's residence, &n imposinE, 2-story, vellou-brickhouse o[ colonial style, housed also the offices of ihe supeiinlendent, therecoro clerk, and the busrness manager, and was knorvn as the adminis-tration cot,tage. rt, had been erect"ed in lggb and r.r'as apari itom theother buildings, near the entrance to the grounds. The interior wasqute as rmpoilng as the exterior, with high_ceilinged rooms and a

- *t" ""-.""58,

p.27, sec. t5; Laws of 1921, p.523 (Gen. Oode 1932, sec.20g4-1).


BOYS, INDUSTRIAL SCEOOL. LANCASTER. OHIO 17g

rotunda in its center. On the first floor were the offices, a receptionroom, and a diling room, the last named used for formal entertaining.

The other admlnistra[ive offices, includine those of the assistaitsuperintendent and the day captain, were in"what was known as the"ltuir building", which, eicept for these offices, the institution postoffice, and officirs' barber shop, was primarily a iesidence building forstaff members. This had a rirbre central Iocation with reeard to" thoother institution buildings.Boys' residence quarters

In this country the plan for housing boys in cottage units, ratherthan.in one large"butl4i"g, was given i6firsl trial with"the fouiding_of

Uhro has not kept pace wrth the accepted theory that such cottagegrou_ps.should be small enough to permit of norm"al family-group lif"e,for their so-called cottage populations rang.ed from 40 to as high-asg0for their so-called cottaEe populations ranEed from 40 to asboys, _ald the bed capacity was reportei to range from

'mel lamily-group lrle,om 40 to as hish as 90ranqe from SO to gA.

y " J " , _ : - : * r r @ e r w y v ! r @ u 5 v r r v u r v v

In addition to the large groups per coltage there wai apparently over-crowding in some cottaees, as the follow-ins list shows:^

this institution in 1858.- However, although a pioneer in this fi61d,Ohio has not kept pace with the accepted theorv that such comaseOhio has not kept pace with the accepted-theory

crowding in some cottages, as wing list shows:

I poool"-

t;Popula-

tionNum-ber ofbeds

R e c e i v i n g c o t t a s e(Cuyahoga)

D i s c i p l i n e c o t t a g e(Auglaize) -

O h i o - - - - - - - - - - ,Highland- -Her r ick - - - - - -Bushne l l - - - - -Lagonda-- - - - - : - - - - - - -Hock ing- - - - -

Muskingham-H a r r i s - - - - - - -Pat t i son- - - - -S c i o t o - - - - - - -N a s h - - - - - - - -H a r m o n A - - - - - - - - - - - -H a r m o n B - - - - - - - - - - - -U n i o n - - - - - - -Maumee-- - - -Farm co t tage no . 1 - - - - -

68

509485808070I D

DU745981455855

637493t o4947586353

o

Eiq_hteen cottages were being used for boys' residence qua,rters,inclu-d.ing -the rec-ei^ving, discipl"ine, and larm cottages. Oirly fivtiincluding the receiving, discipline, and farm cottages. Only fiveboys livid at the farri'cottage. n'our of the cotta"ges hous6d theyounger boys in a unit called the "East Side." The institution hadyounger boys in a unit called. the, "East Side." The-institution hpractically two canrpuses, maintaining a very distinct line between itsio-called

-"East Sida" (u;ed for comfllete segregation of the youngerso-called "East Side" (used for complete segregation of the younger

boys) and the main school, called ihe "WesiSide". about on6-fouith. about one-fouithboys) and the main school, called ihe " WestDoysJ and t.bmile distant.

hadcottages which had contained third-floor attics used as dormitorieshad been remodeled about 1925. Three were made into souare.eled about 1925. Three were made into square,

The cottages exhibited a wide variety of architecture and interiorplanning, as they ranged in age from-the earliest buildings of theinstitution to a cbttaEd that ha? been built in 1931. The Slder cot-tag-es-were all of dark-red brick, mostly three stories high, with cupolasan-d fancy cornices typical of ihe Victorian period. "Four of thb oldcottases which had contained third-floor attics rrsed as dormitories

2-story,- lat-roofed buildings. The fourth was a 3-story cottage, butits third floor was left unoccupied. The newest cottase was of modernarchitecture, tu-o stories high, and of attraetive lig[t-red bricl(. Itrvas the only building rvhich u'as entirely fireproof. "Some of the oldercottaEes seemed to present a distinct fire hazard. There were twodormitories in each of 11 cottaqes and onlv one dorrnitorv in G other

Num-ber ofbeds

I Dn t

, +747270705151


180 FIvE STATE rNsrrrurroNs FoR DErrrNeuENT Boys

cott_ages. Windows were not barred, but a very heavy screen w&sused to prevent escapes.

Exc-eptfor a small lavatory ofr the dormitories, all sanitary facilitieswere in the basements, includinE showers, toilets, and washbasins.The older cottases had not as lnodern fixtures as the remodcledco-ttages and the new cottage, but all such facilities w-ere fairlvadeouate.

Nbt all the cottage.living rooms lvere visited, but those which wereseen had a formal and rather stifi aspcct. The chairs stood aroundthe room.against the wall or hqd been placed around the tables invery precise arrangement. Each cottage had some boolis and tablegemes. Clothes rooms were in the ba,sement, and these n'ere alsouge.{ for ildoor play space, particularly on the so-called " bath nights "while the boys irvaiteh thbir turn at the showers. Some of the iivinsxooms were made more attractive by plants, all had some picturei,and most of the cottage supervisors had theii personal radioi placedso that the boys might hear them.Staff residence quarters

_ Practically all the staff resided at the institution; single perconshad one roo_nl each, married couples had trvo rooms. Cotiage super-visors, in all instj.nces husb3nd ahd wife,.had.quarters in theii respe_c-tive cottages. The long, 3-story main'building, rvhich u'as enriiel.vgiven oveito residence q'uarters,"except for the 5ifices of the assistanlgiven ovef to of the assistantsuperintendent and certein o

ters, except for the oother offices. hous

ept for ihe oifices of the assistan:offices, housed tlie largest stafr for the men officers in the base

staffgroup. There was & recreation room for tiie men officers in-the base-ment, and on the second floor was a parlor or living room for thewomen officers. The third floor, except for onewomen omcers. Ihe thlrd tloor. exceDt tor one Euest room. wasoccupied bv men, mostly night watchmen. None of tle staff residentsin this buildins. excenl tiie a,ssista,nt srrnerintendenf,- hn,d nrivatein this building, except the assistant superintendent, had privatebaths.

Some additional staff quarters u'ere afforded on the second floorof the East Side dining-room building. Two single rooms for menhad been fiited.up in the ormory buiiil ing. In rr-few cottages singlerooms were rvailable in addition-to the relident supervisor'sluarte-rs.Dining-room and kitchen facilities

Separate dining rooms and liitchcns \yere maintained for the twodivisions of the fustitution. The building used for this purpose onthe East Side rvas one of the oldest on t[e srounds. If had beenremodeled, however, and the interior of tlie

-dinine room was rather

pleasant.. A small dining room for the East Side ofiicers adjoined theboys'dining room.

The East Side had its own kitchen, in which all the food was nre-pared except the bread, which was baked in the main bakery. Tt'iskitchen was rather small and did not haye a Ereat deal of modcrnequipment.

The boys' dining room for the West Side rvas somewhat less attrac-tive than that on the East Side. It was much larger, and had barewalls, high ceilings, and long windo,vs. It had capacity to seatapproximately 700 boys at a rieal.

The main officers' dining room adjacent to that of the boys in thesame building Feemed to emphasize utility at the expense of atiractive-ness and godd cheer. Each table seated about i4 people, and theroom was crowded. The officers' and boys' food rvas^prepnied in the


BOYS'INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL' LANCASTER' OIIIO 181

nain kitchen. This was large, a.iry, light, and adequately equippedbut had few labor-saving devices.Chapel and assembly hall

The chapel, which had been built in 189-5, -was-central]I situatedabout half-wav between the West Side and the East Side campus.It, was a eothic buildins of sandstone with attractive st'ained-glasswindows ind wooden c[urch pews. There was & balcony for staffor visitors. AII institrrtion assemblies, motion-picture shows, andother entertainments were held in the chapel, as well as the churchservices on Sunday. This chapel had sufficient' room to serve asassembly hall for the entire population of the institution.Hospital

The hosoital was a l-storv, red-brick buildinE set well back fromthe main ruulL rruar the East Side. The buildinE was rather attractiveboth from the outside and on entrance. The halls were well hept,and there was a cheerful reception room. The capacity was 100,arransed in 3 larse wards of-20 beds each, 2 small wards with5 or 6'beds in each-, and 5 private rooms with I or 2 beds each.

The hosoital hit'chen u'is in the basement, and all meals servedto patients \r'ere prepared there. The surgerv and dispensa'ry weresaid to be adequaiely equipped, also the dental office in the hospital.The physician iesided a[ t[e hospital, but the nurses had no quartersthere.School buildings

The academic school, which was carried on in two glogps (one forthe younger boys and one for the older ones), had a building for eachEroup. Neither sehool had very modern equipment." T[e E:ist Side school, compl-eted in 1925, was iocatcd rt the farend of the East Side campus.- It was a 2-story and basemelt brickbuilding of thc ordinarr- t.ipe of school brrilding, -semifireproof. OId-stvle sc-hool desks and seais rvere used. The classrooms 'lvere welllishted and ventilated and were made cheerful with colored cut-outsaid art v-ork done by the boys.

The West Side school, the one for the older boys and Leally thecentral school building, was some lS_years older^than the-East Sidoschool and less modein in design. Ii was not fireproof, bu-! it waskent in fairly sood repair. Old-stvle desks were used here like'rvise.kept in fairly good repair. -style desks were used here like'lvise.Shops

The industrial buildilg, the paint, qqd til shop, and the garagewerethe three separate buildings prbvided for shop work in the-vocationalpro_grnm. in the indu.slridl building. wer-e several other shops,Drosrnm. in the induslridl building wer-e several other shops,inclirdins those for printinE, shoemal<ing, manual training, anden,rnenLir. These shons u'erd eouiooed with'some modern maclrinerv.l u u l t l u l l r E u l l u D E I v r p r r L r L r u x r D r l v s r r r c A r r r F r r r r 4 r r u @ r v . q r r r r r r b t

carnentii. These shops u'erdequipped with'some modern machine:Th6 print shop hgd 2 iinotype machines, a eylinder.press,..and 3 jcarpentry. 'I'hese shops u'ere equlppecl wrth some modern macnrnery.The print shop had 2 iinotype inachines, a eylinder prerqs,.-a-nd 3 jobpresses. The^tailor shop was on the .second-floor of-a building thaiwas used also for the sioreroom. The mechanical building hbusedthe blacksmith shop, automobile-repair shop, plumbing shop, electri-cians' shop, and machine shop.

The new modern powerhoitse mav be mentioned along with theshops, for althoush il was part of the institution maintenance plantit wai a training"center for a group of older boys. The shoPs, wit--bthe exception of the shoe shop and the printing shop, were devotedchiefly to maintenance.


182 r'rvE srATE rNsrrrurroNs FoR DELTNeuENT Boys

On the East Side a small building, consisting of only one room,was used as a handcraft shop for the younger boys.Farm buildings

There were about 19 major farm buildings, all well kept up, someof recent construction. One of the dairv birirs was new. witli up-to-date equipment. Practically all phases of farming were included inthe agiicriltural-production "progri,m, and farm m"achinery was ade-quate and up to date. There were two large greenhouses, one forflowers and one for vegetables, both large and-well fitted for thework carried on in them. These afrorded excellent traininE in horti-culture, especially the raising of hothouse vegetables.Gymnesium and athletic field

An armory which w&s &n old sandstone building of typical armoryohitecture was used both for militarv drill rind as a ervmnasium.architecture was used both for militarv drill

During the winter se&son it was used ior bar games. In itsarchitecture was used both for military drill dnd as a gymnasium.During the winter se&son it was used ior basket-ball gafres. In itsbasement, was & swimming pool that could be used only during thesummer months.

The athletic or drill field was at, some distance from the armorv andwas quite extensive, being composed of three playgrounds. Ii wasused for military drill and as a baseball field during the appropriatesesson. Each cottage had a playground, and on tho East Side eachof them was equipped with some play apparatus.

3. PLANT YALUATION AND OPDRATING EXPENSE

The institution supplied the following figures on plant, valuation:Lands- - - - - - - $108.234. 00Bu i ld ings- - - - 1 ,316,855.00Equ ipment - - 487,950.84

Total ___- 1 ,672 ,689 . g4

These figures did not take into account depreciation of property.They repr6sented the total amount expended by the Stat'e f6r t6erespective items.

The business office supplied the following information on operatingexpenses for the year ended December 31, 1931:

Salar ies- - - - - $123,750.65Maintenanee and supplies- 177,972. 53Professional services------ 3.906.47Equipment, - - 22',796.81

Tota l - - - - - - - 268,425.96

As the eversge daily population v'as 1,120, the ayerage per capitacost (cost per boy) was $239.66. In figuring this per capita cost thebusiness office disregarded entirely the goods produced and consumedat the institution. No fisues were available to indicate how muchthe farm contributed to

-institutional maintenance, though it was

undoubtedly a l-ery considerable item. Expenditures for equipmentalso rvere included in the institution's fi.gures on per capita costs. Asit was impossible to distinguish new equipment from replacementswithin that item, no effort was made to deduct cost of new equipment,although it is nbt properly chargeable against operating c'os't. in asmgre year.


BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, LANCASTER, OIIIO 183

4. ADMINISTRATIYE CONTROL, STAFN ORGANIZATION AND

Administrative control PERSONNEL

As has been noted (soo p. 177), t}l:e State department of public wel-Jare was responsible'for-the administratign gf the B^oys' IndustrialSchool. Thii department, through its division of State cha4ties,supervised all the benevolent and cbrrectional institutions in the Statoand received as its wards delinquent, dependent, neglected, and crip-pled children committed to it by iuvenile courts. The chief executivebfficet of the department was

-a director appoin,ted by- the Governor

with the advice ind consent, of the Senate fof an indefinite term. Thedivision of State charities, within the department, u-as under a super-intendent appointed by the director for an indefinite term.

The State- llepartment of public welfare included in its budget fundsfor the operating expenses of aJI State institutions and allo-cated thesefunds toihe var-iouJinstitutions for their maintenance and operation.Funds for all capital outlav were B,ppropriated specifically to eachinstitution.

The Boys'Industrial Schooi was not und,er the controloJ aty localboard. Ii frequently colsulted the State depar-tments of health andof agriculture.-. The health department gave .help on questions ofof agrrculture. 'IIre neattn dep{sanit-"ation. conducted occasional isanit-ation, conducted occasional inspections of the water supply, andperformed all_laboratory work f-or the_ scho-ol hospital.

The State department of public welfare had on its staff an a-gricul-turist, who supervised farming activities on all land under the depart-ment's contr6l (some 21.000- acres, includins the Boys' Industrialment's control (some 21, acres, including the Boys' IndustrialSchool).

The superintendent of the school was appointed by the State direc-tor of public welfare, u-ith the approval of ttre Gov-ernor. His termwas 4 years. The Siate directoibf public welfare depended on thesuperidtendent for immediate executive control and managoment ofthe school.Personnel: Number and duties

The Boys' Industrial School at the time it was visited had in itsemploy 14? persons, all excopt 9 of whom were reported as full-timeemiloyeer.

^The foilowing pbsitions \ilere listed:

Superintendent-- - - - - - -.Iriirir* r"p".i"te"-ae-"t: - - - - - : - -Chief clerk---Secretary to superintendent-- - - - - -Other clerical u'orkers- - - -Court officer-Chief matron (part time) - -Suoerintendent of schools-Principal, East Side School-School teachers-- - - - - - - -- -Manual-trainine instructorMilitary instrui-tor--- -Bandmaster--Chanlain - - -

Day and night captains-F;i'ily ;tr;A;- -:-- - - - - - - - -- : : - -Assistant family officers- - - - -- - - - -Cottage matrons-----Relief officersRelief matrons (2 part t ime)------Other matrons (administrative, em-

ployees', and officers' quarters,e tc . ; 3 par t t ime) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Physician- - - -Nurses-Dentist (part time) - -Shop and trade supervisors rr- - -- - -

1 6

,L216l 565

IoI

15

u In ihis group were included such industrial officers as ssemed to supervise boys performing maintenancework in such a way as to involvo some elements of trads traidng: Baker, blacksmith, chief carpenter andassistant, chief cook and assistant, electrician, chlef engineer and assistont, painter, plumber, printer, shoe-maker, tailor, and tinner.


184 FrvE srarn rNSTrrurroNS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

Farmer and stockman--.Dairyman r"a m.i.lr"[--- -- - - - - --Orchardman-Farm and grounds squad foremen__

Super in tendent - - - - - - - - - $3 .600Assi*ant superintendent- I ; ZbOun ler c le rk___ l ,500Secretary to superintend-

ent- - - 900Other clerical workers_-- 600-900Court off icer- 1,620Chief matron

' 500

Superintendent of schools 1. 560Schoo l teachers- - - - -____ 600- l : 0S0Mi l i ta ry ins t ruc to r - - -_ -_ 960

I2Io

Gardener and greerrhousePoultryman-- - - - - - - - - -Parole-officei;- - - - - - - - - -- : - - - - - - -Other personnel (2 part time) tz

1

1 8Thc corrrt officer, whose duties consisted for the most Dart in main-

taining discipline, seemcd to rank quite hieh amons the executivep.ersonnel. The assistant family offiCers p^erf-ormed dities prncticallythe same as those of night walchmen. cottage m&trons evidentl]were not expccted to_gssume toward the boys the relationship of housemother; . altLouE_h -ihey rvere said to be risually at home fhe entireday, their official day *'as 4 hours and their duties were limited today, their oqoJ, lrr'rr uulural ui-t,J lYtls 1t llLluI.S arro [nelr ouf,les welg llmrted toresponsibility.for tho,premisesl -in fact, they were reported underdornestic service. Industrial and maintetrarrc"e ofHcers i".r"

""po.i.aunder a classification of n'ork carried on rather than with reference totheir service as including supervision of boys; therefore it w'as difiicultLutju DUlvruri a,s rlrclu(urrg supervrston oI Do)'s; [nerelore tt \l,as drlltcultto determine which of these officers should lre consiclered in any senseshop and trade supenisors.Personnel: Salaries

The sal4ry scale ranged from $300 to $8,600. Salaries reporled forsome of the positions listed in the preceding section were as follows:

Family officers-Assistant family officers_Matrons, cottage ma-

t r o n s l s - - - - - - _Physician-- - -Nurses -Shop and trade super-

vrsors _Farmer and stockman---Dairyman -Parole officers

$1, 020600-780

300-3602, 300

720-r, t40

660-1, 8001, 200r , 4 4 4

l, 740-1, 900All but 5 of the officers at this institution were listed as

full rntrintenance in addition to salaries, and 1 of the b waspartial maintenance.Personnel: Appointments and removals

receivingreCel\,-Ing

_-All positions at this institution were under civil-service reEulations,The superintendent had complete control of appointmentJ-and dis-charges, subject to.the cir'il-strr,ice law. All appointnrents had tobe rnade fronr a civil-service eligible list if one exisied. rt was statedthat by far the greater nrrmber-of positions had noncompetitive ciril-service stat-us, which, according tb the srrperinlendentl mearrt thntapplie_ants for srrch positions sinrply fil led but apprication blanlis atthe,schoolrvhen tiey qpplied. Their applications u-ere then exanrinedand p{rssed upon by a board composed of the assistunt super.intendent,the day eaptain, and the chicf eler.k.Personnel: Terms of service

. Th. superintendent had been in charge since 192g. His predecessorhad served fronr 1 924 to L928. The State department of public welfarestated that the aver&ge tenure since the firlt superintendent was inoffice was 3)4 years.

l l.TIris croup included 2'pet.time mail clerks (eensors for the boys'mail), I hospital cook, 1 adminisfation-rildins cook, 2 din-ing-robm omcers. s seamsiriisls.-i iauir-arv"iiistaiii jl si;;;-fi.;e.,'r [;rpi-tJ *ar.n.an. I eoginee.r and truckman, and S oper8ting eDgin@m.

for the boys'.mail), I hospital cook, 1 adminisfation-l8undry NiStAnt. I Stor€keener- I hosnirAl wat nh.building cook, 2

domestic seryic€.

man. I enginee.r and tiu-ckman, and'S operating engin@;--",^':i^19^,9l_:?]1ttes

pard to cottage matrons were in conformity with tho classiflcatio! of their duties under


BOYS'INDUSTRIAIT SCIIOOL, LANCASTER, OHIO 185

The following figures indicate the length of service of the 138 full-time employees:

Number ofcmplogeet

Less than 1 year - - - - - - - 7iyen . , i " * . thu t t t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - - - - 102 5 , -ears , less than 3- - - - - - - - - - - 73 y e a r s , I e s s t h a n 4 - - - - - - - - - - - 1 04 r , 'ears . less than 5- - - - - - - - - - - 65 years , less than 10- - - - - - - - - - 4910 years o r more- - - - - 49

It rvill be noted that 98 of those employees had served for 5 yearsor more, 49 having seryed 10 years or more. Only one of the familyofficers had been il-ith the school less than 5 5'ears, antl rrrost of themhad been thcre 8 to 10 yerrs. Mtnv of the trade supervisors h:rd beenemployed long periods. The superintendent of schools had served 11years, and one teacher had served 20 -vears.Personnel : Qualifcations

A limited amount of information regarding the education and theprevious experience of employ-ees was Inade available.'

The supe?intendent of ihe-institution u.as a high-school graduate,had taught in the public schools of Ohio for 9 years, and had a lifocertifica[e for teachine. He had come to the institution in 1913 as afamily officer-and later had serveci as a teacher. He had left institu-tion service for some months in1913 and again in 1922, but had re-mained arvay only short periods and became superintendent.in 1928.

The assistiant superintendent had had normal-school training' Hehad been an oflicer in the State schools for boys in North Dakota andin Nlichigan. The court officer ryas a high-scho-ol graduate and hadtausht in" the public schools. He had also served 5 years as probationoffider in Clark County, Ohio, and had acted as superintendent of theiuveni le detent ion home in that county." The superintendent of schools held ihe degree of B.Q. i! educationand had b"grr.r rvorh tolvard a master's degree. He had taught,inthe prrblic s"chools 9 years prior to coming to l,ancaster an<l held ateacfier's life certificate. He also had a-special life certificate forteaching public speal<ing. The principal of the East Side school hadhad sorie work in Ohio" Univeriitv.

-IIe had taught 8 years in the

rrublic schools and held a life certificate for elcmentary teaching.' Three of the school teachers had B.S. degrees, and all others had

some colleEe or normal-school training. Eiglt of them held teachers'life certific"rtes in Ohio. One, in add-ition [o public-school teaching,had taught 4 years in the Chiidren's Village atDobbs Ferry, N'Y.

Nfost"of the family officers were reportel to have on-ly a common-school education, brit 2 were listed as high-school graduates. Theirrecords showed experience in farming, clerking il grocery store,. car-Dentn'. eardenins, factorv rvork, and other trades and occupations.One had"had e-rpErience oi 8 months in a State hospital and 6)6 yearsin the State hoipital for epileptics. Another had teen employed 1vear in the Glen'l\Ii l ls Traihing School for Bovs in Pennsylvania andb r'*orc in the National Training School for Boys at Washington.Tlie education and experience oflhe relief offrcers and the assistantfamilv oflicers were similar, bv far the greater number having common-school education only. Thr6e were said to be high-school gradu,ates,and two had had some college work. Three had previous experiencoin Ohio State hospitals, including the hospital for epileptics.


186 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BoYS

The general educational background of those who had been elassedas trade supervisors was that of dommon-school education, They had

chief carpenter,been workmen pri-or to appointment at the institution. One, thechief carpenter. had come to the school on retirement from the Armvme to the school on retirement from the Armv.

' 1The military instructor had an eighth-grade education and expeii-ence in the Afmy during the World"War.-. Ong of .the f.our parole officers had had some education in prepara-

tion for the ministry. He had been appointed as relief officer ai thisinst i tut ion in 1910, become a familv-ci f f icer in 1919. served as davcaptain fro_m tr'ebruary to .A.ugus-! oi tgz0, and rn'as'made a parol"eofficer in that year. Another officer, reported to be a high-ichoolgraduate, c&me- to T,ancaster as a family officer in 1g14, became daycaptain in 192Q and. was,promoted to-the position of parole officeiabout 1924. The third officer, who had some normal-school traininEand some experience as a bookkeeper and also.as a druesist. came t6the school in 1922 as relief officer. Soon he became {rirtermaster,then day captain, and was promoted to parole officer in 1g24. Thefourth parole officer had a common-school education and had taughtin the public schools 7-years. He came to the Boys'Industrial Sch"oolin 1912 as a family officer and became parole oflicer in 1glg. For 2years of.the period thereafter he had been out of parole service, servingas storekeeper at the institution.Personnel: Living and working conditions

The superintendent considered the fact that the school had a smallerlabor turnover than any other State institution in Ohio an indicationthat the living and workirg conditions \yere satisfactory. Quartersof th.ecottage personnel varied considerably,depending oir the cottagoto which they happened to be assigned.

-Ther:e $-as iothinq preteir-

tious or particularly attractive about employees' quarteri'or therecreation rooms-either thaC for men in the basement of the mainbuilding or that for women on its second floor. Horvever. this schoolwas.sufficiently isolated so that-the employees had to defend largelyon the social life on the campus- for whai,ever normal sociai living tLeyhad. Those v-ho had cars Could mingle with various social ero"ups irthe city of Lancaster and the surroun=dilg rural territory. For thosewho had to depend.on the street car,.which ran ver;i infrequentlybotween the institution and Lancaster. it was difficult."

The stafr members had exceptionally lonE hours on dutv. It wasstated that the fsmily officers averagecl 12 hburs a day Z davs a week.They were.entitled to t Suq$a-y a m-onth on u"d to z adJiiionat d;t;each month; the latter applied to their vacation allowance and couidbe accumulated to 14^days. _ Several of the school teachers, includingthe superintendent of schools, also acted as relief and family officerslIt was stated that the teachers serving as family officers aieraged al+-!qy.t du{,7 days a week, wi.th the same allowdnce of 1 Sunda} and2 additio-nal d-ays off.p_er 4gonth, cumulative to 14 days. The c6mbi-nation of teaching with relief duty made such officers subiect to dutvat any time, day or night, and their t.ork r-as for long beriods at "atime. Ten of the teachers were listed as performing aodnte duty insuch capacities. Some family officers who ivere not tJachers had oiherwork in addition to their cirttage responsibilities; for example, onewas the laundryman, another was the florist. one man classed asieliefofficer served as supervisor in the main dining room for boys, one was


BOYS'INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, LANCASTER, OHIO 187

engineer and truckma,n, and a,nother had charge of the canning roomduring its busy season.

OIfiie workers and the women teachers had Saturday afternoonsand Sundays off duty. Kitchen and dining-room u-orkers had everyother Sunday off. Their vacation allowance w-as 14 days, and allemployees were allowed sick leave on pay during the year,'to 2 weeksif needed.

The superintendent stated that the long hours noted wlen theinstitution was visited were necessitated- bv personnel shortaseu.hich rvas especially severe at that time becaus6 of a cut in budget f6rpersonnel of about $1,000 a month for the current year.

Stafr organizationNo orsanization chart was available. The institution seemed to

have a sdmewhat loosely drawn and incomplete departmental organi-zation. X'or example, there was a superintendent of schools to w:homall academic teachers were responsible, but there was no director ofvocational instruction, to whom instructors in industrial shops orvocational work should be responsible and who u'ould supply super-vision and leadershio. The chief ensineer was said to be in charEeof the plumbing, electrical, and maihine shops and of the pou'irplant; the head gardener was in charge of certain men detailed tohim; and the farm supervisor was responsible for the worl< of thevarious farm officors, but all other instructors or foremen reporteddirectly to the superintendent of the institution or to the assistantsuperintendent. Farnily officers likewise were responsible directly tothe suoerintendent or to the assistant superintendent. There wasno cottage supervisor whose entire time couid be devoted to the super-vision of the. cottage personnel. and to helping them develop cott,ageactivit'ies and organize cottage life in such a \\-ay as to approach normal- - J * - ' - - r r - - - - - -

noninstitutional living in preparation for the boys' unsupervised lifenomnstrtutlonal lrYrng rn preparatlon lor tne Doys' unsupervlseo rueon release. AII matrons were reported to rvork undel the directionof the chief matron, who was the u'ife of fhe superintendent.the chref matron, who was the rvrle of fhe supenntendent.

The parole depariment had no chief parole oificer to supervise therrli oI the parole aEents and devote time to the development andworli of the parole agents and devote time to the development and

improvement of the barole work. Each parole officer was said toreporl to, and be respbnsible to, the superintendent onlv.Administrative leadership and staff teamwork

\{achinerv for rrrovidinq channels throuEh which administrativeIeadership migttt f low to th"e various working stafl units seemcd to besomewhal laci<ing. There was no program for regular staff confer-ences. The superintendent stated tliat he called special groupstogether for discussions &s occasion demanded. The impressiongained rvas that such meetings as \r'ere called were for particularannouncements and statements by the executives and were notconferences of the type that permit free discussion and stimuiateorieinal thought on-the partbf the staff members. The generalimiression u'hlich lvould be received w-as that the rrhole spirit at thisschool ll'as rather that of an old-fashioned institution running oninstitutional precedents established during its long years of elistence,rvith only such staff teamrvork as comes from a somew-hat militaristicoreanizaiion. No indications s.ere noted of staff teamv'ork in thesense of getting together to discuss more progressive policies anddecide as to experimenting l'ith them.

76870-35-13


188 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FOR DEI,INQUENT BoYS



Boys 10 to 17 years of age, inclusive, were committed to thisinstitution on a finding of delinquency under the juvenile-court larv.ra

The Ohio policy of automatic discharge from parole at the end of1 year necessitated recommitment of many boys who, in other Statesrvhere parole periods'lvere longer, rvould be returned as parole violatorsrvithout court action. Beginning u'ith the 17-year-old group thecourt's had the option of sending boys to the Lancaster institution orto the State refoimatory at Ma"nsfieid (which receiyed boys and menbetween 16 and 30 years of age). It was the practice of the courtsto use both institutions, and a number of such bovs were committedor recommitted to the Bovs' Industrial School.

All commitments were until the boy became 21 years of age or wasearlier discharged, but' only a few boys remained until they were 21.Unless they wJre ieturnedior violation of parole or were re6ommittedsubsequently, the average period under care i:r the institution and onparole was about, 2 years, Some boys, however, remained in theinstitution considerably longer-those who were not successful in"earning time" and those who lrrere returned repeatedly for violationof parole. Such boys often remained under care until 21 or near thataEe,-As

the law stated that any boy .w-ithin the specified ages havingnormal mental and physical capatity for intellectual andindustria"ltraining might be committed by the courts,rs the school could declineto accept boys who had been definitely diagnosed as feeble-mindedprior to commitment. Neither did it accept, cases suffering frominfectious disease. and tuberculous cases and active cases of venerealdisease were excluded. Transfer of tuberculous boys to propersanitariums was made when possible.

Capacity and population

This was the largest, of the five institutions visited, with a popula-tion on March 14,7932, of 990 boys. The capacity w-as given as 1,213.

Figures as to n'ativity of the btiys were not avaiiable. " During igAtthere rvere 713 white bo.ys and 181 Neqro bovs committed. Theage distribution for the 894 boys comnitted during 1931 rryas asfollows:1 0 1 - e a r s - - - - - l 3l l 1 ' e a r s - - - - - 1 812 y -ears - - - - - 451 3 y e a r s - - - - - 9 61 4 y e a r s - - - - - - - - - - - I 4 1

I i Polt: $::#l9t: 1e32' secs' 1644' 1652' 1653-1'

1 5 1 - e a r s - - - - - - - - - - - 1 8 516-vears - - - - 2161 7 1 - e a r s - - - - - - - - - f 7 818 vears - - 2

The total number of bovs still under iurisdiction but, not residentrvas 1,265. Of these 1,14i rvere on patoie, 109 absent u-ithout leave(escaped), and g absent with leave. The movement of populationfor the last f iscal year before the institution was visited (ended Dec. 31,1931) w-as as follou's;


BOYS'TNDUSTRTAL SCHOOT,, LANCASTER, OHrO 189

P o p u l a t i o n J a n . 1 , 1 9 3 1 - - - - - - - - - t r , 1 4 7

R e c e i v e d d u r i n g t h e y e a r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 , 2 4 9

First admissions ard rect : ivecl f rom court- - - - -ReadmissionsParole violators returned-- - - -Returned from absence l-ith leave,--Temporary returns---. - . - - .Escapes re tu rned- - - -

Los t dur ing the year - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 ,389

Released on discharee direci from institution irD i e d - - - - - - - - - - - - - . . 5Transferred to other institutions- 3Paroled and restorcd to parole---- - 1,112Absentw i th leave- - - , f61Escaped- - - 103

r , 1 0 7

80886

1 9 6551 985

6. RECEPTTON AND ASSIGNMENT PROCDDURDReception

Boys were brought to this school by the probation officer from thecommitting court, or by a sherifr or his deputy. Bach boy wasbrought immediately into the receiying office, where the receivingclerk signed the warrant which served as a receipt for the boy's person.This clerk then made a record containing a few facts regarding theboy and his family. After that formality the boy was ta,kel to thequartermaster's off.ce to receive school clothing. Although headsof new boys rn'ere not shaved, it was stated that they were usuallyclipped for sanitary reasons. From t,he quartermast'er's office t'henew boy then went to the receir.ing cottage.Receiving cottage

The receiving cottage \\ras in one of the older residence unitsadjacent, to the main building. There were no bars on the windows,bui very heavy screen was rised. Partial quarantine was observedjthe boy"s did nbt go to school nor work in the shops, but they ate idthe central dining room, went, to general school entertainments, anddid some work about the grounds. The average stay here was14 davs.

While at the receiving cottage new boys were examined by theresident physician and the psychologist, each of whom prepared areport of his findings. The psychological work at this institutionwis necessarily limiled, with bui one p'sychologist for the very largepopulation of this school. There w'as no classification or assignmentcommittee, assignment being made by individual officers.First assignments

Cottage assignment was made by the court officer. His assignmentswere based almost entirely on the boys' age and physical development',the younger boys being aisigned to iottales on the East Side campus.(See p. 179.) Colored boys were housed separately from the whiteite(See p. 179.) Colored boys were housed separately from t,he whitebovs, and in three cottag"es all the boys were of tLe Catholic faith.Bovs rvho plaved in the Sand had a coitase to themselves.boys,Bqvs rvho played in the band had a cottage to themselves.-

"TGI-.. ...*ed at the time of tho visit show these as sepalatejte-ln. They sre includett with all dis-

cbarge! in the printed report. Se6 Ohio Depsrtment of Public Welfare, Advance Sheets of the TeDtbAnnual Report, year ended Dec. 31, 1931, p 154.



School assignments were made by the superintendent of schools.These rvere made as a resu-Lt of his interview rvith the boy and hisconversation with him about prior school experience and progress,plus consideration of the psychologist's report.-

\rocational assignments u-ere made by the court officer. Itemstaken into conside-ration in making these-assignments were the boy'sexpressed preference, the needs of the various shops, and the resultsof the psychological examination.

7. THE BOY'S LIFE IN THE INSTITUTIONDaily routine

The boys spent the daythe schedule varying slightly

6 a . m - - - - - - -6 :30-6 :45 a . rn - - -

7 a . m - - - -7 :30 a .m-7 :45 a .m-l l : 3 0 a . m - - - - - .1 2 n o o n - - - - - - - - -12 :30-1 p .m-- - - - - - - - - - -1 p . m - - - - - - - -4 : 5 5 p , m - -5 p . m - - - -5 : 3 0 p . m -6 - 7 : 3 0 p . m - ,8 p . m - - - - - -

at this institution somewhat, as follows,between the winter and summer seasons:Rising bugle.Setting-up exercises

rose at 5:30 andfrom 6 to 6:45).

Mess caII.Report to n'ork and hospital drill.Reoort to school.Relurn to cottages from work and school.Mess call.Recreation period.Renort to school and work.Diimissed.Detail assembly.Evenins mess.Recreaiion oeriod..t aDS.

(in summer boyshad military drill

General atmosphereAt this school there were many more evidences of regimentation

a,nd reDression than at the four other institutions included in thisstudy.' One of the most striking evidences was the constant, passingof long, silent, shuffiing lines of bovs marching two by two about thegrounds. There was also something about the expression on the facesof the boys-sullenness and sor]letimes fear or hate-that contributedto the impression. Little or no spontaneous conversation and laughterwere observed at any time about the grounds. There w&s a rough-and-ready character to the interchange betv.een officers and boys anda brusqueness in the directions given that suggested military usagerather than ordinary teacher-pr-rpil relations.

Cottage "family " atmosphereEach cottase had a family officer and a matron who were husband

and wife. Ai has been stated, however, the matrons at this insti-tution rated practically as housekeepers and were responsible only forthe physical care of the cottage, not for supervision of t,he boys.Such relation as \\ras observed betlveen family officers and the oklerboys seemed much more l ihe that between a strict nraster in a board-ing school and his pupils than that obtaining betrn-een a foster parentand foster child. Since very few of the cottages housed less than 50boys (one housing 81 and one 93), this large size of the cottagepopulations almost entirely precluded the possibility of any realfamily atmosphere.Arrangements for sleeping

Each cottage, no matter what its size, had either 1 large or 2 smalldormitories. They were simply furnished rvith white iron beds an,l


BOYS'TNDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, LANCASTER, Or{IO 191

adequate bedding and were kept in orderly condition. The boysleft their shoes and coats downstairs, the remainder of their clothingin clothes rooms upstairs. The dormitories were locked at night,even though none of the cottages except the new one was consideredfireproof. In some of the older cottaEes tliis meant, a serious hazard.Night watchmen visited each locked-dormitory at regular intervals.Arrangements for eating

As has alreadv been stated, each campus had a central dining roomand kitchen for-the boys. The dining ioom for the younger bbys onthe ground floor of one of the oldest buildings-which, however, hadbeen remodeled-was light, ha'i'ing windows on three sides, and itsventilation was good. The wall decorations were quit'e unusual, con-sisting of two large mural paintings by a former inmate. The colorsin these murals were nleasins and the desisns attractive. Addedin these murals were pleasing and t, gns attractive. Addedcheeriness was furnrshed bv plants at the rvindows and somet'imescneerlness was lurnrsne0 bY plant,s at, tne \\lndows and sornet'rmesflorvers on some of the tables. Excent for the bovs assiEned to thenowers on some oI I,ne laDles. DxceDI IoI lne ooYS assrgneo [o lnekitchen and. those acting as waiters, all ate in the diting ioom at, thesame time. Each tablJseated 10 boys, long benches b=eing used forthe seats. White table linen v'as uied. bu1 all the tablivare r\rasalunrinum. Boys entered the dining room in military line, going totheir places at the tables and taliing their seats on signal in completesilence. They then said grace in unison before the signal to begineating u.as given. Silence v-as reported to be the usual rule in thedining rooms. The assistant superintendent said the bo5's v'ere per-mitted to talk during part of the meal; if this permission l'as ineffect at the time the East Side dining room \\.as visited, the boys u'erenot taking advantage of it, as they-rvere wholly sileit. The WestSide dining roonr (for the older boys) was somewhat less attracti're,perhaps partly because it rvas so large and had bare v'alls, high ceil-ings, and long rrindou-s. Bach table seated 10 boys, benches u'ereu-.ed, and the table service 'n-as lilie that in the East Side diningrooms with u.hite table cloths and aluminum \r'are. Here too. theatmosphere suggested military repression, and there was conrpletelack of cheerful and spontaneous social expression. A sample menufor 1 u'eek is reproduced in appendis A, p. 292.Sanitary arrangements

PlumbinE in the older cottases was naturall'v not of the rnostmodern deslign, and keeping ii iri good shape required a great deal ofwork. Individual towels v-ere issued twice a'w-eek. X'or certain of thelabor groups clean towels were issued four times a u'eek. All bo-vs u.erefurnished with toothbrushes and required to use them twice a day.All bovs were reonired to bathe twice a v-eek. and some of the laborgroupi bathed daily during a large part of the year.Living-room and playground activities

\T'hen the v-eatherlr.as too unpleasant, for the bovs to rernain out-doors during the evening recreution hour, the time"rl.as spent in thecottage living rooms except on Tuesdays and Saturda;'s. Thoseevenings u'ere linox-n as "bath nights", and the rvhole cottage groupstayed in the basement rooms adjoining the shorvers. There theywere free to take part in certain forms of play u'hile rvaiting theirtrirn. Boxing was said to be a popular pastime rvith some of the oiderbovs.


I92 FIVE STATD INSTITUTIoNS FOR DEI,INQUDNT BOIS

In the living rooms thev were permitted to read or play games,the favorites beins checkers and dominos. ThouEh the executivessaid there was no"rule of silence for t,he living room, the impressionwas gained that the matter was left, largely to the family officers. Inone of the living rooms visited in the evening, u'hich was that of acottage for coloied boys with a family officei-who had an excellentreputation, some 15 boys were standing "on line." All the otherboys were seated around tables, some reading, some playing games, butconversation was in an exceedingly low tone or in whispers. Therewas nothing of the natural noisy give-and-take of normal boyhood.It would be difficult to permit normal energy outlets to boys living insucn large unlts.

Family officers were supposed to be responsible for the supervisionof bovs at, nlav on the cottaEe nlavErounds. .However. it was saidof boys at play on the cottage playgrounds. However, it was saidthat they had so many other duties to perform that they were com-had so manv other duties to perform that thev were com-

lepend to aiarce extent on bbv monitors for d-irect super-pelled to depend to a Iarge extent on boy monitors for super-

such larEe units.

vision of boys on the playgrorrnds. The system of "boundary boys"was in use, these boys apparently acting very much like army sentriesto keep boys rigidly within the limits of the respective playgrounds.Otherwise a measure of free play seemed to be possible on the cottageplaygrounds.Miscellaneous arrsngements

This institution had no lockers for individual possessions. Therewere large clothes rooms in each cottage, each boy having a separatespace allotted to him, but his things were not under lock and key.Some of the cottages had a few cupboards in which a Iittle spacecould be allotted to individual boys for their personal possessions;however, there was no possible real security for their private treasures,Srnoking was strictly forbidden.

The monitor system was rather highly developed. Each cottage hadtwo monitors who served practically as assistants to the family officer.In addition, each cottage fiad several other boys serving as sbaii guards,lavatory monitors, boundary guards, or on assignment to other specificduties. Both the assistant superintendent and the court officer statedthat they regarded the monitoi system as almost wholly bad, but thatwith thri exieedingly limited personnel which their budget fermittedthey knew of no other way to cope with the situation. They said thel-knew it lent itself to abuses asainst which it was verv difficull to Euarci.For example, cottage officers-who wished above all [hings to "priserveorder" were likelv to select for monitors the bovs able to maintainorder and discipline. As a consequence some of"the most unworthyboys-from the point of general character-might be made monitorsbecause they had strong personalities with fairly high intelligence andwere wise enouEh to remain on their qood behavior while in the institu-tion in order to-win as early release aJpossible. To have such boys setup as officers over younger boys or boys with less experience in delin-quent behavior was recognized as bad policy; but the management hadfound no way to eliminate the system nor to control its functioning.

Boys at this school were wearing school uniforms which consiste-d ofblue overalls and an old blue coat tliat was said to be the coat of their olcldress uniforms. They had small service caps of the overseas tvpe withB.I.S. buttons. On"Sundays they wore^dark-blue dress tiniforms,military in style, with dress s6rvice dap in winter, and in summer whitecaps similar to those worn by men in the Navy.


BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL' LANCASTER' OHIO 193

Outside contactsEach boy wrote one letter a month to his parents or, if they were not

living, to his nearest relative. Permission to write oftener could besecured under special conditions. Boys rvere permitted to receiveincoming mail rvithout restriction e*cept as to suitability o,f content.AII incoming and outgoing mail was read by the rvomen officers (therrives of other employees) designated as mail clerks.

Near relativ"s iu"t6 permittdd to visit boys once a month. X'ridaysrvere visiting days, a iertain Friday being designated as the visitingday for eacligroirp of cottages, the groups rotating. Additional visitsn ii"ht be alived under ceitain coiditibtrs rvith the approval of thesuoerintendent.

Boys 'were not permitted to leave the institution to visit their homesexcept in cases of serious illness or death in the family. Even then thepermission was granted onl-y if tbe application came through tbe courtthut hud co--itt"d the boy concerned. The transportation expense'of course, had to be borne by the family.

8. PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS AND MDDICAL CARD

Hospital facilities

In spite of the age of the hospital building and its type of construc-tion, ii was well ke[t up and seemed bright ind cheerfll.Hospital staff

A physician who had been at the institution for 9 years was in chargeof the medical work. Specialists in Lancaster andin Columbus wererenorted to be available for consultant service. All sursical work wasdone by these specialists and on a fee basis. The dental irork was donebv the dentist who gave part-time service-that iq, he spent tr weeksol everv 3 at this institution. The staff included a registered nurservho seived as chief nurse, a practical nrtrse rvho had many years'experience in institutional hospital work, a relief nurse who was apractical nurse u'ith 11 years'experience in this institution, and a nightivatchman and cook. The nieht watchman gave full dut5' at niglit,taking temperatures and pe"rforrning othei services. Boys wereassigned to hospital duty to assist the nurses and the night, watchman.Physical examinations

All boys were given physical examinations on entrance as & matterof routine. These included throat cultures and the Schick and Wasser-mann tests. Weighing and measuring w-as part of the entrance-examination routirre, but this rvas not done regularly. Toxin-antitoxinrvas given to those boys who needed it. The results of the physicalexamination'lvere entered on a medical record blanlr l'hicli became ap.art of the pennanent sehool reeords. All bovs tr-cre given a reexaminn-tion before release on parole.Corrective work

The physician in charge stated that until 1932 a great deal of cor-rective worlr had been done, but that shortage of funds for paytnentof the surgical fees had compelled this type of rvork to be greatlycurtailed.

-Hospital statistici for 1931 Lad included 130 sirrsical

cases, among them being 34 tonsillectomies, 4 cireumcisions, end zhernrotomres.


Tg4 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI'INQUENT BOYS

Dental work

The dentist examined all new b-oyF and gave

service as was required, these needs being cared

hospital.-- irot of the amputations reported were

at night, barefoot-ed,- dy.+q zero wea'ther,for nEariy a week. It had been necessaryboth boys.

*"ih;1;pfii't"port -for t!r9..previous year showed 831 medical and ;

98 conragio"* "i5.i"

ii- "edit:i";

to tt" surgical wglk -mentioned' ;Amons these 93 contagro,tt .u..t *.t. titiua 39"cases of influenza, I 6f if#ffi Tf;::I"ge"liTd"si."ffi ;;;,i:F+ii*pe'oii"e"e"*,oct'f'ffifo%lh"TiJi"3il?f; ti'HHTAJi#,"#;r,;!;;i";8;r;;;il jevef ,;^5i#hiti;, ;;ir;;rfti.;,t oi t""*p",.an+ 3. of chicken-Pox,. s."F*;'5i#ilii1i:;;f ;ffi;ti.;3;i;;'-ds, an4 3 of chicken-pox. s."'s*. I;"i^;J#ili"'ualiiio" to

"oo."tive woik included 2- appgniiectomies, 3 .;;"i^;Jrfi*fi'ualiiio" to corrective woik included ! appgnClectomies, 3 .;

;pr;;i*r, zs i"i""ti"*, u"a u considerable numbei bf cases of oaher -.types.'-'fi"eLo'sh

the hospital authorities did not like tg letarq bgyq suffering

fr";;;#;;1";i-, ;;; t"l.*"tous boy was in this hospital -at

the time

lir. irriiiution -iiu,r-.tniriied,

havi'lg"been under tre-atment there I

;;"th".-- eo "n""t

#ry";ar *"dE to transfer such.caqes to a regular

and treatments.

ii;;;it'i "' 'u"iiqi'y- to: tFe tr.3'!mept oj tufel:yl9:f; Plt::n"11-:

il piffiiird;rrfiEto find facilities. for,free tt_.31T_"1t l"t::|,?Ti?:i""iil"i*";;it b"yr *.i. ietained for treatment in the institution's

for bovs who had escaPedand fiad been hiding outto remove frozen feet for

such ordinary dental afor at, State expensq.

Other medical care

Dailv sick call was held at-_the hospital_at 8 o'clock each morning-

A#t'd"H?shl;;;; ;iA ;qti if {ie lia-d the permission of his familvofficer. Boys t&;;t.J;

-th;t ti*q for trea,tment for minoT qttqs,

JirJi.fr.., "d"a-

ti.i"rrlji"r."us conditions. goyt were permitted to

;;;;^il: til;";tit"l at..any dm;-i; eiagrin*ition and ireatment of

more senous r"i;fi;'";-il1"!t#; if the oflcer who had them under;;;urri.".a tit;t';-*; *m"i.tit reason for it. Anv boy who onexamination at*s-ick ruil *ur found to need treatment was given ahosptal stip wniJh?";ifi"d hi* f;;itt ;ffi;;t or detail officer qt lhu time# #ffih h: ;;il;;;t*t ior dispensary treatmelt daily, if. he werefiltTi"i"ii"i *J

^rf" ;h; n"a io retu"rn regularly at tliat time until

i:;;#t""u;'* ;ild;;--Re.o'ds were m-"ade,it alt examinations

9. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOTOGICAL SERVICE

Clinical facilitiesPsyehological -service ya.s- fqrnighed at ,thi* scho-ol ,b{ th,t.ryllq

b"i;i;;Tlfi ;;;il;J;;14;".4*l:tT: jlf P^T::r-1d*F:*fi*"-*;; Ait.a in" U-"r*" had detailed a psychologist to the sohool towas visited the bureau had detatled a psycnoroglst [o rne so

;;#r-";;d aassitv "tt

.*.r admitted [h6re and to.stg$v t*.h, "lltgl

il;i;L;;; ffih;:be n*".1t.9. He had officg i" 1!9 P'1* !1*:ilh;;i'brit,iil";+d tt'.. i"qtitulion was supposed to syn!_[Tl y*lil;;;";ilil '?'"i.'.

-Ati6t.timg, 4oq#I, he had

-onf-v,!|e l:tl

;i";;";6;-;ti; *u* a pupil in thb institution's cornmercial class.

venile research, whis.\is one .oj-the r0 major divisig#s of the Stat€ departme*gf |j?ljgwerrireiias *IurjriJriJa'i" lsil <i-qb! gt-r.slq, p. 175; see Gen.. code 1932, qec-. 18-41-2) ' - rts purposes ;lre tnepbysical, psychologicar,

"",i pJv.liatric stuav'otlir_ enitJ,ietinquents.aid children-with behavior difficul'

ries and rhs provision;ff;"fi6.v;."dici-ioit[L'Bdate iir iiiwiit with such children. rt is housed in a

;fi;ffibTlti"1"iiifdfiilfi,il: il;adi-ti;nToitidwortaoue bere.the bureau maintains a field-clinicdepartmeut, wnicn sendl sii{nemleriio iaiioli iiiaceii[roughout the state to examiue children who for

one reason q. another cannot be brought to tne 6uiii,i;;d 6-Fi"; such advisory assistance as is deslred'


BOYS' TNDUSTRTAT, SCHOOL, LANCASTER, OIrrO 195

It was erren necessary for this boy to take a certain amount of theinformation required on the interview sheets. All the writinE of thepsychologist's iecords was done by such assistants. No

-aid rvas

available in the way of psychiatric social work.Psychological tests

Each new bov was intervierved individuallv. All neu' boys admittedduring the week rvere called together for group tests each Monday.The National Inielligence and Morgan tests u'ere used. Boys whoobtained a lower rating ihan an intelligence quotient of 60 were latersummoned for individual examinations. In those the Stanford-Binetwas customarily given. Occasionally achieyement tests also w.ere used.The results of the tests and the information obtained in the interviewwere then recorded on a summary sheet. The original was sent tothe superintendent and carbon copies were sent [o the bureau ofjuvenile research, to the State department of public welfare, and tothe disciplinarian of the school.

During the preceding year 1,104 new boys had been given grouptests and 155 had been called back for individual tests. In addition 14boys had been given individual examinations on request of some otherstaff member and 100 had been retested for research purposes. Thepsychologist supplied the following figures on mental classification ofthe ent ire group:

MentBl level

Normal intel l igence--Inferior intelligence- -Border-l ine i ntel l igence -Feeble-rninded- - - -- - - --

22844188

The following figures show the number and percent distribution inthis group of 1,104 boys, by commitment, and the median intell igencequotients assigned for the respective groups by tlie psychologist:

)pp^p.:' I JS,"''"l l'"ifi*';,i'.v ' u v r J t i o n ]

o u o t i o n t

,-1 , 1 0 4 i r 0 0 ' _ _ _ _ _ _ -

CommitmeDt

Tota l - -

F i rs t eommi tmer r t - - - -Second commi tment - - - -Third conrmitment- - - - -Four th commi tment - - - -Fif th to severrth commitments inclusive--- --,---

a matter of routinethai boy. had speciaithey be sent to the

81. 583. 682. 582. 580. 0

8062t5

oo22

a

Psychiatric examinationsPsychiatric examinations were not given as

\\rhen the psychological examination revealedproblems tlre psychologist recommended that


196 FrvE srATE rNSTrrurroNS FoR DELTNeuENT Bol:s

F,,,rgqy of .iuvenile research {or a period of observation. He reportedthat the bureau trsually had one to four boys from this school'underobservation in its clinic, Th_e types .sually designated for this in-tensive..study, were said to be'those suspbcted "of being ineipientpsychotics or those rvhose antisocial tendericies were considered io beserious.Personal histories

Personal histories were obtained from three sources: some of thecommitting courts sent a certain amount, of social data. but thissource was not partieularly u-ell developed. Each rveek the full l istof new b-gys was sent for elearanee to the central office of the bureauof ;uvenrle research, which supplied records of former examinations.Lastly' th.e nsvc"hologist-at the school undertook to obtain srrpple-mentary history from the boy himself in the interview at theinstitution.Application of fndings

.The psychological findings were used to a certain extent in deter-mlnrng the assrgnment to school or trade instruction. There was, hoN--9v9I,.10 assrgnment committee nor clinic group of anv kind. Thetndn-rd.ual,q responsible _for assignments a-irvays had rccess to thepsvcnologreal records rf they wished to make use of them. The schooldepartment called on the psychologist for special examinations lndrecommendations for boys who l-'ere belieied to be incapable oiprofiting. further from rouiine school rvork. There *u. o

"uguior form

letter which the superintendent of schools used in sendilnE to thepsychologrst a req:fst for such examinations. A regular firm alsou-ns used for cert i f icat ion that the boy rvas bel ier-ed.-, , incapable ofprof i t ing substant ial ly by frrr ther instrui t ion ", on the basi iTinhichrecommendations the boy might be exeused from further schoolattend,ance reg.ardle,ss.of his age- or school progress.r8

\Yith clinical facilities so limited it u'as ob.ious that practicaliv noindividual study and careful planning oi inaiiiauJir;d l;;;i l.;;based on consrderation of personalit)- difficulties could be undertaken.Nor did there seem to be^any conriection betv-een the p.J.rrorogicaiwork and the parole proceduies.Attitude of other staff members toward clinical seryices

Some of the staff members, notably the school principal and theypli13"tlt depended.,to a'certain"extent o" lld pry.iotogi.t fo.di:"ciplinarian, depended to a'certain "exient on thtiu rD \ rp ' ' 4 r r a r . r uEp -uuucu ru a ce l . t a l n ex ren [ on t ne psveho loq rs t l o r

atlvrce rn connection with some of their most difficuli casesl Thedisciplinarian_ often consulted him in regard 6 his -*"l".erio.,.problems, and- he rvrs verv careful not to Srder corporai rrunist,mentlor a, .boy untr lhe made sure through such consultat ion that the bor.was "responsible.", There rls no 6vidence that the schooL n*."rr;iin.gep.eral. believed the application of mental-hl-si.;; ;;il.;;ies toindividualized treatment oi-delinquent boys r"ort"a-r" rrJiiiri. "individu quent boys rvould be heipful.Research activities

The psychologist had an interest in research, but the burclen ofroutrne work was much 'rore than he could carry, and it left himpractically no time for stutl l,- anci research.l-t ohi", c.r-C.je 1932, sec. ;;61 ;.


1 i 1 i

F i f th g rade- - - - -Fourth grade-- ,Th i rd g rade, - - -Second grade- - - -First grade- - --Ungraded - - - -Shop class- - -

;)+5E6t-

r 63I 5riI t4801 7

BOYS, INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOL, LANCASTDR'

IO. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-CLASSROOM

School staff

oHro 197

WORK

Academic education was directed by the superintendent of .qcltoolsand a teachinE staff consisting of t8 men and $-omen teachers; oneof these teaciiers served es Jrincipal at the East Side school andanother directed the work in manual training.School day and school year

The school day was ftom 7:45 to 11:15 in the-rnorrling and 1:05 to4:45 in the afteinoon. The school year was from September 1 toMay 1. The reason for dismissal on May I seemed-to be in orderthal the older boys might be used for ihe sprllg farm nork. Asummer session foi the siraller boYs on the East Side was condrtcted'

Attendance requirernents and enrollment

The small boys on the East Side attended school all da1'. Theolder group who attended the main school rvere in school one halfdav aid in trade trainins or work assignments the other half daywiih the exception o{ th6se in the commercial group. The school-attendance laws of the State served as the guide for attendancerequirements.le A considerable group of the-older b-oys were excrtsedfrorn school attendance. Boys-past 16 u'ho -had-cgmpleted theseventh Erade were not required to attend school. This older groupconstitutld a fairly large unit in the school population-

The enrollmentin th"e t'wo schools and the p-eriods of school assign-ment on tr Iarch 74,1932, were as sl tou'n in the fol lowing table:

Tinte oJ school Jor boys enrolled i'n specif.eil grade or class on Mar. 1J, 193t

Boys enrolled

{irade or class

'fotal

Ibid., -qecs. t*i62, i763, i766.

In \1'est Side school i In East Si(le school

1 1 - - - - - 4 1 , 7 3 1 46 5 r - - - - - - - 3 1 3 4 4 9rr 14 4fi

I ri_u u,*ien".

i _ _r,.Ij."-]1Total I ' total ,-

eu ool i "1:f *:Ti i ou,i.t tIff ':r"'"fett oar'l -"i;ll- ilff i AIr a.r ^'jl,'r." ;;:"

i ---52i 21' 202 301 230 2t- 83 i:0_ _ i _ - : - -3 4 2 t t l 25 b _ _ . _ 2 4 3 l - - - - -c ; 3 0 , 3 ; '

I 2 t . l l I b i r 4 2 - . . - - - . - - - - - 4 2l I { 4 l ; 3 14 - - - - 21 23

3(l5 ; -

- 3 t r o

1 ;23

1 7

r ' lhe difierence between the school enrollment (757 on IIar. 14, 1932) and ihe total populationof the instrtutio" on inii imeOate-(Sgo) is auelb-tru ract thai a number ofolderboys were exrused from school allend'aniiario trrifuovi

"ofvii ieimieo i ion-tne ieceivirg cottage for assign-ment to school gradc Nere inclurled

in the total population, and also to other conditions of insti lutional l i fe.


198 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEITINQUENT BoYS

The ages of the boys and the grades in which they were enrolledwere reported as shown in the follbwine table:

Age of boys enrolled, in specif,ed, grade or class on Mar. 16, 1952

Boys emolled

Grade or class

Tota l -

institution on approximately tbe

'u I tt ] ,, | ,n ]*o,,...ars lyoars iyears lyesrs

I ported- - l - l

Age of boy

bl9r8483224I6

I

335661

166158l l 77Sl773

3222i 6

z r o / e b i r i r i 3 81 6 l 8 l 2 l r i _ _ _ - _ _ -

. 2 r l 6 l _ _ _ _ _ - l _ - _ _ _ - i . . _ _ _ _ _ _2 2 1 5 l r l - _ _ _ _ _ 1 . _ _ _ _ _4 5 3 6 t - - _ _ _ _ t - _ - - _ _ _ - _ -s 3 I 2 5 l - - - - _ _ l _ _ _ _ _ , 1 _ _ _ _ - - .2 5 1 e l _ - - - _ _ l _ _ - l _ _ _ - . _ -l 6 I 4 l _ _ _ _ _ _ l - - _ _ - _ l _ - _ _ _ - _ _- - i - - l - - l - - - t - - - - -

- - - ' l - - i - - - - ' | - - - ' - - - - - -1 2 | 2 l _ _ _ - _ _ l _ - _ _ - _ l _ _ _ _ - _ _ -

- - - - - t - - - - - - t - - - - . t . _ _ _ _ _ t n- - - - - l - - - - l - - l I 1 6

t t t lI The.diderenc€ betweon the school enrollment (767 on Mar. 16, 1932) and tho total population of thesl,il,ution on app.ro.ximately tbe same date (990 on'Mar. il, rgsz) 6 ouiio-tneiact ltiat iit-"ffriii or oroeirys were oxcusoo lrom school atlendsn@ and that boys not yet, releas€d from the receivil]e cottas€ for

rusurutron on app.ro.xlmarcly tbe samg date (990 on Mar. 14, 1932) is due to the fact that t trumber of olderooys were oxcusoo lrom school atlendsn@ and that boys not yet, releas€d from the receivilg cottage for}ficqflnt to scbool grade wors included in tho total p-opulari irn. and aiso to otier cdiaii iofis or inlt itu-tional l i fe.

As in the other schools from whicli such clata 'r-ere procurecl, evi-dence of school retardation was conspicuous.Courses given

rvas beingRegular public-school work from the first through the ninth Erader,s being given. The curriculum was patterned oi the public-sihoolu'as treing g1ven. The curriculum was patternerl oi the public-sihool

curriculum for the state and.had been-approv-ed by tlle State depart-ment of education. In addition to the regular grades in the inainschool a special class was conducted for bov"s of l'"erv low-Erade men-talitv. This class was beins tarrght hv a, middlp-oJo.l -ni wh,' .*."otality.tality.. This class was being t-auglit by a miadle-aged mall who rvasuot using_the ne\r-er-methods forleacliing subnorm*al children. Theschool had formerly had_ an ungraded clasi to rrhich boys having diffi-culty u'ith particular subjects ivere assigned. This nai been sut,cess-fullv condrrcted by a specially trained teacher. It rrad been discon-trnued because of the extra expense inr.olved in retaining this well-qualified instructor.

Another experimentlvhich had been tried and which had been verysuccessful was a special art, class in rvhich tlrree kinds of work hac{ beehofl'ered,; namely., mejlianical drarving, free-hand drawing, and com-nrercial rrt u'ork. To that class ha.ii been sent boys shorviug an)-particul:rr talent and boys rvho u-ere lot getting alon! weil in r6gula"racadernic r-ork but had some aptitude for dra'rring. " Each boy u.aspemritted to esperiment and'to ihoose the type of

-art worh in hhich

he was most s'ccessful and in rvhich he found the most personal satis-faction. The school superintenclent stated that the cias. had beenr-ery helpful irr tlealing *'ith conduct-problem bol s. Ho.w.er-er, tlrisclass hud also been discontinrred becuuse it had been considered tooexpensive b1- the school management.



spealiirlg,Thc superintendent, who tvas particularlS' interested in pubiicealiins. irelci a class cverv Year in that subiect. Contests rT'ere heldass cvery year in that subject.- Contests-rT'ere held

ai the e,na of each semes{ei, antl boys rvho took part in them weregrantecl certlin-additional credits in trnglish. . Tb.,superintenclentstated that he believed the n-ork wasstated that he belrevert tlre $-orli was genurnery rlerplul L(J ceI'LaIr

types of bo-ys who had always had great difficulty with self-expressionelv l re lpfu l to cer ta inpf

a"ncl rvith "i".*roo-

recitations.The commercial work was trvailable to boys of ar-erage or better

than average mentality who had completed the ninth grade.

1T. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-JOCATIONAL OR PREYOCATIONAL

In a descriptive booklet rvhich this institution prepared in 1930 fordistribution tb persons interested in its program,.a sectiot on vocationaltraining presenled a long list of vocational-training "depattments",toEethe"r ivith the following statement:

Each department is composecl of an instnrctor and from€ to 30 boys acc-ordingto ihe amount of rvork the department has to be done, and_the. bovs of.eac[.depart-rnent are organized into efficient operaiing cre\s,_the older.boJ-s dolng the rnore.i i i f i ' ,1 \ i -orl i , a"d the nerv bo.vs learning-to clo the less ski l l ful r .r 'ork. l-sual lyorre of the more espcrienced l io5's is appbinted monitor of the_ crerv,.alrd irr thisposition he becornei a sort of an assisti,nt to the instructor and is quite a help inkeep ins the lo rk go ing as i t s l rou ld .-

\i-e iealize thatihe"lg to 12 months rvhich a bo1'may spend in one of theseclepartrnents is not sufficient time for one to become a finished.artisan, bltt rve doir. i i " i" that a bol 'bv apptying lr irnse.l f reaso.trablr let l mal become so fanri l iar.,r . i th th" work he is"doing-tha1 he could fol lorv the samc l ine of t-ork to goodadvantage after ieaving the institution.20

Production and maintenance worli for the institution, in the opinionof the mana,gement, provided opportunities for-boys-to learn 1n?nyuseful trades"under'tire superviiibn of practica,l ,rvorkmen and boyassistants. These opportunities \\-ere deiermined !y-thg "amount ofwork to be clone."

'-None of lhe instructors had had any special

educational preparation or previous teaching_ experience.. Conrseswere not plairne,d with certain periods devoted to group. inst,.rctionin eenerai Lrade information antl tlre'orY, in preparntion for thepradtiee work. It was rv[olly & case of learning by doing, rvithin theiimits imposecl by the neecls bt ttre institution and its materials andequrpment'.Enrollment

The vocational and other work in u'hich boys were occupied otl

\tarch 16, 1932, and the time assigned rvere reported a,s shown in the

table following.,t ' Ih" B"yy Irt lustrial School, Lancaster, Ohio, 1930, p. 13.


2OO FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BoYs

Time o! work for boys occupied in specif,ed uocational or other work assigntnents onMar. 16, 1932

Boys occupied in vocational or other work

Vocational or other work Time assignod

All day Morning Afternoon Nisht

. h o r i h o I

pent ry and cab ine t mak ing- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - lrtrical work- - -- - -n ing :D a i r y - - , - - - - - -F r u i t s - - - - - - - - - - , - , - - - - ]

55

158

05264IIt7

l5

I4

38

8I14277

06I2233I6

13

3

161122

Poultry raisingf i u c k g a r d e n i n g - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , - - ,

I lo r t i cu l tu re- - . - -r w p r d u r - - - - - - -L a u n d r y - - - - - - . -Manual rraining-M a s o m y - - - - - - - -Painting,,, - -Plumbing- - -Power plant-

2a

22213Nt7

1 l3I6

4583

25

22

52185

6135193531t4t t2

5

Sheet-metal work--Shoemaking and repairing-- --r a i t o r i n e - - i - - - - - - - : - - - - : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Office work".Quartermester- - .S t o r e r o o m - - - - - - - - - - -Telephone operal.ors- - - - - - - -

D i n i o g - r o o m s e r v i c e - - - - - . - - - - - - - - -0enera l fo rce- - - -Eospital- . -E l o u s e w o r k - - - - - -Ironing room - .Kitchen work -M o n d i n g r o o m - - . - - - - - - - - -Par iDg room- .Sewing room - .Schoo l jan i to r - - - -

Monitors in receiving and disciplinary cottages-_--

51

36692

1354

l6

6I

I The difference between the numb€r of boys assigned to vocstional or other work (932 on Mar. 16, f932)a4d the total population of the institution on approximately the same date (990 on Mar. 14, 1932) is due tothe fact that work assignments wsre not givsn to younger boys and that boys not yet released from the

the total population of the institution on approximately the same date (990 on Mar. 14, 1932) is due tofact that work assignments wsre not givon to younger boys and that boys not yet released from theiving cotta-g_efor their ssignments were included in the total popuJation, and also to other conditionsrecer

of incervrng coitage tor thelr ssignments were incllin3titutional life.r Duties in greenhouse and vegetable hothouse

The total of boys on night assignments (14) and in crews performingdomestic service or routine manual labor concerned with institutionupkeep (488), as shown in this table, indicates that approximatel]'54 percelt of them were spending half or all of each day in work ofthat kind. Careful inspection of all items will lead to the conclusionthat the limitation of personnel had compelled the management tocq,Iry on a heavy proportion of the institutional work, including theoffice duties, with the labor of the bovs themselves. Observationconfirnlod that conclusion.


BOYS' INDUSTRIAIT SCHOOL. LANCASTER' OHIO

?r The Boys' fndustrial School, pp. 15, 16, 17

vidual prizes were awarded to the winners in the various events.Military training

During the winter the boys rvere given 10 to 15 minutes of setting-up exercises each morning in their respective cottages, but in summerthis was replaced by military drill from 6 to 6:45 a.m. Three morningseach rveek the entire group was drilled 45 minutes, with the band play-

20rMaintenance and repair work

As was to be expected in an institution with so low a per capita cost,maintenance and production were emphasized in all vocational work.In the descriptive bookiet quoted previously, this fact stands out inevery paragraph: "Nine thousand bushels of apples were pickedin one season. {< * * The work is all done by inmates under thesupervision of a head dairyman and assistant [referring to the dairywhich supplied all milk and butter for the schooll. * * * Morethan 100,000 pieces of Iaundry pass through this department eachmonth. * i< x The painting department is busy painting the out-side woodwork during the summer, and decorating the rooms and thoinside work during the winter. d< * * The new boys must bedressed out in scho6l clothes and the homegoing boys musfbe suppliedwith'outside' wear." 2r

The quartermastet's department, purchased the clothes for " outsidewe&r" and for each boy to receive on his release, and the tailor shopmade all the school clothes. Thus the work theme runs throushoutthe story of their vocational work so that the boys and their trainingseemed to be overshadowed by the gigantic material needs of theinstitutional machine.

12. PIIYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATHLETICS

Physical education at this institution was under the supervision ofthe firmily officers, except for the gymnasium period iinmediatelyfollowing military drill, when the military instructor was in charge.Physical education

No special attention was given to corrective work for individuals.Though records of height and weight for all incoming and outgoingboys were kept at the hospital and main office, recotds of height,weight, and physical development rvere not made as part of thephysical-education program during the boy's stay at the institution.

There was a,n indoor pool in the basement of the gymnasium build-ing which could be used only during the rvarm months. Swimmingwas supervised, but no teaching was done.Sports program

The sports program included baseball, basket ball, and some trackrrk. All these activities were participated in bv the boys dividedwork. All these activities were participated in by the boys divided

into three classes according to size and age, with intercottage compe-age, with intercottage compe-bition in each class. The winning team in each class was presentedwith a Dennant. An all-star basketball team had played about 12 orwith a pennant. An all-star baskewith a pennant. An all-star basketball team had played about 12 or15 games with outside teams.- Most of these games -were played at15 games with outside teams. Most of these games were played atthe institution, and the boys from the cottages attended in rotation,

the gymnasium had relalively small space for spectators.On July 4 each year & bis athletic field meet was held,

as the mn&srum nad" relatryely smau spa,ce lor specta,tors.y 4 each year B, big athletic field meet was held, and indi-

_ -


FIVE STATE INSTITT:TIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

iog. On qther mornings each company was drilled on its orln plav-ground. . During the rrinter each iott-age group spent one-hall davevery other week at the g1'mnasium, where they rvere drilled by th"emilitary instmctor 1)1, t;2 hours and spent the rest of the time inCqrygs. The older boys drilled with old'Armv Sprinsfield rifles fronrrvhich the_firing_pins had been filed off. The lbunler bor-s carriedrvooden rifles. Each.cottage had its ou-n company oT aO boy.. Theremaining bo's in t'he coitage, usually lhe neu-"er ones. driiled as"rookies." The Butts tr lanual of ArmJ and the schoor of ' the sordierwere used. A dress par_ade.-was held every Saturday evening. Inseptember on the.ann.al.-military day the"10 compairies selecied asbest had"a. competiiion drill, orgai\ireci into three baitalions, one con-sstmg of 4 companies, two consisting of 3 companies each. The davw-as qqlte an e\-ent in the life of the school. iudses. usrrail.r.officeisof the National Guard and ttre.Adjutant Grne-rat oitrri repr;.'."Gii;';;came from r-arious parts of the State. cash and other' prizes werepresented. . The sum of $50 u'as divided among the members of thegompanies in the winning battalion, its captain b'eing Eir en $5. secondlieutenants $2.50 each, and the privates $l'each. A

-S;; n.o"ln" U.Tt,

a saber, and a pennant rrere-also presented to each prire+tintringcompanY.

r3. OTHER RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

,.Th.. program. at .this institution included 'ery little planned ordrrected recreational activitv outside the sports irrogram'pretiouslr-described. No individual stlafi member or srar commrrree u,as undei-tali-ng to study or reeommend der-r'lopments in this field., , I,h"." were no Roy Se.uts, no boy ilubs, nor organizations of anyKrnd, nor any provlsrons lbr outlngs away from the institution.Music

The institution had a.band of about 5O_pieces directed by a band-aster who had held that position for about 1g vears. ihe band-T.tT who ,had held that position for about 1g years.work was ra6d ;;dliX;;iL:i#"1;: ffiJ *:,I"$f;" ,'"ti"i#"l

instruction in the different instrumenls. The bandilaiil. 'hua ot.nhad alsoorg'nized a n -orchestra o-f .a bou t a dozer pleceq which played fo.

"h "p.te.rercises, and a choir u-hich sang at thesunday ""rl j icu"..Radio

The institution owned no radio equipment. practically all thell, l tug*.,

however,"contained radios owned by the family offiLer., whomade a practice of turning on appropriate popular programs for theDOYS.

DramaticsThere-was very_l i t t le act iv i ty in dramatics at this school. Thepersonnel was so hmited and the hours of duty so long that it was

impossible for_ the-m to give the time necess&ry io work -up

entertain_ments of any ki"4, , It was s.aid that they ha.d some kind'of progrunlgn_- elch -""j9" holiday and that usually L minstrel show *aJput onoJ' some ol the boys each year.Motion pictures

Because of the scarcity of funds for the weekly motion picture, thishad been discontinued, "and at, rhe time the *h6"f ;;;-o[iiu['it rr..ra film only every 2 or B rveeks. tr'ilms were serected bi th; super-


BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. LANCASTER. OHIO 203

lic priest from a nearbyemployed on a pari-time basis, conductedfor all Catholic bovs and went to the

N{ass everv Sundaemployed on a part-trme b&srs, conducted ]\la,ss eYery bun(lay mornrngfor all Catholic boys and went to the school once a rveek to give

intendent, and the pictures t-ere attended by all boys except thosein the discipline cottage. The apparatus was for the showing ofsilent pictuies onll'. At the one picture show attended b1' thevisitor irom the Cliildren's Bureau the bovs entered the buildinE instrict military lines and rvent dol-n the'aisle in silence, givin{ animpression t.hat was l.holly prisonlike.Reading

In the main school building rvas a smail library consisting primarilyof reference books, used chiefly in connection u.ith the school rrork.It had been in existence for about 3 vears and contained about 500books. Boy librarians, u'orking under the strpervision of the super-intendent of schools and a teacher, \\:ere in charge. The teacher wasfamiliar with methods of book repairing and taught this to the boysdetailed to librarv work.

Each cottage had a certain number of books, largely fiction. Thesewere read durins the eveninE hours u'hen weather conditions made itnecess&ry for the boys to remain indoors.


A Protestant chaplain, an "ex-soldier evangelist" belonging to theUnited Brethern cienomination, w.as a full-time staff member. At2 p.m. on Sunday afternoons he conducted interdenominational unionseivices, which all boys were required to attend. This service rvasoften addressed by visiting pastors, evangelists, and representatir-esfrom the Salvation Army. NIusic u'as furnished by a choir of abotrt50 boys led by the bandmaster. Ever5r Sunday morning Sundayschool was conducted in the cottaqes in which Protestant boys resided.These classes rvere conducted by'the cottage officer and his wife, orb)- other staff members orrisitors, and the chaplain went from cottageto cottage visiting th.e various elasses.

The Catholic nriest from a nearby Catholic church. rvho was

instruction and to hear confessions.tr'or the small group of Jewish boys religious instruction w-as supplied

bv a layman of their own faith from Lancaster, there being no rabbiiri ttrattity or nearer than Columbus.

It was stated that the school had several boys from Greek Orthodoxfamilies and that an attempt had been made to have a Greek Orthodoxpastor from the church supply instruction. But it was found thatihe boys spoke so many different, dialocts that group instruction u'asimpossible and the attempt' had been discontinued.

The Protestant chaplain stated that he interviewed all new boysregularly every \Yednesday afternoon, talking to them as a group andth"en in<iividuilly about the school anil the w6y to get the most out oftheir stay in it. In his own words, he tried to impre,qs on them that"to get, the most out of life one must be reborn and have Christ inone's heart." On Friday evenings he conducted a special servicefor boys about to be releised on p"arole, at which he tri-ed to impressupon lhem the importance of affiliating with the church. He hadpiepared a form leiter which he sent to each parolee within a weekor 10 days after he had left the school.

768?0L35-14


204 FrvE srarF rNs'rrrurroNs FoR DELTNeuENT Boys


Credit system

A boy on entra,nce was listed for a stay of. L2 months. For eachmonth bf perfect conduct during his first "2 months he was allowed 5days off his total "time." If at the end of these 2 months he had won5 days for each mon-th, hq waq giyen an extra 10 days off, which madea total ot 20 days off his institution stay. If at th-e end of 3 monthshe still had no misconduct reports,_he was given 15 additional days'credit, thus ha_ving built up ; total of 40 days. Under this syst6mif a boy succeeded in keeping his record absolutely clear of misconductreports it was possible for him to win his release in 8 months and 20dayg- In addition to these automatic ways of obtaining days ofcredit, bgyr might be giv-en extra awards f6r such as the Toloi'ing:10 days for each promotion in school, for each month of service asmonitor, or for winning second place in the monthly military inspec-tion; 15'days.for winnlng first flace in monthly -ilitary inlpection;5 duy for-winning thirii place in the inspection; and"60 davs forcapturing a, runa,way. Additional days off-were sometimes awardedalso for par_ticular services such as preyenting a fire, returaing lost orstolen aiticles, and reporting inforination of"value'(such ar"plotr toescape).

Misconduct, reports resulted 1n the addition of time to be spent atthe institution.

-Records of a boy's status as to "time'"-stifl to bet'served" were-kgpt_in thp office of the court officer, and a boy's

release was entirel;i dependent on that record. A masfer record #asFpp@i"qd hy the record clerk. As all these details indicate, t\isOhio institution did not have a credit system in the usual sense rnwhich this term is used in industrial training schools. Its systemmore nearly resembled that of a prison.Disciplinary measures

, Qo.ttage offi.cers, teachers, trade instructors, and other'officers whohad boys under their supernsron were permitted to place a bov"on line " for minor misconduct. This me-ans that the bdv was with-drawn from all the. regular activities of his group and had

-tb stand on

line wherever he might be, whether in schoof,, shop, or cottase. It wasstated that no unusual strained positions wbre peimitted. "

When an offi.cer felt that a boy required moie selrere punishmentthan being placed on line, he repoited ihe case on a "blue

^rlip,, to the

court officer. The slip contained an entry showing the reasonfor mak-ing the report. The court offcer was

-a promiient member of the

staff, responsible directly to the superint-endent of the institution.The supglinte3dent determined the. gengral policies with respect togy.pur of disciplin3,ry measures that {rngbt be us^ed. Complete responsr-b.rlity for the adniinistration of_ discipline within thd limit ret uy.thope. general policies was vested in tlie court offi.cer, and everv dalhe held "cou.rt." There each case was taken up anci discussed withthe. boy in person. occasionally "witnesses" iere called in to givetheir versions of the incident repbrted on the blue slip. A court iardrlas kgP! tot each bo_y, and the blue slips were fi.led in his folder in.the administration office. l

Diqttpline meted out by t'his court took several forms. Time misht -be added to the pe{o4 *Srh a . boy must complete before he iaseligible for parole. This might rang-e all the way f.om a day or two '


for ninor infractions of rules to the entire year which rvas regularlvadded in case of an escape. Bovs guiltv of sodomy were required toremain 6 months longer.

- For su-ch offenses as insolence, disobedielce,

persistent talking o-n line, fighting, and smoking, varying numbersbf davs were added.

It ivas stated that there was no curtailment of food for any ofiense;that is. no bovs were eYer Iimited to a bread-and-water diet. With-drawal of th6 privilege of attending the occasional.motion-pictureshow or athletic sames" was used as a medium of discipline. For moreserious c&ses a dlscipline cott,age was maintained-. Boys were sentthere bv the court, offrcer for speiific periods to 30 days' Boys in thiscottase attended school but did not-do shop work. In lieu of theirtrade"classes they were assigned to do the L?rdest and most unpleasantmanual labor aiound the-institution. They were barred from allsames and entertainments. The discipline cott,age itself was one of[he oldest buildings. lt had a living room and dormi-tory similar tothose in other cottages. The living room w&s quite -bare, stiff, andcolorless in its atmosphere. No talking was permitted at any time inthe livins room. When it was visited during an evening hour the boyswere sitf,ing in rigid positions on straight chairs at tables, holdingbooks in front of them, presumablv reading. The officer in charge satin a chair in the front of the room. The monitors for the cottage, twophvsically powerful boys, walked back and forth around the tables,ipbarentiv'watching foi iny relaxation in attitude or any movement.^

Corporal punishment was administered only on order of the courtofficer. lnciividual officers were forbidden to strike any boy or to useanv phlsical force upon him unless the boy became violent andatdackeit other boys of an officer. The eorporal prrnishment used wasknown as "paddlinE." The paddle was & flexible piece of leathershaped like a resular paddle about 6 or 8 inches wide and 12 to 15incEes long, wit[ a stiffened leather handle at one end. The usualnumber of strokes was 6 to 9, though in extreme cases 12 to 15 rnightbe given. The bov's clothing was not removed for the paddling.Eac"h paddling had to be witnesied by the superintendent,, the assist,antsuperintendent, the physician, or the chaplai-n; and this officer sig4e{the discipline slip as witness. It was stated tlat boys were paddledonlv in extreme cases of persistent repetition of offenses, sex offenses,conirnuous rnsubordination, or some action regarded as a particularlygrave delinquency. Among the latter were sex ofienses and escapeirom the inslitutibn-unlesJ they came back of their own volition.-

The court often gave an order for paddling and then suspended theorder so long &s the boy maintained a good conduct record.The court offi"cer believed tiis procedure had eftectively deterred cer-tain types of boys from repetition of ofienses, as_he found that some ofthe.vainglorious, would-be gangsters were "yellow" when threatened

BOYS' INDUSTRIAI, SCHOOL, Li l{CASTER, OHIO 205

court officer occasionally sought the advice of thewithth ph-vsrcal pain.

Although the ccpsycholoiist in disciplinary cases, the system afforded little opportu-iriir- {or iidividualiziirs of [,reatmdnt in fhe modern sense of that-word.Procedure was very riuch what its terminology indicate4 patternedafter criminal-court practices, with actual "hearings" to determine aboy's "guilt " or "innocence" of the offense charged.


206 FIVE S'IATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

each boy and an alphabetical descriptive card file. All the files rvere


The records were in charge of a staff clerk, who gave full tirne to thorvork and xho had the assfstance of bovs who w"ere assisned to this4uty. Besides keeping the individual case records, it was"the dutS- ofthe record clerk to prepare the parole and discharge lists, to senclbutany notices to parents, and to send out to the officers the variousnot'ices as to institutional matters.

The records in the administrative office consisted of a case folder forcdclr L]oy aIICt an arp[aDetrcat oescrrptrTe cal(t lrle. all tne nles wereseparated acco_rding to cases in residlnce in the instrtution, on parole,and discharsed.

No face fieet, or chronological ca-qe histor5,- rvas contained in therecord folder. The court commitment paperJ, rncluding a statement

f r l I ' Iof the medical examination by thg cour! and a social history, ifoI tne medrcal examrnatron b-v the courf" and a social history, ifobtained, were filed in the boi's folder. itt" rnformation on .n"iui

The school department kept a permanent, record card showinghool progress as to Erades completed. ratinss in studies. trade anrlschool progress ai to

history w&s ver;- meager excepi from a few counties, and the insiitu-tion did not se-ek to supplement it, except from the intervieu- rviththe bov.

Mat"erial filed in the folders pertainins to the bor.'s institution recorclconsisted of the " blue slip " iorms (on" which w6re reported miscon-duct and court action), tlie psvchologist's report,, and'a card nrento-randum of correspoldence received and sent by the boy. A separatecard was kept by the record clerk, showing a boy's trade, worii, andschool assignments, and listing his discipline recbrd chronologicallv.This u-as fil-ed in the case foldei rvhen the'bov left the institutioi. ittco:respondence relating to the case l\,'ils alsd filed there, and the fieldofficer's reports of visits to boys on parole.

The alphabetical card file had such descriptive information as a case-record face sheet usually contains about both the boy and his parents.Such facts as date of birth, color-, offense, court, schobl grade, tiruancy,occupation, height, weight, and use of tobacco were entered on thec-ase, als_o the pare!ts' status and occupations, siblings, and other suchdata. On the back of the card l'ere iecordeil the d-ates of the naroleofficer's visits with brief comments resardins the bov's condirct oradjustment,_on parole and dates of retrlri or diJcharge fiom parole. ,!smaller card showing such items as the boy's name, age,

-and color,

with the facts as to his commitment, rvas made out foreaihbov admit-ted and sent to the State department of public welfare.

The ryLedical, psyclrological, and educational departments and thecourt officer kept their own records. Several formi were used bv thehospital staff, such as a report of the ph5'sical examination on admis-sion, forms sent to parents to obtain-consent for corrective v-ork orope{ations if needed, and daily hospital registers.-

The psychological depariment used the"record. forms furnished br-the State bureau of juvinile research and kept detailed reeords of ailexaminations and recommended treatment.

school progress as to grades completed, ratings in studies, trade anrlrvork assignments, and certain identif5'ing information. In addition,monthly ieport cards v'ere iqpued. Th6 rating card for the boy's

other forms incident to the scbool g'ork were used by the schooldepartment.


BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. I ,ANCASTER, OHIO 20t-

u-as listed for a year and could begin to earn good tirne as before.Everv 2 rnonths a list rvas made uo of all the bovs lvho had lrEverv 2 rnonths a

An elaborate record system rr'as ttsed by the court officer, whoseduties included the assignment of boys to cottages and to tradeand work detail as well as disciplinary matters. IIence the recordskept bv his office included such detail forms as were used in makinga iecoid of assisnments and changes in assignments and also thoseused in connec-tion witb reportiig miscon-duet to his office andrecording the action taken. Eacli bby's record was summarized andentered on a master card as a perrnanent record for the administrativeoffice.


Both the juvenile-court law and the law governing the- Boys'Industrial School contain provisions relating to parole. Lrnder theprovisions of the latter, the State department of public welfare isiequired to establish rules and regulations under whiih inmates of thescliool may be allow-ed to go on leave of absence until finally dis-charged. Authority to carry out these rules and regulations is givenb.y t[e law to the superintendent of the institution, and no boy nraybe paroled except on his written recommendation. He also hasaut[ority to order the return of any boy so placed on leave. Thejuvenile-court law requires "agents" to be maintained to "exarnineihe homes of children paroled Tor the purpose of reporting * * *rvhether they are suitable homes, and'assiit childreir, par6led ol dis-charged * * * in finding suitable employment, and maintain afriendly supervision over paroled inrnates. " The department ofpublic-welfare designates 1he number of such agents or "fieldofficets." 22

Therefore, the parole progran as it was functioning at this insti-tution was under the direct superr-ision of the superintendent. Fourfield officers rvere members of the institution staff and had headquar-ters at the institution. Their work w.as not organized as a depart-rnental unit. Each worked independently in his orvn district, andeach rvas responsible only to the'superiniendent. Detail as to tiretraining and qualifications of lJrese officers for palole rn'ork has beengiven in the section on personnel (p. 186.) All four had been employeesof tire institution in other capacities before appointment as paroleofficers, and all had been on the staff for several years.

Forparole consideration emphasis was placed principally on the boy'sconduct or rnisconduct rvhile in the institution instead of includingall phases of his institutional treatment and progress. As has beenstated, each boy admitted rvas listed for 12 months' stay at the insti-tution, and his"release prior to that date depended on ihe earning ofEood-tirne allowance in accordance rvith the svstem in efiect in theinstitution; this was shortened or lengthened through the creditsystern of days off for good conduct or day-s added for misconduct,under rvhich it rvas possible for a boy u'ho had absolutely no miscon-duct reports to earn parole in 8 months and 20 days. (See p. 204.)The average period in the institution was said to be 9 to 10 months.A boy returned for violation of parole, or returned from an escape,entered on the same conditions as on his first admission; that is, he

their time allor,vance and hence rvere eliqible forrchi", Gt". ftde 1932, secs. 1677 (juvenile court), 2091 an{i 20?2 (Boys' Industrial School)

as made uo of all the bovs lvho had rnadelnce were eligible Ior parole. The srrpelin-


tendent forwarded this list to the director of the State department ofpublic. welfare with reccmmendation for their paiole. The par,oletechnically became effective when the director signed the list, but theapproval of the committing court was sought before the boy was actu-ally released. As soon as the list was relurned with the approval ofthe State department, the superintendent sent a letter notlfying thecourt of the pending release, requesting that a preparole home-visitbe made and-that t"he court'advise rvhither, in'its'opinion, the boyshould be returned to his home. In Ohio manv of ihe committinEcourts had no probation service or other reso,,r6es for social investi"-gations,-and it-was felt that these preparole inquiries were more orless perfunctory and that the answers u.ere based on the personalknouledge of the judge rather than on ln adeqrrr te social invest iga-ti9l. Piactieally no [reparole work other than seeking this approi'alof the committing court was done bv the institdrtion. Investigationsof relatives or fosler homes l'ere sonrLtimes made bv the narole "offi.cers

in cases in which the boy had no home or in u'hich"return to his homeu'as not desirable. Nor rn.as there any definite preparation of boysfor the parole period. Both the sup'erintendeni aid the chaplaingave them short talks before the5'leff, usuallS' to groups of 25 io 40boys, jgst as they were all readv-to leave the-institution grounds.- As there rvere 1,147 bo5rs on parole as of \{arch 14, tg}2, the caseload per -parole offrcer rvas 287. Obviouslv no officei rvith'so rnarryboys under his care could give much sup"ervision through personalvisits. It was stated that each officer tiied to set around-to r.isitparolees once a month. Sometimes u-hen a parole officer rvas to be ina certain countv seat, the juveni le court u-ould ask the parolees tocall on the paroie officer at ihe court rooms. The commitiins eourtsdid not accept responsibility for anv parole supervision, but iaroleeswere dtrected to report to the court rvithin 10 davs after their return.and frequently the^court maintained friendlv coritact x'ith them. Ifthe policl' of

-rnonthl5. visits rvas carried out, actuallv making that

nla.ny visits. left little or no time available for individualized super-vtsion or giving assistance in emplovment, school, or recreationaladjustmenis. The monthly risit did-not oin'uv. include seeinE theparolee. The reeords examined indicated that an intervierv lith a

.report from the .j

member of the family, if the boy t 'as not at home, or perhaps a r-erbalreport from the judge or sorne other person intereited in the bov

FIYE STATE INSTITLTTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

or some other nerson interested in the bovfrequently constiiut6d the monthlv visit. Considerable time rvasreported spent by the officers in inleit igating eases of parole violntjonsand in return ing bovs to the inst i tu t ion.

{he paroleeJwe.L not required to send in l'ritten reports. Theof f icers repor ted an.vv is i tsor contacts in re lat ion toeaelr boi .on regrr larforms *'hich were iiled in the bov's folcler at the institution. Th"tconstituted the only parole reco.d..

In accordance with the provision of the larv that bo3-s, althoughcorrrmi t ted r rnt i l 21 \ .ears of aqe. r r la \ .he sooner re leas 'ed for sat is-factory_ behavior and progress-in training (see p. ITT), it rvas theestablished policl ' to grani f inal dischnrge frorn-par.ole before Lo.r.sreached the age of Zt ,Jheoret ica l . l t 'on a E 'as is of sat is facton.condr i " rfo_r. I 1-ear subsequent t,o release frorn the institution on parole.This systenr of discharge had become verl' automatic, based almostentirelS,- on the time element. So far as coulcl be asceriained, a bov's


conduct was considered satisfactorv for discharse when after theyear he had not been returned for violation of par"ole.

No consideration was Eiven to conduct which misht not have beensatisfaetory yet had notleen such as to warrant r6trrrn to the insti-tution. The possibility of the boy's needing further supervision orassrstance in making his adiustments in societv was not, taken intoconsideration. The time peiiod u'as firmly fixed and seldom if everextended. No approval or recommendation for discharge \vas re-qgiled from the parole officers, nor were the reports of the."ir contacts*ith the boys rei-iewed for discharge consideraiion.- The actual procedure for dischaige was the same as that follou'edfor release on parole. Every 3 minths the record clerk preparedlists of all boys who had been on parole for a year. Th'ese w-eresubmitted to the superintendent, who sent, them to the St,ate depart-ment of public u'elfare with his recommend.ation for discharEe.

'The

discharge became effective on the approval of the directdr of thedepartment,.

As a result of the l-year rule, return to the institution for violationof parole was possible without further court action within a year'stime from releaie on parole. Recommitment was necessarv follorvinqdischarge. Each time a bov u-as returned, whether as a parole violatoior on recommitment, the iame policy as'to his length^of stay in theinstitution and the l-year parole peiiod u,'as followed. Thui it fre-quently happened that boys tvere recommitted several times u'hoordinarily under a llrogram of lonEer parole care 'w-ould har-e beenreturned-as parole r-iola-tors. Recorimiiments were made e.r'en if thebo5' lvas to

-be returned within a few days after his year of parole

had ended. Some boys u-ho u.ere returned to the institution re-peatedly remained under jurisdiction until 21 years of age becauseof their continued record.- In such cases discharEe rvaslutomaticu'hen they beeame of age. Frequentlv a bov committed at nn earlyage and_discharged afte"r a year'of paiole \\'&s recommitted, perhap"st$'o or three years later, and became a "new " case.

There \,\'as no fixed folicy as to 'what should be considered suffi-ciently serious misconduct io waruant return for violation of parole.It was stated that it was the nolicv to be reasonable about-minoroffenses and to have the parolti officers make an adjustment, in thoconrmunity rather than relurn the bov. fn cases of continued mis-conduct which seemed to tend toward the later commission of aserious offense, the bo5rs u'ere returned.

18. PLANT AND PROGRAM CHANGDS IN RECENT YEARS

Of the cases analyzed in part 2 of this report (see p. 10) 151from the Boys' Inclustrial School. The peiiod during *-hichboy-s were undel treatrnent included the^years 1918 ihroughwith b1' far the greater number under caie during the periodthrouqh 1924.

BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. I,ANCASTER. OHIO 209

werotheset925,1 A D

There had been re lat iveh ' fes ' changes of nra jor inrpor tant e ineith-er plant or proglam at ihis institution sinee the training periodof the cases studied. Construction of the new- buildine for t i le EastSide school had been beEun in 1g25, and in ig3l onE nerr-cot taEehad been ( 'onst .nrc1ed. l=n tpZ; four of the o ld cot taces had l ,eFn


2IO FIvE STATE INsTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

remodeled. The annual report for that year commented bhat theremodeling contemplated elimination of the third-floor attics that hadbeen used as dormitories accommodating about 35 boys each.

The follou'ing figures for the fiscal yea--rs ended December 3l,Ig22and 1931, reveal the similarity between certain factors affectinginstitution life in the two periods:

Item

1, 1561309 . 0

$324

l , 1 2 0r+7/ . o

$240

The later period shows a slightly more favorable ratio betweenboys and ernployees, t'he number of employees having increased tosome extent while the population remained about the same. In spiteof this increase in personnel there was a slight decrease in per capitacost in the institution.

In August 1930 a psychologist from the State bureau of juvenileresearch was detailed full time to the Bovs' Industrial School. Beforethat time psychological tests had been made only occasionally. TheState department of public rvelfare reported in 1922 that the bureauof juvenile research had been making a thorough examination ofinmates at both the girls' and the boys' industrial schools, suchexaminations to be conducted regularly at each institution at 30-dayintervals "so that all new inmales will be classified and the feebld-minded or degenerate set &part." 23 Many of these earlier reportsreferred to the presence of a considerable number of mentallv defec-tive boys who riere unable to profit by the training offered. In 1925it was reported that 28 percent of the ve&r's admissions had beenclassified as subnormal. but the division between feeble-minded andborderline c&ses was not indicated. E-xceptionally unstable cases, andthose suspected of being psychotic or presenting exceptionally difficultproblems in behavior and control, were sent to the bureau of juvenileresearch in Columbus for periods of observation, to be followed b5-advice as to disposition to be made or treatment to be given.

It u'as stated that prior to 1925 the academic school had not beenchartered by the State, but that a charter was granted that year. Thismeant that it could exchange school credits on an equal footing withoutside schools. Since 1924 psychological and educational tests hac'lbeen used to aid in school assignments.

\rocational training had undergone no great change during the-vear period, according to the management, except that more boys10-1'ear period, the management, except that more boys

ng through the half-day school and half-were being given trade training through the half-day school and half-day work plan than had been the case in the earlv 1920's. The train-were Derng grven traoe trarnrng tnrougn tne nall-oay scnool an{t na,ll-day work plan than had been the case in the earlv 1920's. The train-ing had aliays been limited very much to the production and rnain-tenance rvork of the institution under the direction of experienceritenance rvork of the institution under the direction of experienceriforeruen. The director of the State department of public welfarestated that insofar as funds had been available the shops had beenmodernized to keep abreast of rnechanical progress.

rr Staie Department of Public Welfare, First ^{nnual Report, for the nscal-vearended June 30,1922, p. l



The same systen of military organizat'ion and training had beenin effect. The amount, and tvne of recreational activities were atroutin effect. The amount, and type of recreational activities wereas thev had been over the l0-vear neriod.they had been over the l0--v*ear period.

In 1924 the annual renort had described the school's trea,ttnentlthods as beins soverned bv "comrnon sense and discipline." rvhichmethods as being gover y." comrnon sense and discipline, " rvhich

were "based upon simple, orderly, regular, and strict routine." Sofar as could be discovered the 1932 disciplinarv methods had beenfar as could be discovered the 1932 disciplinarv methods hadin effbct for some yearsrn efiect' tor some years past $-rthout any rmportant changes. l fiesuperintendent, who had been at the school in l-arious capacities for

ithout a_ny jmportant changes..Thesuperrntendent,, wno nad rleen at tne scnool ln \-arlous capacltles lorabout 20 vea,rs. stated that in the earlv 1920's bovs had been sen-tenced fofspecific terms and had to "seive out their time" regardlessof their eood conduct. The merit system in use rvhen the schoolwas visit"ed has already been descri6ed. The superintendent saidthat in 1932 they did not make such rigid rules, and they and theboy might agree on " a proposition " with respect to the terms underwhich he could earn his release under a relaxation of the requirements.The averaqe time a bov remained at the institution had been reducedaccordins

"to the mana"sement from 18 to 10 months.

At th; time the boy-s included in this study lrere on parole therewere but 3 parole officers looking after 800 to 1,000 paroled boysscattered over the State of Ohio. Bv 1932 the number of such officershad been increased to 4.


lnstltutlons IOr OellnqUenl DOyS OU[lng tne pas[ Z/2le0"Ts ln connec[lon t.with the Bureau's program of coopera,tion with the Burea,u of Prisons .of the Department of Justice in the interest of the X'ederal juvenile ,

Chapter VII.-RECAPITUTATION AND COMMENTS

In the five preceding chapters the facts gleaned in visits to each offi.ve institutions have been presented as objectively as possible. The,following sections contain a recapitulation. of certain salient points in ,relationlo characteristics of the plants and phases of the progr&msr,lwith comments on the strengths and weaknesses believed to beinherent in them and to characterize much current institutional work'

Representatives of the Children's Bureau have visited 37 Stateinstitutions for delinquent boys during the past 2/2years in connect'ionr

offender, ^ Certain comments hereinafter include the instiiutional:'

field beyond the 5 institutions described in detail in this report, and,are bas6d on tho observations recorded &s & result of the viiits [o all Ithose 37 institutions.

comparison of institutions is attempted. Therefore few comparativejudgments have been undertaken.

Methods and practices in general administration, in accounting, in.statistical recording, in personnel classificatio+ and managenllnt, in.educational progr&ms, and in control and guida,nce of boys all differ-;so radically that lher.e is grave danger oj! erroneous conclusions- if -l

1. srAruroRY PRovrsro"S"g8lffolll*" ESrABLrsrrMENr AND

. Throughou! the 48 States there is no uniformity in the iu;". golrer+-ing the operation of institutions for juvenile delinquents. So far as rsknown, no attempt has been made to discover what provisions haveseemed to work out, most effectively. Opinions on the subject arereadily offered, but painstaking accumulation and analysis of factualdata in support of these opinions are not forthcoming. No group hasattempted to formulate the essential principles which should bein-corporated in legislation of this character for ihe guidance of citizenswho may wish to scrutinize the laws designed to rneet this govern-mental fesponsibilitv in their own States.

The firsf legal enictments for the establishment of the five institu-tions especially studied were made in 1850 (New York), 1855 (Michi-gan), 1857 (Ohio), 1865 (New Jersey), and 1889 (California). Thestatutes have been amended from time to time as described in thepreceding chapters. Some of the amendments reflect the changingconcepts as to how reformation me.y be effected and reveal thegrowlirg emphasis on training and 6ducation in that connection.Similarities and differences in the regulations governing administra-tive control, types of commitment, iele&ses, and discharges will bediscussed in subsequent sections of this chapter.

212


2L3RECAPITUT'ATION AND COMMENTS

2. TIIE PHYSICAL PLANTLocat ion

These institutions differ considerably with respect to location. Oneir i"-thu *iatt of a residential area*in the Siate capital. One isi--raiutely adjacent to a college torrn with,.? pop'gla.ti9o 9f about'1S,OOO, quiie close to a city of more than a million inhabitants. The;;hfi'aie in rural districls, with varying degrees of accessibility to;iti; offering good shop_ping and amusement clnters, educational andcultural res6ulces, and opportunities for diverse social contacts-.||;; suffered froin extrem'e isolation. All were reache-d by -goodpuved hiqhways. All were served by bus, trolley, or railroad lines,ittnouutt"r"toi.r on these lines was not always fiequent enough forreal co"nvenience in relation to needs.- -

iocation is important for several leasons. Qinc-e the primaryDurpose of institutional treatment is to prepare the boys for return[o

-.'o-*"oiiy life, it would seem that tb.y. shou]d not be removed

.o-pi.i.lv fiorn community contacts duiing_ tbg -trailing p.!ri.o$,The^more isolated the institution the more artificial its life inevitablyb;;;;t, with consequent diffi.culties of reorientation for the boy ,onhis retu.tt to the community. In many of the institutions genelPllyiegarded as progressive a distinct tren'd toward seeking to establish;;";;i-.o-iiofiity contacts for boys under care iF p.ttuptible.Normal contacts'for city-bred boys, *ho colstitute a heavy propor-tion of the institutional population, mean urban contacts- 'I'hrs rs aaih."it- p"ttt"-

""a.t

'any circumstanceq. It becomes qract'ically

impossible when the g_roui, - is of necessity, by le&son ,9j Physicatremoteness, out of touch with any_organized co-mmuntty lrle.- --o"

the oiher hand, a city site 6fier-s certain di:oadvantages'. - PtgP-

".# -"t be too

"orily to'warrant its use for the very colsiderablo

rprL*, #th ample playgrounds and athletic fields, which- is indispef s-uiG.

' S"tn a locatiott itto robs a campus of the d6gree of privacy that

is desirable for wholesome, unself-conscious movement and .pt?yurti"itv. No matter how irinocuous & name may be given-the insti-i.,iio""u"d-no-mutterhow completely it may 6e shdrn of-outward;;ia;""* of restraint, such as fences, bars, anh posted guards, to theseneral public it remains a custodial and training center for youngflelinquents. A Iarge part of that public continues to regard the boysmovirig about its camius &s objects of somewhat curious interest' aP;;;;[;;

-diff."unt fr6m boys over who4 _the mag]c .compitrnent

;6;;; huv" not been *"v"d, thus deplorably intenJifyqg the boys'i*iid that, they are set_ ap-art. A_rriral, of at Ieast suburban, site*oUa" seem to be more likêly to ofier aniple sp-ace' co-upled w"ith arruro"ulle degree of privacyi thao a site in tfre neait of a. gity- -. E*tit strould be ieadily ?ccessiSle in order that contacts with suit,able;;;;iattroup* -uy"be develope_d, to give the !9yg. a sense of belong-i"E il ili; ;^;^*iity and a f-eeliirg oT responsibility for contributingtoihe qood character of its life and its reputation.--

lrot*?i* nû* also some significance ii. relation to st,aff moral'e'Emplove", o..d u .roiûl soc"ial life. Friendly associations outsidetn"'i"itiiutional circle are helpful in achieving and maintainingr-otio"ul balance and a rational attitude toward- the probl-ems thatr""rlr"tiv uii"" in connection with the guidance, control, and training;f

-bgyg. -"WUot"rome amusements of diverse kinds, entirely devoid of

i".tit"tionul flavor, may be highly tonic in effecf. Ambitious and


2T4 FIVE STATE TNSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

able staff members who take advantage of opportunities for educa-ffi;ri-oi cultural advancement in nearby uiban centers supply Ai--t""-ft" leaven in any institutional group._ Extreme isolation maq;;[; it aim".ttt to odtain and to keep hfuh'grade-personnel, one of*nor. greatest assets is a desire to keei abieast o-f tliq fimps, to avoid;ilkilg-i"to a'rut, no matter how smooth and comfortable the traveling

':'within the rut.Another penalty attendant upon inaccel*ibility-is the relative infre-

""."J"'*itil"*ni;fr the instituiion may obtain the ad-viso{ services

;i;;p".ttr i" diygrs special fields ranging {fgry animal }1r1pgdl{^},9 :surgery or psychiatry.- Moreover,, ai institution remote from,well-',

"of"tritua ieitetr

"na from much-traveled highways is likely to,,

i"#;ffi;k;;;;- u"a-""upp';;i;t'd bi; 1u1g"" proport'ion of the ipnUtir. Yet an intelligent irnderslqodlog of its aims,.its Program, ,["a-itr need.s on the p;t of a considerabl-enumbel.of t{e siti?ens of jand. ftS need.S On tne p&ft OI A COnSlo.efADre Ilulnuel' uL utle urulz€rlli t ri

t5" Si"t"-ttttgni notaLty afiect, its progress in two directions, fi1st, in:that more sripport migtrg be forthboming when fyndq are needgd to'i11"r"u"u or irifro'ye iristitutional facilities or to develop new phases.:of tt. guidan6e and training program; second,. that.ryu_ch greatercooneration miEht be had in the communities in whtch boys rIUSt':*"f" their soc'ial and economic adjustments on release from the

AcreageAII five institutions owned farm lands in

occupied by the ca,mpus buildings, lawns,athlelic fieids. The following figures giverespective land utilization in relation to the

rnstrtutron.

Galifornia--Michiean---lYew J-ersey-

sw York--- -

addition to the acreag€roads, 4rl-aygrounds, 3,n{,

som6 ldea as to theirboy population:

Acreaoe userJ for buildings and, grounds, athletic fi,elils, and cultiuation, and numberof boys per acre in 5 State institutions lor delinquents

Acreage used for- Boys I per acre of landused for-

Buildingsand groundsand athletic

fields

Cultivation

Buildingsand groundsand athletic

fields

Cultivation

IrIswOhio

48191r50r06135

r Based on institution population: California, Nov. 9, l93l; Michigan, Mar. 2t,1932; New Jersey, Mar.3, ,:1932; New York, Mar. N,7932; Ohio, Mar. 14, 1932.

As has been shown in the previous chapters,,_the,remaining-a.cres'in some cases were meadow, pasture, or woodland. In MichigaU,''r r l D v l t r u v @ p v L " " : : - " ^ - -

- ' - - - - - - D - ; -

466 acres were use$ by oth.er State agencies. {o 1.ttgmpt yaq ta$:,,to obtain information"on differences In soil productiVity. Such da!a',ur^rrlrl ho 'r"anrrirad if qnrr affnrf, worc ms.dc ?.o comnn.rp. the available',1would be required if any effort were_ made to compare the available 'land in termi of actual uiefulness, either for mainteiance or for train.,*'oing purposes.

r78331589652502

I I | .R ULl I UUDt iD.^ t

rn generar, rt mey be said that three considerations are of prime"imporTance in makinE any estimate as to the suitabilitv of a tract otp"r-t"ti.L iit ;;kiitg u"y gqti*-ate as to the s.uj.tq,bilitY !f a, trict o{rmportance ln maKmg a,ny estrmate as [o tne surtaDully or a [r&cL urlanld for an institutidn of this character, in addition tb its location,,Anv such ttactshould afford ample space for attractive and convenientbuiiding sites for all the units^ essdntial to a well-rounded training


ITECAPITULATION AND COMMENTS 215

prograrn for a maximunr ant ic ipated boy populat ion. A plent i fullup-plv of Eood u'ater should be available, irnil there should be enoughfeitilti fann land to carrv on an agrieultttral program that will offeruseful training to boys from rural u"reas o. to oiheis interested in farmoperations anii that'ivill make a reasonable return in farm products forIabor espended.

The institution dietarv will be greatlv improved by such fresh vege-tables and frui ts as canbe prodrf ted. "Moit inst i tui ional budgets donot permit the purchase of as much fresh market produce as is desir-able'in the liglit of present-da1' knotledge of fo-od r-alues and foodneeds for groi-ing young persons. S'hen the soil is poor, costs riserapidlv, and too much boylabor is consumed for the food-produced.

^f faim of low-grade soil constitutes a poor laboratory for agricul-tural training. [{ost institntions for delinquent- boys regard agli-cultural worli of various kinds as a type of vocational training. Itis therefore short-sighted econorny that establishes a .permanenthandicap to the training activities in order to effect an initial savingin investment in capital assets.Buildings and equipment

In this study much more emphasis was placed on program than onplant and equipment. Inspection of buildings l l 'as someu'hat-cursor.r,'and

no surr-ey'of equipment lry persons technically informed in thatfield was und"ertakei. Hower-er', certain cornments seem permissibleon the basis of observations made by the field u-orkers and the remarksmade by stafi members with whom they talked.

It eoes without sayins that an institution will find it easier to func-tion Eflectively rvhen iG buildings and equipment are adcqu-ate andare fully adapted to the u'ork thaiis to be done. That means thought-ful plairning by the members of the administrative staff who mostthoroughly"understand the true objectives of institutional treatmentand thE t r ie thods r r rost l ike\ - to resul t in progress togard the at ta in-ment of those object ives. I ianv inst i t u t ions occqPY bui ld ings ereetedat var ious t inres dur inq the past '5O or 60 vears. Sbme have had fundsfor considerable new c"onstr t rc t ion dur ingthe past decade, o lhers havebeen able to make plant improvements-by remodeling old sb-ructures,and still others have been able to make very few changes for manyYears." \Yhen old buildinss must be utilized for new activities, careful studyof the enlareed prosi'am in reiation to all facilities available will some-times reveaithe poisibil i ty of rearrangement that wil l make for muchEreater efficiencv. Custom, traditioi, and the preferences of prir-i-iesed. old-tirne e"mnlovees should not be permitted to stand in the u'ayof"pei fcct ing the best possib le locat ion of act iv i t ies in re lat ion to needsof the training program.

When new"bilitd-inss ale authorized, it is of vit,al importance thatDersons v'ho knorv exictlY $-hat activities are to be carried on in themihal l out l ine the p lans.

" , \ rch i tects and bui lders rare ly know enough

about the pro iect t 'd uses of inst i tu t ional s t ructures to be able to designacceptable f lobr . p lans unl t ss the.r ' consul t the proper s t_af f .members ateyery step. . \n archi tect u-ho-has done considerable inst i tu t ionalbuildine }ias stated this need in the follo'wing words:

The architect * * * is helpless without the technical advice based onvears of experience which necessarily must come from the technician rvho so ablyhaudles ilriS problern throughout oui countr;,'. It is only when a happy correlatiou


2T6 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR, DELINQUENT BoYS

:l*T* two fields is properly expressed that a successful institution can be exe-

. Any properly trained_ architect can take the requests of a properly trained super-intendent and clothe them in architecture which suits the palticular localit'; inq'hich the insl i tut ion is to be bui l t . t

Expenditrres merely for making the institution a show place areinexerrsable. Srreh ostentat ion does the bovs no eood and wastesmonc.r that should go into p_roviding useful structuies and adequatefurniture and equipment,. On tbe other hand,, some attentio! mayu.ell be devoted io makinq sure that all decoraiions are in Eood tasteand devoid of drabness, that the buildinss arewell DroDort"ioned. andand devoid of drabness. ings a-rewell proportioned, andthat they are so plaeed as to make for gen--eral attraciiveness as well asconvenience. Satisfaction in belonging to a sehool group possessedof a goodJooking campus can be mide*an asset in thd reeducation ofboys; and the cul t ivat ion of a taste for beauty, forbalance. forEenuinequality in material things, gqy u-elt be a step foru-ard in prep"arationfor successf rrl independent livihg.Administrative offices

_ Very.little. comment is needed on the subject of office space.Recognitiorr is being given in greater and greater degree to the con-tribution that can be made to t[e effectivendss of a treitment programthrough the introdu-ction of modern business methods into the opera-tive maehinery. That need was probably first recognized cleaily inconnection u'ith the business management of the institution, "but,more important in its results, the eslablishment of a scientific case-record system is -rapjdly becoming an indispensable item in the treat-ment program of all progressive

-institutions. Attention to business

methods leads also to fealization that it is. necessary to provide, sofar,as is possible, sufficient office space for doing the work comfortablvand conveniently. Liq^ht and ventilation arelmportant problems iirconnection rvith anr- office arrangement.- office equipment-is of conside6ble importance to the smooth func-

tioning of the program. AII modern aids that will definitely contributeto the making and keeping of records rvhich have a diredt usefulnessrn the treatment program should be provided. This does not meanthat a great deal of money should be spent on expensive equipment.It does mean that some t[ought must be given to'the office iretas anathat some person on the staff should be in"terested in keepins-advisedof nelr- developments in office equipment and supplies so'that advan_tage may be taken of new devices,-partic'larly any tnat will simplifyprocesses.Boys' residence quarters

All these institutions were described to the field,agents as being ofthe so-called "cottage plan." To some extent tne?e seemea to"neuncertarnty qs to just what should be properly called a cottage.fteuO,engg units ranged jn.size_from those qciomirodating 16 or 17bovs to those ac-commo.dqlqg 75 or more. In generar, ihe-re s-eems tobe justification for the belief"that c-ottage units-shouki ir;il;;-tiilgarrangements for not more than 2s to 50 bovs. and foi stil l fewcr if

rrs snoulo provrde lrYrngys, and_foi still fewer.iT

be ;ustrhcatron lor the belief that cotta.Ee uniarrangements for not more than 2b to 50 bo.plans cal be worked out for operating en"n'.rrrailer-;"G-;ith';reasonable degree of economy.. l l lopkin:s, leDy P.: Built l iDg-Design_and Its Relation to Effcient Institutional operation. procer,l-ings oI tb€ National Conference ofJuve-nile -tgencles, ig3:, pitai.

t


RECAPITUI/ATION AND COI{MENTS 217

In four of these institutions the residence units for bor-s u-ere truilton the dormitorv plan. At the fifth (the \\-hittier State'Schooi.r, fourcottaEes contained sinEle rooms and one new cottaEe contained halfdormitory and half single-room sleeping arrangeients. In othe'rState institutions for delinauents that have been visited bv reuresent-atives of the Children's Bureau the dormitory arrangembnt prevailsalmost exclusivelv. There is some division of oninion as to u.hetheror not this is entirely necessary or desirable.' It sirnplifies nightsuperr-ision, but there is some quest'ion rvhether that is as necessa yas has sometimes been believed. Some rvorkers exnressed the beliefthat it would be well to have at least, one cottage-containing singlerooms at each institution, this cottage to be used as a residence forboys preparing for release on parole. It would provide for them atransition period from the supervised dormitory to a more prir-atebedroom comparable to what they would have rvhen they left theinstitution.

For the most part,, in institutions of this kind, considerable attentionis norv paid to provision of sufficient sanitary facilities for comfort,convenience, and the promotion of proper standards of personalhygiene. These facilities of course vary in type and arrangement;no particular investigation of this equipment, was undertaken in con-nection with this studv.

Each individual residence unit in an institution of the l<ind underconsideration needs sufficient livins-room or recreation-room sDace sothat an approximation of home life may be enjoyed by the bo;-s rvhenweather conditions do not permit them to spend their free time outof doors. In these particular institutions there was considerabtevariation in the type bf living room provided. They ranged all theway from the rather bare, stiff, and formally arranged room, with itspolished floors and with the chairs set in rows about the tables, tothe comfortabty and attractively furnished living room with colorfuldecorations, such as might be found in any moderately well furnishedhome. It is believed that fvins rooms in institutions of this kindshould be conducive to the informal free-time activities that any bigfamily of boys might enjoy in their own family home. Inexpensivebut comforlable furniture, pleasing decorations, and plenty of lightand ventilation are essential for this phase of the cottage life. Theright kind of living-room atmosphere, with which the actual roomitself and its furnishings have much to do, can be very helpful inbuilding up an appreciation of good standards in family life.Stafr residence quarters

Sometimes too little attention is paid to making stafr memberscomfortable and happy through the prbvision of goodluarters. Thesedo not necessitate extravagant expenditures. Itis, however, essentialthat some attention be given to this phase of institutional manage-ment, and such attention will bear fruit in increased efficiency on thepart irf the personnel. Often it is necessary for institutional-workersto be on duty for long hours and for long periods without leaving theinstitution. Familiarity with human psychology compels recognitionof the fact that service of this nature produces a certain amount ofnervous tension and consequent fatigue. Opportunities for privacyand for physical comfort in off-duty hours help to relieve the tensionand to ofrset the fatigue.


2L8 FrvE srATE lNsrrrurroNs FoR DET,TNQUENT BoYs

The farther away an institution is from an organized communitythat offers. opportunity

"for social life and entertainment, the more

neeessary is provision of recreation or club rooms for staff members,so that"they may build up e community social life of their_oYn,serrarate and distinct from any connection with the boy life of the in-stilution. In other words, they need sorne place where they can enjoya change from the surrouirdings that, create the work atmosphere forthem.Dining-room and kitchen facilities

In these five institutions, as well as in other State institutions that ,have come under observafion, the most common place fo-r serving'have come under observation, the most common place fo-r serving'meals is a central dining l:oom to which the members of all'cottageooiir'rorn.. In the NewYork school each cottage had its own kitche4 ,,and dinins.rgqpj however, and in tle Mig|riganbng fo9{*.ul311q?:?1 .iin a centrlt kitchen but taken to the cotta[es and served.in cottagg.;dining roorrls. The Ohio institution \a_d two centjal dini+S l9om.s,':!one f6r the younger and one for tbe older boys. The instifution inrCaliforniu *Lr th"e only one which had adopted the cafeteria style of ;setoing. Members of

-the staff_were quite erlthusiastic- abguj it a.1d=

be[ev6d it to be particularly effi.cient i,nd satisfactory, both fro.m thgrbe[eved rt to be partrcularly efiiclent a,no saurslaclory, DoIII Irr

;;ilt "i "i"*

;i -th.

boyr tL.m*lves and from the "pbint of view ofj

the rnanagement.The diiing rooms and the dining-room equipment at these insti-,

tutions sho#ed considerable varialiotr. Some were very cheerful,attractive rooms, others rather drab and bare. Benches instead ofchairs and aluminum ware rnstead of china at one institution tendedgreatly to emphasize the institutional character of this phase of thebovs ' l i fe .'fhe central kitchens were for the most part supplied with modernequipment and with mechanical labor-saving deviies of various kindsfor preparing the food and washing the dishes. Certainly it is desir-able that suih labor-saving devices be installed that the boys' timewhich might be better empftyed in specific educational and vocationalactivities"is not required-foi routine kitchen and dining-room work.

Chapel and assembly hal l

Every institution needs some general meeting P_l_ac^e large.enoughto seat ihe entire boy population-and the staff. All fi.ve institutionshad assembly halls, aird some of them had separate chapels {ol religiousservic.es. In every large group of this kind will be fgund b_oys_withtalent for music oi some form bf dramatic art,. It is desirable, there-ioi" tn"t the institution have an &ssembly hall u'ith a stage so arrangedthat good concerts, also plays and oiher entertainments, can bepresented conveniently.Hospital

Ho-spitals fairly a.dequate^to meet the needs of. the FoJ* wereJ.q*lHosprtals larrly a,dequate to meet, tne needs or- [ne Do-ys wer(at all ihere institutiofs. Some were fully equipped for practigallynll kinds of medical work. includinE maior sursery. No generalall kinds of medical work, including major surgery.renrrirements e,an be laid down for hospital nlant or e(

generalreq,.,ire*e+!s can be,tajd 4,i*+ forJrdspitai plant 91 po"inment. Il 'requrrements can De lald cLown lor nosprtar pra,nl oI eqrupulellu. IU ]mav be said that eachinstitution of this kinil should have a separate,lmalr be sard that each rnstrtutron ot thrs lilnd snoulcL na,ve & sopB,r&re;.,1hospitat

"ptb enough space to give first-class care,in all cases of acute :

illness, to isolate con-taglous or infectious c.a,sesr and to ca-rl{ oo corroc-it#J,ffi ;-T;;'i'i-".il"';'"i;iiHFl,niliil?'#'Ll"aT#i"-au=t*ti'r:An instiTution nea,r a city-that has high-clals hospital facilities which


IiECAPITUIJATION AND COMMENTS 2r9

may be used at reasonable cost for certain major operat'ive casesmay find that, preferable to equipprng the institutional hospitai forsuch work. The facilities must be available; but each institutionmust, determine for itself the best and most economical method bvwhich the service may be provided.School building

Verv considerable variation rvas found in the types of school build-ings aird equipment at, these various institutions."

-In some the school

buildine was the conventional plant most common in public-schoolarchite6t'ure in this country. In others the school building combinedclassrooms, shops, and space for extracurricular activities of variouskinds rvhich were ciosely affili216d with the more strictly educationalwork.

The variation seemed greater in equipment than in the buildingsthemseh.es. Some classrooms were found equipped with the oid-stylefixed desks;some hadmuchmore modern desks butnevertheless thefixedtype; and others were so progressive as to have no fixed desks, thoclassrooms being equipped with tables and chairs and other movablefurniture. There rvas considerable difference in the amount of equip-ment for visual aids to education. These items r,vill be dealt with inmore det,ail in the section on the educational program (p.25a).

The instructors in the schools which had discarded the conventionalfixed deshs w-ere enthusiastic about the tvpe of work which was encour-aged by maintenance of a less formii classroon atmosphere. Itwould seem that the general tren<l in education is toward the elimina-tion of the old formal mass instruction, and that this is inevitablyreflected in the type of equipment considered desirable.Shops

Very often in years past the shops at, institutions of this descriptionhave been set up with a vieu' to carrying on certain types of mainte-nance work for the institution, the vocational-training aspects beinggiven secondary rather than primary emphasis. In many institutionithat attitude is now giving way to the desire and the intent to makeall the industrial shops genuine training centers. In some of theinstitutions visited new shops had been built or were beins built v'iththat, purpose definitely in mind. Any detailed discussjon 6f this tech-nical subject, horn'ever, would be of value only if presented by personsthoroughiy familiar with vocational training and shop manaeement.It is su-fficient, to say here that any institution which pretends"to givevocational training should devote careful attention {o planning andequipping itqlhops so that, they can give a kind of trainiig worihy ofthe name. This will mean that they should resemble a- closely aspossible the shops u'ith high standardi of working conditions in whichboys may seek employment when they go from the institution to thecommunity. That in turn postulates tools and machines that arecurrently in use in the commercial andindustrial world, so that a boy'sprev.ocational training is not in the use of antiquated tools andmacnrnery.

There are bound to be certain institutional services midwav be-tween maintenance labor and industrial training; for exaniple, thogreat central laundries, the central heating plants, and the likirries.In all these it seems logical that, as much modern labor-saving machin-ery as possible shouldbe provided in order that the boys inay gir,'emore time to the trainins than to the work asDects of these activities.

76870-il i-15


220 FIvE sTATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BoYS

Farm buildings

It seems to be seneral practice for institutions of this kind to carryon rather extensir,re farmbperations, even thoueh these are not defi-n i te l .v for r -oent ional - t ra in ing purposes. There is no doubt that one ofthe primar-v reasons for large-scale agricultural operatrons is to producefood for institutional consumption. \Vhen hours are reasonable andprograms are laid out with a vierr to training, participation by tirebovs in these actir.ities is in no sense undesiiable. However,-farmbuildings and. equiptnent_ should be such as to make it possible toerlphasize training with the several tvpes of agriculturel u,ork and togi\-e the boys a

-thorouEh acouaintance witii moclern asricrrlturalgive the boys a thorough acquaintance with modern agricultural

methods and machinerv. Labor-sa,r-inq machinerv is hir"hlv desirnhlpmethods and machinerv. Labor-saving machinery is highly desirableso that the boys nra;r have enough time for the itudy which shouldaccompany all-agricultural rvork it it is to serve its true purpose oveland above mere production.Gymnasium and athletic field

Gyrnnasium facilities at these institutions ranged all the u'ay fronie of the general assemblv hall for Eymnasium classes to the elaborat,euse of the general assembl5' hall for gymnasium classes to the ela

and very completely equipped field house at the MichiEan rand very c-ompletely eqdipped fiel-d house at the Michigan schooJIt is generally agreed thit eierv trainins school for bovs olthese oE.'

field house at the Mrtraining school for bo1,'or bothindoor and ou

and very completelv equiIt is gen"erally irgreed thatIt is ge,nera.l ly agreed that every training school for bo1 s of these agcshas a definite need for facilities for botliindoor and outdoor athlet-icsand sports. The size and the character of the buildins need to bedetermined through a thorough analysis of the exact usis .w-hich canbe_made ofit wit[ greatest benefit to the r,r.hole school population.

Inasmuch as an active sports prosram is a desirable fealure for ever.r-;titution of this character, there E need for an athletic field nrooerli-institution of this character. there i"s for an,athletic field properlr

laid. out and arranged for the r.arious t; 'pes of seasonal games. 1;addition it is hishly desirable that each 6ottaee srouD hive a nlar--addition it is highl.v able that each cot tage group hale a p lay-ground. of its own, sufficieltly large to permit fractice by cowageteams in addition to general free play.

3. PLANT VALUATION AND OPERATING EXPENSE

The plant valuations as supplied by these five institutions totalctl$7 ,529,2.32. _ No one plant u as valued at less than $ 1,000,000. As hasbeen pointed out in the preceding chapters, these valuations reD.esentalmost s'ithout exceptiirn the total expenditures by the incliviclurrlStates for lands, buildings, improvements, and equip"ment. They rl,,not repressnt a clrrent appraisal of. lands, improvements, or equilr-ment. In some instances an appraisal on buildings and equiprnenrrn ight haye been procrr red f rom i l re ' r -n lur t ion p lac*et l on thosc ' i ter r , -by the insurance underrvriters. Hor-ever, it il.as not deerned s,{ri-c ient ly . meaninglu l for purposes of th is lepor t to seel ; any f igr r r , , , -beyond such as are currentljr carried on the books of the instititi.'as "valuation." These figures have a certain significance as indicrrt-ing the investment uhic l r the var ious Siates l r r 've mnde in n l rvs i t . , , lproperties for use in their treatment of delinquent, bovs. The"ir i,.r-vestments vary decicledly, some States having a much ieavier inr-est-ment per boy uncler care than others. lt ivoulcl require intensir-eresearch in this field to arrive at any trustworthy basis fbr establishinsa fair minimum of investment from w-hich reasonable results coulcl lree-xpected. \{oreover, it is doubtful whether any such minimum coul,lb_e set up. . Results of. treatment are largely dependent on other factorsthan physical properties, although thesdaffectihe rvork to some extent


RECAPITUI,ATION AND COMMENTS 22I

since a rightly desQ:ned progran can function yery much more effi-ciently with proper material aids.

The item of operating e\pense cannot be asserted to be strictlycomparable among these five institutions. There is iittle or no uni-formity in accounting methocls. Expense items are classificd underdiffe.rent headines and in diflerent subtotals at the several schools.So far as possibli in tlfs report the operating expense for each insti-tution r'as calculated from the actual expenclitures for s:rlaries, main-tenanee ancl supplies, and replacement of equiprnent. Sums.for new'equipment or for additional impro.r'ements were not inclucled as oper'-ating expense rvhere it r-as possitrle to eliminate them without too,prolonged review of itemizecl accounts.

At the se;l-eral institutions there was variation in accounting rrr.ac-l ice u i t l r referenec to t l re ra l r re of food products produced nr id-"on- .sumed at the institution. So far as possible the itern charged on sorneof the hrooks for goods produced and consumed rvas subtraCted in orderthat actual expenditules for operating might be comparable. How-rna[ ac[uar expenc[lu}es Ior operatrng mrgnt De cornparable. How-er-er, in l{ichigan the products of the farm rvere recorcled as purchases,s or r,lre r&r'rn rvere recol(teo as pulcnasest

hases se re i nc lude r I i n t ] r e t o t l i e rnend i -rp l i es i n such a uay t l r t t t hey cou id no t

bv the school. and theseDY LrIe SoIlOOt, anct [llese purclture for maintenance and supture for maintenance and supplies in such a way that they could notbe eliminated without a complete review of the accounts.

Although the figures are not comparable and no far-reaching conclu-sions are possible, it is nevertheless interesting to examine the arstulls ilru pu$$rure, ru rs rtcveI'Lleless lllLe|esLr[g L() exalllll].e l,ne alelageper eapita cost (cost pqr bgy) and the proportlon of the total expendl-tures used for salaries in these five schooli:

Percent oftota.l expend-iture used for

salaries

49

456046

In practical consiclerations this per capita, cost oftcn looms r-ervla lge . I n t l r e f i g l r t f o r r t l equ r r t e S t r r t e rpp rop r i a t i ons t l r e r l c rnons t ra " -tion of n lon- per capita cost seerns in sorne placcs to bc considered atell ing argument in behalf of support. Suih rrn rrtt itutle seerns toirrri. icat,e lack of appreciation of an institution's objectives. That is,rn institution stmpJgiine to clo good work with too liiiritecl funrls shouicll r e ah le t o ob tu in be l t c r s r rppo r t f i n rnc ia l l v b t - s l r o r v i r rg l r o r v i r nuoss ib l ci t i s t o r l o t i r e t l r i ngs t l r a t ' nce t l t o be donc i v i l l r t l r c l i n i i r e t l f i nunc iu lallo* ances.. , I iar greater emphasis on the human aspects of the u-ori<,antl _less pride in nater.ial economies that cripple human eflort arehighly desirable ancl sho,ld be productive of reJults under tactful antlvigorous lea,rlership.

There u-ould seem to be in this, as in all other rnatters, a clesirlblernoderate course bctween niggtrrtiliness and extravaganc.e. By nig-gnrdliness is meant_the refusal to allor.v enough morrey not orrly io gii:egood physical care but also to maintain a hie-h standar.d of c,iucatiSnalarrd vocational rvorli and to have the best possible trained ieadershipaud guidance. By extravagance is meant ipending too rnuch ruorrey


222 FrVE STATE INSTITIITIoNS rOR DELINQUENT BOYS

on matters for external show or indulging in a great deal of experimenration that,;;;1t*[ Ur irrrtified !'y fracticil results.--As;i"

ii -iltb"-ua-itt"{"t\at in tbis^study qo.attempt has Imad."e to determine what might be a reasonable minimum -expend'imade to determine what, might be a reasonable mrnrmum expendrtul(

in an institution of this kind. N" g.neral mihimum couldbe estab:

ii;ffiwhic[ *o"ta be applicable iri all parts o,f t{re country andi"Jit"ti""r

"t d,ifiering q1z6, .. Material costs and s,alyr.ryu.l,".f,."gl

institut'ions.

4. ADMINISTBATIVE


CONTROL, STAFF ORGANIZATIdN, ANDPERSONNEL

Throuehout the various States administrativecontrol of institutioto" juvefilo delinquents ass_umes a great,.variety of ,forrns. Evenin" f*" i"Stit"iiohr studied, no tq6 had exaclly lhe salne formCont-t. Alt fio" *.". undei the ultimate supervision of the direoeither of a State public-welfare departm-ent, or of a State deqartTetnarticularlv conc6tned with institritional management. As has betA;;;"ib.d i" ilt previous chapters, these vario-rm State $epartmed*"fg differently oiganized as tb personqel,,poyers,.and. duties.

The outhot 6f a"study of -trarl{g schgols for gful?. i+ .thg.9ryStater i;i;i-"b;"t t,*oinirds of ttie gg State-controlled institutio

"t,rdi"d administered by some central systom, a+d reached t

conclusion that there liat " a definite trend toward some form of

"""tiufi"La ;;;it;f fo; Siut" i""litotiont.' This has certaip advanij

"iutl "th;;d-*"itot in the hands of wel-trained and experienced

irofessio_nal dxecutives who -can ofier much guida:rce. and supp9rt ip

iug"r. It:maies for more economic-al operatio-o. .It makes i! nossiblQ6-r*t

"p-""ifot* tt""auta" i9"-1t tyi,t" of institutionp. ff, should

t[;;;A;;-;;;i of o.os...ti". ptogtumt. fhu ditudvantage- bf such:control Liei in the fâctihat th6 citizens of a State may permit thisimportant, authority to be placed_in the hands of individuah,Y\o*9jq,i-"[nt"ti";;;il[ti;; rdinu" than professional and who will inject,fofitical eonsideraiions into the_appointment aqd remova] of institu-.:tion personnel. This need not happeqiq any State in which even Q.;minoiity group is ready to proteslfublicly and vigoloqsly tFe use,of ,.public-welfare machinery to supply rewards for pohtrcal wor\ers who:fo not have proper trairiing u,ndêiperience for the jobs to rvhich they.i:s,re appointed.

Thiee of these five institutions-California, Michig&n,- an{ Ohio--:'had no loeal boards. The California institution had two local persons,tdesignated as trustees, but they wer'e trustees in^name g+ly, perform-;rrrg no servlce for the'institution at, the time _of. the visit. .fn 1933"hofoever, through administrative action an advjsory committee \raj.ereated d,nd is'n-ow functioning at this school. (See p. 12.) Âlthough'the institutions in New Jerse! and New York were under Statp co4.-;trol, each had in addition a-local board that was activo and !ook,.inteiest in the work being done. The management at both of thes-Qinstitutioqs felt that the l-ocal board was a distinct aid in many walst

Members of a supll.gpental,loca.l board who,thoroughly understan.dan institution's aciiiities and objectives might provide a good link.

r Reeves, Margaret: Training Schools for Delinqueut Girls, p. 49. Russell Sage tr'oundation, NYork, 1929.


RECAPITUITATION AND COMN{ENTS 223

bet*'een the institution and the public. Such board memberscouldrender genuine service in connedtion \\'ith winning popular suppomfor more adequate appropriations to calrlr on a, progressive program.The contribution l-hich zuch a local board nrnkei will depend on selr-eral things-the caliber of persons appointed to its membership, theEenuineness of their interest in the it orli, the care taken and iheingenuity exercised by the institution management in preparing {grth"e boaril such subject matter as w-ill best utilize its selviics and enableits members to mai<e real contributions in the rvav of advice ol' evcnof personal service in connection with committees appointed fol sltecialpuiposes. \Yithout this close friendly u'orking relation betl-een theIocal board and the management of the institution undel its control,a local board may become simply an automatic rubbcr-starnp organi-zation-or undei some circumitances it mat' become an obstructir-eforce. On the whole, it is believed that a gbod local board, rvorl<ingin harmony with an institution superintendent who provides a' pro-sram for iervices rhich the members are rvell able to render, canappreciably furtlier the attainment of an institution's objectives.^

So far ai relation 'w.ith State departments or other State agen-ciesthat do not have a direct supervis-ory po\yer $-ere concernecl, a closeadvisorv contact was found-ui th such agencics uorking in var iousfields.

'In many States there is doubtleis much room for further

delelopment of iuch cooperat ive relat ions. \ lany State agencies arein a position to render service of great value to an institution of thischaricter and would be Elad to do so if their aid were sought. Stateuniversities and their eitension courses might be utilized, it s'ouldseem, to a much greater degree than is now the case. IIome-econom-ics departments-could give valuable suggestions if consulted withr"go.d to institutional foid problems and*t-he preparation of balancedm6nus in institutions that do not employ trained dietitians. ManyState library-extension services would be glad to cooperate withinstitutions of this character and might be able to help in improvingthe character and the quantity of reading matter available and theuses made of it. Relatively few institutio-ns in this country are ableto employ the services.of a trained Iibrarian u'ho keeps abreast of allthe latest developments in this fleld. These are merely samples ofthe varied resouries which would be available for cooperative servicoin other State administrative groups.Personnel: Number antl duties

The number of employees in relation to the number of boys variesconsiderably among the State institutions. In the five schoolsincluded in the present study the number of boys per employee wasapproximatelv as follows: California and New Yorli, 3; New Jerse5', 4;Milhigan,6;-and Ohio,8. No specific ratio is knou'n to have beendetermined as the minimum belorv rvhich personnel should not drop.In the study of training schoois for delinqucni giris that has beenmentioned, it rvas reported that approximately one-fourth of 57 schoolsstudied had more than 4 girls pcr employee brit not rnore than 5, andabout one-fifth had more than 7 but not more than 10. Thc ar.'eragenumber of girls per worher rvas 5.5.3 The number of employees u-illbe determinld partly by the extent to x'hich the institution is expectedto be self-sustaininE.

I Ibid:r p. 69.


'224FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEIJINQUENT BOYS

Personnel: salaries

several points are impotrtll!, in consldering,tlt" number of emnloYees :

x:i:i*i#,'J*r,ffi ;Tf ql'tlil1.T;'l#;H"f; TTlil*r;;i*$:'=fiuqx|!".hllr"-iJ 'oo hmted i+ il;^'p."''""*r ro' rhe numb6r of bgvt.:illil,";#;, irii^p]qi..J, *,rih;; i;;-ft;" oo durv without needed "time for complete rtilaxation ;d i;;-g"ill"* awav"from their jobs' '

Many or rhem "r'" ;ii:l h;; ;-;i'J1tf5"'gL:1"**l*:l::*,,H*t o:,;trme ror corrrPt"^T^'"-:'1ff';;; f d,rli.. which will be';iVi""t

"t thtfit also will haye a multiplicity o

t iii,ii'iifi;A#i"'i"s lt tt'i ;;I;;i-ild p"trvqical enelgf required to"3il';;;h;iJ.f."tively i. .'p.oiJa.

*nu"ffily the ffii:1";'of epch i

su ch indi vi d u "l ;#li lilli i ;t ""J hi; ;; .h.;,r g siu ie .-'u*. lT:: P:l't'*i

;il"*'f'fr'IlXlli""rarso mea_n #;;;il; *f# *".t be deprived or the.tservices of persons p eculia'I)l fii;;-dli'i 'p di"I-qf-:lgi t^l*"tional :or guidan". *oit lf ;hi;h ih;'i"ditia;ul'6oyt siand in exceptional'l;;a?.------ :-- ^,^^^:r--:-

rir ' i l

As State institutions follow no uniform pattern in classifying Tt];,jd;;;'iffi ;&;ibi;+!L!!,*|,q3.:11":*'l*l:"::,1-?:,*:"""*#Jffi::i:fll;#i:;*"'frrT.ffi;f ilyT*"i""tii"tio"'i"-thispaiticulari{possible":i; #;;; ;h;;;d?tit. J ;-""* ;o nu""-u."i'* ̂Tg:.-:" l+:: **:ji# ;#i";;"bT;;;'-;i ffqiri";6; tt'e- earlier davs. rn somei;there is greater similarity i3 tn" p"tt*." or i5. p-q"sooo"el ls a wholej

rhan in otherc ;hil h;;e-teei ffi"t ;"nsiderable .*q9Ty:11?g:*,'uSt?il lt*"'#';:' Tf *;1il'"J".#itliilE i,# ;1'4 a1n.'.^"^tty q:ili*g:workers u"oa tnu ;#i;; "tb"ti[i"ot-i'ith

olY d,Yli"t; ̂ ,4-fg*tt1l*;I;r:f,ii?sh'fi :il'*,H;J";f i,ii,":i;ril,.,.-si.'aidp-ortui'.rio-dwitli*consequent ourliniig of the plaJe;f .;;[ paiticular type of emPloYee',

in the whole picffi9h^""d t;-qi;J'4, ;"t"f 3'lit-11't:::133"-?1?;tHJfr: Iffi'"l;r.y rhis 1ou u"niy€ir1l*;G[ u"d _rhar pre.pare rheir:rfindinqs i,, ,rrubiu fTr*'ilt"th;-;;".nt ot"otner Stateiwill make a': '

, ,, :l:

rpl.;td1a *""ttin"tion to institutional work' ' i

The salary range-for manv oltne c.oTpala!lt-p".tti:T,:l lltî::;'utul tln J"i'^ L "i'.?in*

;ia;: tt'.rt is" di,n ger, i n. a ! t! 1q tlig 1% $::qeral schools-was rather wide. 'I'here rs- dg,nger,ln.&ttemqtllgrn' qrd'\ry

;;t)r;;i-iî""-i;fi u.go-puti"ot'.9,f '4:.t"I-ltlit.p"*1^t:iti::t":titit."|T"iilT ,i"""tiy:

-F;;!_""*";i ih. Jobs with t^he same general

ilii". tfr. E"ti"r-""d r.rpooriUilities in th-e different institutions mayfr?i,i,ti.E"ti"'-"'id'.'po"'iuiti1r,e1-i1$:i'f,-:Tt-*:I::t*":"*S#r; i" ;;t";way aF to ut"onot for some o{ tle J,1"1^*iqT3::l::I;i;,#"i; #;.;1" b'lU;;s'rn";il,; sitg]e table the salarigs paidfor somewha,t analoEous posrtrons at the difrerent schools, but-everyIt would be easy to bring to.gether m _a Sl+gJe f,aDre urre stt'ra"utis P'lr\r

for somewhat airalogous posi-tions at the difrerent gchools, bl_t,:I:t{

;;; " fi6 d;;il;i'F ; ;d,, t[ 4 " Y9 I o bf : 9 I " "l*f d :'^ Ii:,:: ?: l'i: i:;tfiiiiffi;;;ilir.;;';il;Gi,; t. as*yi Th.' t?!:-"11 P:.1,911ii'"'. il t. i" iJi'; ;e; ;I " t" ;[ "q*ry ? " 9t' 1 ! 19".{.'i.Tf-{, IllX" :}'*Dresented rn tne separare crrtlPLer-D su urril 'u rY-Y"'o.'^':J .^':Ysffi-.Tu';"; ;;;;il'y ililti;;id;t the time of the studv in these five

lStates.It is obvious that a State rvill serious-lV-cripple the work of its,insti- '

tutions if it t"i".lt itt tutrty -"*t.

b"elow* a certain level' Manv '-, --:-- r ̂ * r -- L- ^ ̂ ^^-+ +L ̂ + +1-î- arao rno* niffi.rrli,i;" iil in their inabil-

'. "

p.'i" t. " a; ;;'-;# q it" f !t'di' g.u u t o' t diffi 9u] t1i: : -I : i: llt|.:" :l it;''sunerintendents assert that, therr greatest o-rmgi#;;;il.d1;ud;;d. *or[.rr Tot the salaries- thev are able -to Pov'i;i;;J;"*.-^3il?^thi; ir o"u orihe most vital points io ut institu-It would seem an institu-

tion's budget. No institutional qTgg.Iam can,possrlevel of th6 personnel entrusted with its operatio+'l"i pt"iri-*rrf [fr" mos_t generous budget. f6,r,maintenancc a,nd,-]ryIi::,i

; ;;.ll:q;"?iHia';;;h,l; U'gl'-gfra.^worketsi'o* ^the

cliief u*,9."_",ti1? ,ito tfru ieast i-po.t,i"t of The-laborers who come into any kind ot".:ito the least important of the lecontact with the boy PoPulation.


Some variation was found in the provisions relating to appoint-ment, and remolral of personnel. In two of these institutions-NelYork and Ohio-all personnel, including the superintendent, wer.esubject to civil-service regulations; in Nerv York 1he superintendentwas appointed by the director of the State department of socialwelfare,from an eligible list created by civil-service examinations;and in Ohio he was appointed by the State director of public rvelfare,witli the approval of the Gor-ernor, from such a cir.il-service list,. Inboth institutions all other v'orkers were appointed by the superin-tendent from civil-ser-,'ice eliqible lists. It was noted that a heavvproportion of the positions rv6re classed as "noncompetitive", rl-hicirmeans that the holders of those positions u-ere subjected to no specialtests ancl the civil-service provision was simply an observance ofcertain formalities in the matter of application.

O4y one- school-Michigan-rvas entirely without any civil-service regulations in the matter of selection of personnel.- Therethe superintendent was appointed by the State corrections com-mission, and that commission's approval was required for appoint-ments to all other positions at the school. In practice this meantthat the superintendent had a free hand in both appointments andremovals.

In the California school all positions except those of the superin-tendent, the assistant superintendent, and the chief placement officer,and in New Jersey all except those of the superintendent and thesecretary to the superintendent,, were under civil-service regulationsas to appointments and removals. In California the superintendent,the assistant superintendent, and the chief placement officer wereappointed by the State director of institutions with the consent ofthe Governor. In N'ew Jersey the two non-civil-service nositionswere fil led through appointment by the locrl board oI marrugers,subject to the approval of the State board of controi. In Californiaall other positions were filled tlrrough appointment by the superin-tendent, from a civil-service eligible list if any had been established.In New Jersey the incumbents of ull positions exccpt those mentionedwere appointed by the local board of managers from civil-servicelists. In practice, holvever, the workers rl ere actually selectecl fromthese lists by the superintendent, whose recommendations the localboard ahnost invariably accepted. A high proportion of the positionsthere v.ere also ratecl as noncornDetitive.

Opinions di{ler rvidely as to thb best method for selecting personnelfor institutional u-ork. Some suDerintendents feel that lhe civil-service lau. hampers them in obt-rininE the best-aualified workersand in removing-ineompetent or unsuit lb le ones.

-Othcrs feel that,

the weeding out accornplished by civil-service examinations is a greathelp to them and tirat the protection from political influence affordedb5' ciyil-service regulations relating to removal is a beneficial, stabiliz-lnE lactor.

To anyone l'ho knows the destructive influence of political actir.ityin connection u-ith appointments to positions in public agencies andremovals from them, it must be apparent that cir-il-service principlesp{operly applied make for much greater efficiency in public serr-tice.The difficulties seem to be not rvith civil-service principles brit rvith

RECAPITUI]ATION AND COMMENTS

Personnel: Appointments and removals

225



some prevailing practices. Under civil service the selection of per-sonnel for particular positions, if to render constructive service,cannot be perfunctory. The assembling of the right personnel isone of the most' diflicrilt pieces of worli in connection rvith anv enter-prise. A civil service thit establishes proper qualifications to requirefor each particular job rvithin its classification ancl that permits nobreahdorvn in ihe d,nolication of those stantlarcl cualifications wilirender incalcrr lublc benef i ts to the publ ic rvlr ie lr i l is srrpposed toserve. The kind of job analysis whloh malies it possible-tb set upqualifications for appointment by civii serr-ice is in itself useful. Inorder to set up those standards and to give examinations that rvill betruly selective, the civil-service stalT of examiners must, be rvell quali-fied and must be thoroughly imbued r'vith interest in and enthusiasmfor the *'ork to be performed. Thev must seek ancl obtain advisorvaid from properly ilualified erperts "rvhen examinations are held forpositions in any skilled rvorli or in the professions. In the higheradministrative and plofessional ranks. competition from outside theState should be peimitted so that the best possible standards ofpersonnel may be maintained.

Critics of the civil-service svstem who advocate its abolition becauseof its failure in manv instadces to onerate e{Tectivelv must face theof its failure in manv instances to onerate e{Tectivelv must face thealternative that u.itirout it the instilutional nersonnel mav at anvpersonnel may at anytime larvfully become the prey of the political-spoils system. Thefact that some State administrations do not utilize institutional jobsto pay political debts does not, remove the threat. Every new electionholds the possibility that qualified, experienced, and competentworkers may be removed to make way for friends of a new official-dom. The amount of energy that, sometimes goes into an attack ona poorly functioning civil-service system might, if intelligently direc-ted, bring about a genuine reform in civil-service methods whichwould mean a long step forv-ard in raising standards for personnel inpublic service.Personnel: Terms of service

Although it is necessary to exercise considerable discretion indrarving dny conclusions fr-om comparison of tenure of office of em-ployees at the several institutions, the figures for these five schoolsare of interest. They are as follows:

Length of seruice oJ Jull-time employees in 5 State institutions Jor delinquents 1

Length of servico

Percent distribution

California Michigan New Jersey New York Ohio

Less than 1 year--- - - - - - - - - - - - - -iieai, ieiftiran z------------- ----2 yea rs , l ess l han 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -2 y e a r s , l e s s l b a n 3 - - - - - - - - - - - -B years , less than 4- - - - - - - - - - - -* J r d ' 5 , r s J J

6 years , Iess lhan l0 - - .l0 ] 'ears or more - -

100 100 100 100 10J

30l 113I5

I D

16

332

I I5

5619

26101278

1918

810l088 {

1 For number of full-t ime employees in each institution, see California, p. 17; \{ichigan, p. 58;sey , p . 8C; New York , p . u2 ; OL io , p . 183.

6

Y_--


Ii,ECAPITUI]ATION AND COMMENTS 227

' It is interestinE in this connection to observe that the one school

under no civil-se-rvice requirements whatever-Michigan-had thehfulrest percentlge rvhoso tenure of office rvas 5 years or tnulc.Although gorrernols rre electer'l every 2 yerrc in Michigan, tlrel'apparent ly Irave not made rny clean sweep of the personnel at t l r isinstitution for the purpose ol satisfying political obligations. TheCalifornia school, on the other hand, though presumably protectedbv the civil-service lalvs, had & very high t,urnover rvithin the monthsimmediatelv preceding the visit. The comparatively lorv percentageimmediately preceding the visit. comparatively lorv percentage

:v is attributable to the -larsefor long tcnuie of service in New Jersey if attributable to tlre lrrgenumber of new appointments at this institution drrring tlre yearbefore it, rvas visited, owing to the creation of a number of new posi-tions, notably ttre adding of several assist'ant cottage masters.

-The

New York and Ohio schools had the highest percentages of personnelwho had remained in service 10 years or longer.

The personnel problem in thii connect'ioriis one of maintaining abalance betu-een ioo constant a turnover and the accumulation oftoo many employees who have fallen into a routine. Too frequent'changes in peisonnel, either through dissatisfaction of the individualn'orker or through discharge, tend to be injurious to stafi morale andto the stability and smooth operation of the program. On the otherhand, institution worliers lvhb remain in one pli,ce and one job formanv years u'ill have a tendencv, unless they are very exceptionalp"opiei to get into a rut and to rerirain at a standstill so far as d6velop-ment is concerned. They are likelv to become dependent, on traditionand to constitute a deid weight that retards'progre.s rvhen newmethods are introduced. Probablv the most successful managementwill be the one that so manipuhles appointments and remoia]s asto keep a rather steady flow of new blood conring in, at the same timen"ever having such frequent changes as to threaten the stability ofthe tr&rnug program.Personnel : Qualifications

An attempt to obtain comnlete inforrnation about all rvorkers ateach institution would constitute a study u'ithin itself. AII thatcould be done in this studv was to assemble lvhatever u-as rerrdilyavailable from the institutional records and other sources that couldbe easily consulted. No attempt was made to check the correctnessof the statements made as to education and prior experience. Judgingfrom the five institutions especially studied, there is great variation asto the amount of previous educatibn and the type of.'previous experi-ence of institutional emplovees performing all kinds of duties. Thougheducational requirements "rvould differ ri-ith the tvpe of work to 6edone, it s-ould^seem that all employees should hai-e liad at least asrade-school education, except the occasional individuals who lackIhis amount of formal schooling but are unusually well qualified b;'exoerience and self-education. No attemnt will be made here to setuo soecific standards for the qualificationi of Dersons for the vlrioustipes of ir-ork to bc done at, an'instittrtion oI this l;.ind. Nc',-ert!rcless,c"eitain general staternents are applicabie to all personnel.

Probablv rnore uniformitv eriifs in the educational and erperiencerequiremcits of academic t"eachers than in thrt for anv otlrer groupof ivorkers. Teachers for the most, part conform to rvhater-er stand-ards the State nublic-school sr-stems have set up. Obviouslv thesedifier considerably from State to State. Not ail State institutions


FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

require State certification of their academic teachers. Certainly thatis the rninimurn that should be required for teaching as difflcult ast l rat in inst i tut ions for juveni le del inquents

Nfore ri'ill be said of the vocational instructors in the section dealinEwith that phase of the training program. (See p. 255.) Vocationa-ltraining is now being developed in many public schools, and coursesby mcans rf rvhich persons may obtain some preparation for teachingin tnis field are noiv available. It rvould uoo"u. that efforts shouldbe made to obtain instructors who have prep'ared fcr this special workand that trade teachers at, the institution should be encouraqed totake courses which rvould give thern a new vision of possibili i ies inccnnect ion u' i th t la ining of this kind for juveni le del inquents. Thcwhole industrial picture is changing so rapidly that even the mostalert per-rons find it difficult to keep nbreast of tlre times. Thoser,vho are out of the nrain stream of inilustrial activitv, at work in aninstitution, can easilv becorne so out of touch with current happenirnslr[ulron, can easlrY Decolr]e so out, oI tolrcn wltl] cu-rrenl nappenrugsthat they are poorh- ecluipped to aid bovs rviro later must take theirchances in tlre constanth- changing labol marliet.chances in tlr e' consian tiv'cira nging labor: m arliet.

Obserr-ation not onlr.' at these five schools brrtObserr-ation not onlr.' at these five schools but also at manv otherate institutions leadsio the conclusion that the ooint at r,vhich thereState institutions leadsio the conclusion that the point at r,vhich there

is the greatest breakdorvn in personnel qualification is the paroleworli. The nature cf this x-ork recuires that it be done bv indir,'idualsu'ho are tlroroughlv trained and ulho have had a reascnable amounlof experience in case rvork under supervision. They should be wellgrounded in the social sciences and in the principles of mental liygiene.They should har-e a thorough knou-ledge of the many difierent typesof social agencies that may be found functioning in the communitiesto whigh the boys in their care rvill be released. Surprisingly feu-institutions throriehout the countrv have made real efforis to irocurethe serices of suih trained rvorke"rs in their parole departments. Afew States are making euergetic efforts in that direction. So far asthese fi.ve schools are concerned, the parole service in New Jersevand Net- York st,ands out as har-ing sought to raise the standards ofpersonnel who engage in parole acti.v'ities, and California has recentlyiaken a step in thaf direclion.

Education and suitable prior experience represent only one side ofthe picture so far as qualifications for effectiveness in institutionalwork are concerned. Personality traits are at least equally important,perhaps even more important. It is difficult, if not impossible, todetermine or elren to estimate how much of the success of institutionaltraining depends on the personal influence of individual staff memberson indiiidual bovs. Th-ere is everv reason to believe that such influ-ence, whether if be good or bad,"is one of the strongest factors ininst i t r r t ional t reatment . That being t l re case, the

"character an, l

personality of the staff are 'l-itally iirportant. '\ten

and women ()ffine character, possessed of those personalit5' traits that enable thenito understand and to influence bovs. must be secured if the institr i-tion's program is to approach its objectives. The rnental anrlemotional attitudes of prospective employees are extremely significant.They should be emotionally stable, yet responsive to emotion,rlvariations; that is, they shoirld not be"devoid'of feeling but shorrl, lbe able to maintain a desirable balance. Thev must under no circunr-stances be individuals who will shorv favoritism. Thev must aboveall things be fair, just, reasonable, and courteous in all [heir dealings.

F.t


RECAPITULATION AND COMNIENTS 229

Bovs are much more l i l<ely to acquire desirable traits through imitutionof indi'r-idtrals whonr thev l ire and admire than through any atrtountof instruction. Tou'ard all the different behavior problems that arisein connection with the handling of these boys the sat'isfactory employeewill be able to rnarntain an imp-ersonal but interested scientific attitude,one that is devoid of faulthnding, thut seeks to comprehend theunderlying factors in particular ins-tances of misbehavior and to helpel i rn inate them.

Obviously no amount of education and experiente thrt is notcouoled u i th the r ieht type of personal i ty and the r ight at t i t r rde wi l l-"L"

" successfti l in"stituiional worher. On the other hand, indil id rrals

cualif ied br- chnracter and pcrsonality are onlv p:trt lv effective if theyl iave not b"een rb le to obtr in that educat ion und erper ience n l r ich theu-ork demands. T l re idet l emplovee is the one who comhines areasonable amount, oi training ${tli-a good basic personal equipment.

Personnel: Living and working conditionsLiYing conditions have already been touched upon in the section

dealinE"with staff housins. (Se"e p. 217.) Let it be repeated herethat t l"rere is a direct rellt ion hetu-een the provision of proper hotrsingfor the staff rnembers and indiviclual efliciency on bhe job. l\-hereYerone Eoes an)ons inst i t r r t ions, one f inds ev idence of u-ork ing l roursthat-are too lon! . In some places a nru l t ip l icat ion o{ dut ies in i tse l fconstitutes a stiain over ana above the long hours necessitated bycalrying more 1,han one job at a_tlme._ C_onsequently"it is all t lre nrore

essentir"l that the emploVee ofl duty should have comfortable quarters

where he m.ay have a reasonable degrge of privacy, for complete rest'and relaxation. It is also essential that ernployees h&Ye recreationcenters that are roomy, at t ract ive, and equipped for real socia l l i fe .This becomes sti l l rnbre imperat,ve wlren the institution is sotrredistance from communities tfrat offer social activities in rvhich insti-tutional Dersonnel may participate.

Proba6ly too much'elirphasii cannot be laid on the need for estab-lishing, as"nearly as the ionplicated l-checlule of the institution willperti i , an 8-hour working day for all employees. ltis recognized-thut

thi. is diff icult and in manyplaces as yet impossible. .I lUrreYer,it should be the goal toward wtric,tr every institutibnal administrationdirects its eflorti. Solely on the basis of consequent efficienc\ inoperat ion, such a goal crn be arr ,p ly . just i f ied. l t is a n) f l t ter for cot t t -miseration rather"than congratulation l'hen devoted employees haveto overtax their enerqies through long and continuous hours on duty.The devot ion and t l ie u i l l ingness on the prr t , o f the er lp loyees a leadmirable, but the results in-lo'w-ered effecliveness on the job are farmore l i l iely to be disastrous.

The same statements mav be nade with respect to the necessityfor days off at regular inteir-trls and for vacatibn aliou-anr.es antpleenough to pernr i t Emplo l 'ees to gel r .ornplete l ; - nrvrv l rom.the inst i t r r -t ion ' rnd i is prohler i rs

" Ior n s-r r f f i r ' ienI per iod to perr iL comp. lete

relaxation. I i rvorli that is as confining as institutionrl drtt l-, 30 tlrrvsof annlal leaye does not, seem exccsslYe. The renewed strength nndenergy rvhich emploS-ees will bring bacli to their taslis will rnore thann-rake"up for the l ime all 'ay from duty. It is lrardly necessar]'to sal-that lea-sonable tirne off because of i l lness should be permitted.


230 FIrrS STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

Staff organization

Administratiye leadership and staff teamwork

The desirabilitv of departmental organization of the staff depends-.to a great extent 6n the.size 9f tle institution and the type of programi:ii ri"t*ti".. fn small institutions it is, of course, unnecessary. - In',thos^e hg,ving pQpulations of less than 2,00 thesuP"tt*!"1qu"t p^lob."llq .;;;;;il;;fr'Jffi".;;Gh

"o"tu"i with all linis of work so^that noi'ri.

much formal *tof aivirion is required. The larger the institutior, ,the rnore the chief executive has to delegate to subexecutives'responsibility for the various training and m.ainllenqnce activities.Thbse subex"ecutives perhaps can function most esectively when the -1work is divided into &epa.rfiments with_the lines of demarcation as to,.,powers and duties clearly defiled. Such organizationplaces responsi- 'powe s and d.utres clearlY 6gnnec[. Ducn orgamzalron pla,ces respotlsl- :,bititv for all detail on the subexecutive who is the director in each :depdrtment..- lhus freed.of the, overwhel"\"g furden of"?4*l1_1l: ;ltrdtive detail, the superintendent is able to devote more of his time,'to thoughtfui consid6raliop of tbe bigger issues and to plalning for.,,

"o"J""T?"v.ltop-u"t of the wor\ to#Erd. its-avowed objtctives. . ;'i

Various types of departmental or.ganization have been qorkgd;out at somd bt tne inititutions studied, as has been shown in the';preceding chapters. On careful study'o-f. the functioning of the.;:^compone"ot

p.-qrts o{ the institutional riiachinory, .an alert. executive.:som6tr*es uilll see that certain cha,nges in organization and in divisionof duties may lead to better results.

have arisen or criticisms of the polieies or regulationsin effect. IMhen ,;these conferences follow a weil-flanned progiam and are diplomaticalty' :i.

handied by the presiding off.cer, they result in ironing out, ma,ny .differences of opinion that might prove disrupting lo,the generalprogram. More valuable is thebpportunity thus afforded for offerigg ,,suggestions as to improvement in the program cin the part of tfepeisons most closely in touch with the sue-cess or the failure of the .!bristinE methods. " ;''exrstrng metnods.

In aridition to resular staff conferences of the heads of departments,it is the practice a-t some institutions to hold regular or called corr-ferences of special groups- Sometimes these &re merely{or the purposeof announcing changes in program or policies and clealng up anymisunderstandinE aJto iusd wliat is expelcted of individual wbrkers ordepartments. S5metimbs they are calied for the mutual interchangeof ideas as to how well the p"rogram is working and what might 6edone to improve it. Group thinking and frank discussion of practicalproblems p'resented in the'various fr'elds are said to aid materially in


RECAPITUITATION AND COMMENTS 23L

rnstl-

the developrnent of the proglam. \luch probablv can be done every-*tr"." t" a.i.*-top thi"pt"h oig.orp thinking in theinterests of r,'nprovedoperation in the varioius phases of institutional rvorli. Thoughtful anduirderslanding leadership in the planning and.conducting of such con-ferences shou.- ld produeb grat i f i ing results in perlect ino l tet .ot t l te lteamrvork. Smali confereole. oi thls description may be c,f 1-rartic,ularhelp in carrying forward a progressive program in institutions ri'herea considera"ble-proportion bf "the perionnel is devoted to eristingtraditional rnethods. Their cooperation is essential if progless is tobe made. It will be obtained much more quicklv and u-ill be niuchmore sincere if friendlv eI{ort is made to persuade stall members ofthe value of the nerr methods. Oldline wbrkers who give lip serviceand rvho observe the letter but not the spirit of new regulations domuch to nullify the success of a program duringa transiti-onal period.It is in situations of this kind fhaf administrative leadership of thehiEhest order is called for and has its best opportunitv to demonstrateits"r'alue. After all, the question is not rfhether th'e superintendentcan "get on" rvith these people but' what their attitudes do to theboys under their care.

5. ADMISSIONS. CAPACITY. AND POPULATION


Statutory provisions governing commitments to these five institions ofier iurther evidlnce of [he lack of uniformitv in the Statestutions offer further evidence of the lack of uniformity in the States'

approach to the problem of caring for their juvenile delinquents.N',i t*o had identical requlations. "No two hail even the same a,seapproacn to tne proDrem oI calrng IoI tneu JuYemre oerlnquenls.N',i t*o had identical requlations. "No two hail even the same a,selimits for commitment.

-The uDDer aee limit u'as 15 in two. 16 inpper B,ge limit u.as 15 in two, 16 inlrmlts lor commrtment'. Ine upper ege rrmr[ \ l 'as 10 ln two, l0 rn

two others, and 17 in the fifth. Theloweragelimit was 8 in two, 10in another, and 12 in the remaining two. The range \ras &s follows:

California---- 8 to 16 1'ears, inclusiveMichiean- - - 12 to 16 vears, inclusiveNew J"erseJ'- - 8 to 15 years, inclusiveNerv York--- - 12 to 15 vears, inclusiveOhio- - - - - - - - 10 to 17 years , inc lus ive

This range is fairly typical of the provisions found in other States.Exceptions and qualifications in various statutes aflect certain t.v-pesof cases at either end of the scale.

Statutes often contain clauses intended to prevent the commitmentof boys rvho are mentally or ph5'sically incapable of being benefittedby the training olTered. The great majority of counties lacl< theclinical facilities or the exDert consultant service which would be re-quired for the strict observance of those requirements. This is es-p"S*lJl tru:rvith respect to tesoutces in the psychiatric and psychologi-pecral-ty true \\ rth respect to resoruces m tne psycfiatrrc ancl psycnologr-iat fielh. Thereforein practice every Stateinititution for deiinquenlsreceives bovs so far belorv normal rnental level that thev do not fit intoreceives boys so far belorv normal rnental level that tbey do not fit intothe general training picture. Some meet this problem rnore or lessthe generai training picture. Some meet this problem rnore or lesseffeclively by transferring such boys, after examination and stud;,', toeffeclively by ring such boys, after examination and^stud;,', toA rnore apprbpriate State institution. At times this transfer is ren-A InOIe AppIOpIIate Dlaf,e lnsllluf,loll, 13.1r Llrrles Lllls Ll.alrsrel' rs I'erl-

dered difficult through lacl< of the proper statutory authorization. Ineach State transfer authoritv should be conferred upon the appropriateofficials, care being taken to safeguard the rights and the rvelfare ofthe child and of society bv the requirement that qualifled expertsexamine the child and certify his physical or mental conditiorr andneects.


232 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DELINQUENT BoYS

As most institutions for delinquents do not accept boys sufferingftom cornrnunicabic diseases, boys sullering from tuberculosis or fronr

rhea or s1'philis in an infcctious stage are barred from adrnissiongonorrj lea or svpnrlrs rn an lnlcctlous stage are Darre,Conserlucntlv full responsibilitv fo r seeing' that the brConserlucntlv full responsibilitv fo r seeing that the boy receives properancl aclequate treatment is left rvith the court rvhich dcsires to committhat bov. Because erarninations made at tJre instance of the corn-mitting- court are solnetimes hastv and superficial, bovs rnay irereccivcd at the institutions in infectious condition. The institution'srneciical officer thel discor-ers the need of segregation and treatment.Sorne institutions have the facil i t ies necessarr. to pror.ide the indi-cated treatment, others retrirn the bov to the cornnritt ins court foltreatment unti l he can be certif ied to-have reached a noninfectiousstage. It ivould seem that, har-ing accepted the case and discor-eredthe disease, the institution is under obligation to malie sure that theboy receives proper and adequate treatment to elear up the conditionthat is barring him from the training u'hich he has been adjudged toneed. There"is Erave doubt w-hetfier an institution is iListifred inlna[ ls Dalrlng nlm Irom tne tralnlng \l'nlcn ne nas been adilneed. There-is Erave doubt w-het[er an institution is iris

provide the training activities that such boys need. In many areasinstitutions that follou' the nolicv of refusins ihfectious cases endounr"rinstitutions that follou' the policy of refusing iirfectious cases eniounterconsiderable difficultv in fulfilling these various obliEations. Hosnitalsconsiderable difficultv in ty]flli.nS these various obligations. Hospitalsfor mental disease and institutio"ns for the feeble-mi-nded -uv be over-crowded and burdened with lons waitins lists. Clinics and hospitalsfor lhe treatment of venereal disease mari be entirelv lackins or hone-for the treatment of venereal disease may be entirely lacking or hope-lessh' inadequate. Faced with such situations."the ins"titutioirallesslS' .inadequate. Faced with such situati-ons,administration has a fine opadministration has a fine opportunity to rvork hand in hand with theindividual communities and' u'ith oiher State-wide orsanizations inorgantzattons tn

declining to accept a boy committed for treatment for-a conductdisorder on the ground that the boy is sufferins from an infectiousphysical disease.

- The institution would be meetiig its responsibilities

better if it undertook to provide proper medical care for such boyswhenever hospital care could not be arranged elsell'here, or when boyswho u'ere ambulatory cases were unable to make satisfactorv ad-justment to the ordinary hospital regime. General hospitals cinnot

an effort to improve the public service in these respects.Capacity and population

The capacity and the population of the five institutionsdates rrithin the period durins which each was visited v'ereas follows:

3 1 96E4631470990

I On Nov. 9, 1931, in the California iDstitution; on given dates in Mrcb 1932 in the other institutions.See pp. 23, 61, 95, 144, 188.

These figures recall the overcrou'ding at the Michigan institutionto which reference has been made on page 61. The New Jersey insti-tution was running close to capacity. The other three institutionsu'ere not filled to capacity.

Capacity

350575625700

1 ,2 r3

to

on grvenreported

Population I

California -Michiean- - - -Neu' Jerse.r '- -N e u ' Y o r k - -Oh io- - -


RECAPITULATION AND COMMENTS

MaleLegal age of commitment tion ol com-

mitrSent age

233

A growing appreciation of the llalues inherent in individualizecl asagain.t -u.E tt.ut-ent strengthens the belie{ held by many institLrtioneiecutives that training schools for young_dehnquents should renalnielativelv small in size.] Tirere seems to be general agreement thatno su"h "school should exceed a capacity of 500 and that a population

"otr.ide"obly less than this iigure can be"trandled much more eflectively

for t raining and treatnren( prrrposes. Eut over against ^this bel ieI onthe parL o"f thoughtful crecut ir-es is the inescapable lact that per

"u"lt'o "ort rises

-as population diminishes. This creates a problem

in'publ ic educat ion of cotnmunity leaders.- ft will be noted that three of ihe institutions studied had popula-

tions in excess of 500 boys. B5r 1933 these. (in lhe order listed) liada""rlu..d 31, 16, and 14"perceni,-respectively, Michigan having only+ZO bo.'., New iersev ,'r2h, and Ohio 352'4 Aecorciing to the Ameri-

""" pii.on Associntibn, tb instit*tions for delinquent bo.vs in the

ii"itua States had an a,'erage population of more than 500 in 1932.5Despite the hanrlicap oflered by an overlarge popttlation, some ofinerb ."hools were -okitrg valiant efforts to operate on a basic poliqloT individualized treatmEnt. New Jersey, for example, has madeEreat strides in that direction.--

Th" ratio between number of boys committed to four of the insti-tutions for delinquents that were itudied and the total number ofbovs of the same ase in the respective States is given in the accomPqnJ:|# toUl., in whicii are shown t5e legal age of commitment to each ofthZse institutions, the State's total male population .of the s.am3 ageEroup, ano f,ne nul l lDeI alrG P6eing the rate ealculated per

u"Ait. "u-ber

and proportion o{ boys committed-the latterhe rate calculated per r0,OOO male population of commitmelt'

;;: ii;; ttt" niin i".titrition-New Yorkjsuch ratio could not becfimouted owinE to uncertainty as to just rvhat counties should bei""t,ia.a in the fotal-population count.

'A-lthough courts.in all except

five .pecified countied in ttre State were au thorized_ to send. boys. to thisinstit'ution. they were not compelled to do so and committed boys toother schools when this seemeddesirable. (See p' 135.)

Legal age oJ commitment and commitment rales per 10,000 boy_s_oJ the s.ame age com-"

mitted during a year I to /1 State institutions Jor d'eli'nquen'ts

Boys committed

Rate per10,000 boys ofcommitment

ago

8 years, undet 17 - - - - ' ' - - - - - - - - - - -12 years , uDder 17- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -8 y e a r s , u n d e r 1 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . -1 0 y e a r s , u n d e r 1 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . -

2L5488

3 358808

394, 656224,167309,9564$,32r

5 . 421.811. 616.7

I Figures for year ended:oc. 31. 1931.

California and Michigan, June 30' 1931; New Jersey, Feb' 29' 1932; Ohio'

Doc. 31,z Popirlation according to the 1930 census.3 Itrcludes recommitmenis.

.Figures as of october 1933 furnished by the probation omce of the Bureau of Prisons, u. s. Department

of Justic€.'^o"Siiii i"a National penal and Correctional Institutions of the United States and Canada, compiled bv

the American Prison Association, New York. June 1933.


It ap^pears that in California relatively few boys were committedto the State school for juvenile delinquenis. New: Jersey stands nextrvith a rate a little more than twice-that of california. ohio com-mitted almost three and one-half times as many boys as California.x'{ichigan four times as many. No efiort was rirade to discover anyexplanation of this variation.- That rvould make a studv in itself. Iiseems unlikely.that california has actually-few-er delin[uents i' pro-portion to total boy population. rt seemJfar more probable that tlredifference could be trac-ed to the use of other methodi of attacking thedelinquency problem in those states having the lower commitiirentraIes.

Tbe striking difference between the rates for institutional treatment,oJ white and Negro boys is slloy_n in the following table, which givesthe rate per 10,000 white and Negro bovs of tbeie asc-srouDs com-mitted to or in the four instit.tioni for dblinquent bo5:s u"nd"i diseus-sion in relation to commitment:

Legal age of commitment and commitment.rates p_er 10,000 white and Negro boys o!the sarne age committed duri,ng a year t to /1'state institutions Jor deltnouents


Boys committed during theyear or in institutions on aspecifled date I

Statc, legal ago of commitment, and race of boyRate per

10,000 boys ofcommitment

age

340,3244, 840

27.0r80. 6

5 . 047.5

1 5 . 398. 5

464\U718,383

n8,m5, 150

296,46913, 367

L5.2742,9

IFiguresforCalifomiaandOhig.aretor-boys.cgln-ittetttoinsjitutions.urilgyearsendedJuno80,1931,andDec.3 l . l9St . rsmct ive lv . . ^F igues for . [ , t l cu igaaanaNew. le rseyare torDoysrE lns t i tu t ionsonspec l .f led date, Mar. 3l and Feb. &. tgsziresmctivolv.

', Poprtation according to tbe lg30 enlus.

-. rncluoes recommttments.

As this table shows, in CalifoT,'a the commitment rate for Negroboys is almost 10 times that for white boys, and in ohio it is more th-an6. times as great. - In Xlichigan the rate foi Negro boys in the institu-tron on a given date was almost 7 t imes that for ul i i te bovs. and inNew Jersey it was more than 9 times as Ereat.

No field work was done to try to dete-rmine whether these figuresshould be assumed to indicate a greater amount of delinquency arnorlsNgg.g than among white boys or whether thev mercly'indichte tlrrJa highe.r proportion of Negro juvenile delinq.ents were receir-insrnstrtutional treatment. Police-department statistics on arrests rl-tnost always show a figure for Negroes considerably orrt of pronortionto their number in the -population. The rate of "arrests

fer^ l0,00rrpop_ulation (15 years of age and over) in a period of 3 inonths in1933, as reported by the United States Depaitment of Justice, *-rs


IiECAPITULATION AND COMMENTS 235

8.0 for native rvhite persons, nearlS' 5.6 for foreign-born n'hites, and25.0 for Negroes.6

Tabulation ol the nurnber and percenl di-"tribution of bo1's conmit-d. bv a,Ee at commitment. reveals othel similarities and differences inted, by age at commitment, reveais other sirnilarit ies-and dii l 'eren-ces in

State planning for the treatment of 1'outhfrrl oflettclers. Jhs fiorrrpqare giien herewith for the five institutiorts studiecl:

Age at rlate of commitment for boys commi,tted duri,ng a year t lo 5 State instittttions. for delinquents

Boys committed

California I{ichigaD New Jersey Nerv York4.ge at date ofcommitment

Num-ber

Num-ber distri-

bution

Percendistr!bution

Percentdistribution

100

5I I

162I

Num.ber

894

Age reported----

Under 12 years12 years - - - - - - -_ -13 years - - - - - - -14 years____-_ __15 years- --- -16 years and over

Age not roported-- --

The New Jersey school received the heaviest proportion of casesq"{.q. 12 years of.aggt wlih Ne.w York a close second, folio,wed by, rvuv YY

California and Ohio, the latter having a low percentage. Michirganadmitted none under 12. On the other hand, the intake in bothMichigan and Ohio showed a large proportion of boys 16 and over.New York admitted none of these older boys, New Jersey relativelvfew, and California only an exceptional case. California sends thisolder group to a separate institution, the Preston School of Indr,rstry;New Jersey had just opened a new institution offering training faciii-ties for the group of cases intermediate between those in the schoolstudied (the State Home for Boys) and the Rahu-ay Reformatorv.In New York some of the 16- and l7-year-old boys were sent to t[eHouse of Refuge in Neu- York City, and others rvere committed to thereformatory at Elmira.

The provision of an intermediate institution between the traininshool for the vounsest Eroun of delinauents and the reformnf,orv i-sschool fo1 !h-e youngest _grgup of delin-quents and the reformator5' i!

believed highly desirable by some of the most thoughtful of 'theschool fo1 !h-e youngest _grgup of delin-quents and the reformatory ii

believed highly desirable by some of the most thoughtful of 'the

experienced executives in correctional work. - It serves several usefulexpurposes. Through this division the size of each institution can bekent down to a ErouD that can be handled effectivelv. and indiwidua.li-ept down to a group that can be handled effectively, and individuali-Y vrJ , @uu urur v ruua l l r

zation of study arld treatment becomes more feasible. The educa-tional and recieational needs of boys under 12, boys in their earlyteens, and boys in middle or late adolescence difler materiall.y. Com-plicationl oftep arise .in lrying to work- out, a satisfactory trainingprogram for a large mlxed-age group. These tend to disappear s-heithe boys more mature in body and mind and more fixed in behar,-iorpatterns can be kept separate.

, Di"i.l"" "f

I"vestigation, U.S. Department of Justice: Uniform Crime Reports for the United Statesand Its Possessions, vol. 4, no. 3, Third Quarterly Bull€tin, 1933, p. 18. Washington, 1933.

76870-35-16

""qr ii::;:""

100

3I

1 7

2542

:

I bution

I Figures are for year ended: California, Michigan, and New York, June 30, 1931; New Jersey, Feb. 29.1932 (includos r€commitments and l02 returned parolees); Ohio, Dec. 31, 1931 (includes 86 recommitments).


236 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

6. RECEPTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURE

Reception

I3oys are usually brought to institutions of this kind by sorne officerdes ignated bv the commi t t ing cour t . F ronr the r r rban areas i t i sfrecpentlya probation offi.cer who accompanies the boy. Very often,horvever, that duty is delegated to a sherifi or his deputl'.

"This i

especialiv tme in the mral areas. Arrancements for the boy's recelrowevel', rrra[ ouly rs oelegated to a snerrfi or nts cteputy. Inls rsespecialiy tme in the mral areas. Arrangements for the bov's recep-espcurtrrr-v Lr-ue tlr LIre t'ul.al &Ieas. /ulangemenls IoI tne Do)--s recep-tion at the institution vary considerablv. At some institutions theinitial reception is by a spe-cial clerli or sccretary who givesI recept ionis by a specia l c ler l r orsccretarv who g ives the tcconr-

ing officer the neceisary acknowledgment of the-" deliyerJ' of thepanyrng oflicer the necessary acknowledgment of the deliver5' of theboy and who registers the newcomer.

- This means receir,ing the

commitment papers and noting such additional information ai theparticular institution may require.

In some institutions a special effort is made to. have the neu,' boysgreeted by some rnember of the administrative staff. This first con-tact rs considered extremely important. The staff member under-takes to give the boy, immediately upon arrival, some understandingof the institution's desire to be of helo to him. to ofl'er him oDDortu-takes to give the boy, immediately upon arrival, some understandingof the institution's desire to be of help to him, to ofl'er him opportu-ni t ies for educat ion and traininE that; ' i ] l enabie him to make his wav

tact is considered extremelv im

nities for education ald training that will enable him to make his waysatisJact_orily and without conflict when he returns to his community.At this first meeting with the people in authority at the institution, itis considered essential for thb bbv to understind that the insiiiu-tion officers desire to be his friends-rather than his keepers.

In these five institutions and in other institutions that have beenvisited more briefly there is some variation as to the next step in theboy's induction into the regular life of the institution. In order tosafeguard the health of the institutional population, some form ofquarantine of new boys is usually observed. This ranges all the wayfrom a few days of complete isolation in the institutibn hospital t-opqrtia-l segregation by temporary residence in a receiving Cottage,whereby contact with the rest of the school population is-kept at aIilrumum.

Institutional staffs that recoEnize clearly the importance of theboy's _own attitude toward the iistitution and its prbgram probablyare taking a long step in the right direction when they undertake tbgive the new boy the right point of view at the moment of his firstcontact with the-place iiwhich he is to live for a considerable period.To those who have been in close touch with prevailing practlces indealing with juvenile delinquency it must be apparent t[at one of thegreatest handicaps to successful institutional treatment is the dis-trustful antagonism with which the boy approaches this new sort oflife. All too often the delinquenC has had iommitment to an insti-tution held up as a constant lhreat. He has been "warned" that ifhe fails to observe the conditions of probation under which he hasbeen permitted to return to his home after one or more juvenile-courtappearances, he will be sent to a place where he will le-arn what dis-ciplin_e means. Unthinking social workers and probation officersuse this threat of commitment in a misguided effbrt to strensthentheir jrrvenile clients' resistanee to advers-e influences in the eniiron-ments in which they are permitted to remain. Inevitably a boy gainsthe impression thai commitment to an institution meais someihiogin the way of punishment of a distinctly unpleasant character. H;may even expect it to be very much in the nature of a prison. Cer-tainly under such conditions he is not likely to acquire the idea that


RECAPITULATION AND COXIMENTS 237

it is a verv special hinil of school in rvhich he rnust l-ive arvay from his

irr"iLt';;'ll ti.;ld "..o"int..

b't in x'hich he will find friends and

ntfris;rr" institutional corlrrr.itment often is resortecl to. only after

"""* otrt"r--ethoa of adjusting the bof in community life has been

; i i ; i " ; i ;A ; ;" i ; ; . i " i i . , t ' ' Tl i r ' , , t rgtr " i l . t l 'n" elper iences,,rr hov is

f l i . . f " ' t i "

i J , i ' rp " " " t i i i ude

t l ra t "g rc r r t6 ' rn i rg r l i f ies . t l rc , l i l hc r r l t v . o f

do inS any th ing fo r [ in r . H is r t t i tu t l c n t r l l reco tnc t l r r r I o l i ] .Ecn l l lne

J " . i L i " i i i r l ' " i i r - t " t i ; : h * ' m a y f c c l r h a r e \ . e | r ' o n c i s r g r r i n s l . l r i m , t l r r t; r ; ;"* ; ; . , i i . I . . . f t i " i - . ; -pi" r nuisrnce, l i r r t r to one is inlerestcr l in

i , i l . , ; ; ; ; i , ; ;^ i ; ;Gi, t ' r . i ' 'bt t rake up the f ig lr l *gr inst socict l and

mlke i t a thorortgh one; or rr boy-ma-y have been t l lorol lglr lv ols-

""r .r* .a bv fai lu ie af ie. ia i lure.oihrt 1e 5us r deep feel ing t l r rr t i t is

; l ; ;X"; id t* io. fo " fr" i

seems to be r le rccepred thing. - \not l reri io l ,nru be ihe UoV *1]o i ras der.eloped great-personal sat isfuet ionii ["i"* il,- .""i"r of r t tention as a noforiously " bad " tase. Hc may

i;; T;;k?il i"";;;d i" t" .":"v+le career in. tlie spotliglrt a,s.on' of the

institution's worst protie-d. '

Th"." antl otlrer per\ erse attitudes u ith

ili; 'h [;;= upprod"h tlie-institution are definite obstrucLions in the

*"" "f

.l*#f"i "ioit

. Lrndoubtedly most institut'ions would agr-ee

;hJtl; ir1h"";;;"piio" u",l not the"rule for.a bov !o come to the

i*tit"tion more br less voluntarily. Institut'ional commitment,.u-* t" l" seldom the result of a frank and friendly discussion with

iir* iuan" and tlre probation officers of the committing c.ourt in which

"""6ii,i"iifi op"ti to the boy through the institut'io-nal.pro.gram are

"{#a. "f""t-;"[il rhi"6 hiJ conserit to going to the institution is

sought and obtained.""s?"".-JJri;A;;;; b"ys do appro-ach insritutional life. very.often in

u" "-otlo"al

'state oii.ui, hi,ired, or active- antagonism, the boy's

;;;.pti;; ;a his expe_rienc'es during the first-few days become excep-tionrllv important.

' i i q'ould be infinitely letfer if the.procedures;ir"r;;;it

":6i"tt he comes to the institution could be devised to operate

in .ucl a, r-ay a. to ."n.1 him to the ilstitutio'.in a coopera,tive mood,anticioatine'interesting anJ prontable activities. Until that can be

;;;;:"i;'i;"dt;F-a".1?"ut" tlnut hi. interest and his cooperation be

delib'erately .ou{ttt immediately on entrance'

Receiving cottages- rtr -uny institutions the receiving cottage differs r-ery little in its

ohvsical u.rorrEu-ui;; f-r" the otf,er residence units. In some it

i. 3;;;;h;il"?. "iti"ctive

in its living arrange-ments ard.less eflort

i, -"J" t" f-rave in it ;;t resemblance to"familylife. -ln the institutioni""C"iilo."io u u".y ,lZfinite philosophy lay back of the,provisiori ofi;..-;it*;ii;" ti"itig q*it".d in the rccepiion.cottage than in other

units. This philosopliy was based on.a behel that there r^-as some

"r".notoei.al'advanfade in having the boy feel that l-re hqd a.respon-

.itiititv f6r earning pleasant living arrangeme-nts, that by hrs o$'n

"""I"'"t fr" frua ]ot-i"it*d. Llese to s6me extent, but that he.could earn

o.iilfue"t and *ot"-.oii.fo.toty living arrangements again throughLis o*n eflorts. In some other instituttons rt IA'as lelt t 'nat tne reeel\--

il;;;i;;;; .l 'ould be erceptionallv pleasing and friendlv in afmos-;ir"-;ffid;;i;-h"ft..tunti.tr a c6oferative attitude in the boy and

i;i,;t;';;;;;;^" in"i."tings of strangeness and the 6omesiekness that

ii."'ii'";ith;; j;;il;;it? tnu train'ing prosram' There is probablv

.;;;;ffi; 1ob;';;il f;i both points oT view. However, as in other



questions, it seems likely that the policy which r-ould prove best forsome cases might prove less efiectir-e in others. In other words, eve[in tlre reception procedure, if it were possible so to arrange matters, itmisht be more effectir.'e to have thelnitial treatment b"ased on in'di-vicfual characteristics and needs, depenclent on previous experience,previous conduct, and current, attitudes.

As has been mentioned, there is usually a system of quarantine orsemiquarantine designed to prevent the introduction of communicablediseuses into the institutional group by bovs comine in from nossiblee-\pos,rrre in the community ailarge.

- lt ii accomp"lishect ustially by

considerable restriction of activities for the group resident at ttr'erecepbion cottages. That is, for the most part these boys do notparticipate in the g-eneral assemblies, and in some instituiions theydo not attend school nor mingle in anv rvay rvith the other residenc-eunits.

The period cluring rvhich a boy remains in the reception cottage isoccupied usually rvith making observations and examinations ryhichmay form the basis for assigning him to a permanent residence unit andto a school and vocational or *ork group. It is during this time thathe has his complete physical examination, his psychological test, andhis psychiatric

-examinaiion, if the institution has"such ciinical seivice.

He is also inten-iewetl by staff officers u'ho are delegated to determinecertain of his characteristics or abilities either inichool or in voca-tional .lines in preparatiolr for assignment. The average stay in areception cottage^in qomp.letg or paitial segregation varGd from 2 to6 rveeks in these five institutions.. Some of the superintendents stated that they considered it vitallyimportar,r.t to have in cbarge in the receiving coitage an exceptionailj'well qualiled cottage officer, one who was an excellent judge oT charac-ter and a keen observer, able to detect and to have some insiEht intothe problems of individual boys. They felt that this cottagE officermust b_e unusually_skillful in handling-bo1's and in helping-them tomake the emotional adjustrnent whicfis s"ometimes verj, difficult.First assignments

Three of these five institutions used the clinical method in makinsfirst assig!.ments to cottage, school, or vocational units. In the otheitwo schools these assignments rvere made b;' individual stafi membersdelegated for that purpose bv the superintendent uhen he did nothimself malie the decisions. At each oi the tlrree schools using clinicalmethods (see pp. .25, 96, 146) , there rv ls great , conf idenc"e in tLeefiectiveness of this procedure. Their experience indicated that it\!-rrs very useful to have the r-arious poinfs of vierv with resnecr toan individual case brought together and considered in relation to oneanother. rt was felt that tlre final plan of treatment evolved for theb_oys rvas often more appropriate th-an would naye been the case hadthe different assignments bben made by different individuals withoutknowledge of the points of view of otlier stafi members and withoutjoint discussions. Another poilt made was that tliis method tendedto direct the attention of all the leading stafi members who partici-pated in the discussion tou'ard the bov'Jcase as a rvhole instead of toparticula.r plrases of his problem, ani t lrrt this resulted in a muchPgttgl all-arolnd _program of tre_atment. Thus his cottage-familylife, his school rrork, his vocational work, and his seneral rec"reationdl


I

RECAPITUIJATION AND COMMENTS 239

and emotional life x ere all considered in relation to one another andto his needs as eviclenccil by liis physical and mental condition, hisprevious expcrience, and ifs-curreit'conduct ancl attitudes.

Institutions that are able to opcrate in relatively small cottage units(not more than 25 boys) are much more fortunate than those rr-hichmust maintain larger resiclence groups. ,\ greatcr number of smallunits makes it possible to maintain a grcatcr r-ariety in cottrge groupsin relation to the charaqteristics of the boys. Consecluenti;- tlie per-sons'responsible for assigning boys to residence units can give moreconsideration to each bov's narticular characteristics ancl sociri neecls.The small unit reveals oire of its Ereatest advantases s'iren it is effec-tivelv util izcd for the grouping tog"ether of types of'bo;-s rnrl of eottrgepersonnel that seem particularly suited to develop congenial rndsatis{actory community living and to bring out the best rather tliantire rvorst in one another's personalities. Institutions that must main-tain very large cottage units are badly handicapped in this regard,I{any of them find it impossible to do much more than classify by sizeand age, rvith a little attention to previous experience in delinquencyor to mental ler.el.

In makinE the first school assiEnment some institutions relv almostentirely upo"n tlre boy's slatemeni as to rvhat grade he had completedin his home community, plus a little questioning in an interview bythe school principal. Others supplement this by the use of psycho-logical findings when available.' The variatioir in possible schoolassignment dependent on the simplicity or the complexity of theinst'itution's educational program will appear more clearly in thesections which discuss the educational program. (See pp. 253,255.)

The industrial or vocational assiEnments seem to be made on avariety of bascs. They ciepend, of iourse, upon the fullness or thepaucity of the information available relative to the abilities of thoindividual boy. tTsually the boy's own preference is ascertained andsome consideration Eiven to it if it seems reasonable in relation to hisobvious abilities. In some institutions snecial r-ocational tests aregiven. In others, attempts are being made to devise satisfactory shoptry-out systems for new boys. If this can bo done in practical fashion,it"would'seem to be a sten forward in the develonment of the voca-tional rrorl<. Very little evidence was found of riry rttcmpt to can-vass the communilv to which the bov was likelv t6 return. to deter-mine rvhat would be the probable #ork opporiunities open to himwhen he was ready for self-support. That is, of course, a somervhatdifficult task, and"under preseni unemploymdnt conditiirns, rvith theseeming uncertainty as to u'hat employment, opportunities rvill be, itbecomJs almost imfossible. Nevertheiess, it ddes seem desirable thatsome consideration be given to probablelvork opportunities in mahingvocational-tlaining plans for individual cases. The young man whohas more than one"skiil ai his command has a decided adva"ntage o\rerthe person who is entirely dependent on one line of tvork. The neeclsof the various shops that are carrying on a heavy maintenance ol pro-duction proErrm

-for the institutio; should nbver be permitteci to

divert the aJsiqnment of bovs from traininq for a vocatiorr.In some insi,itutions care"is talien to cotisider the bor-'s rieeds for

development that rvill not be met bv tlie help he l ill find iu scirooland voeat ional t raining. In these ir ist i tut ioni pl lns rro lnrr , le rrhich


240 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQTIENT BOYS

insure that each bov will ha'e an opportunity to participate in recre-ational or other free-time activities ihat will bontribute fo the srowthand. development of lfs personality along normal lines. His partici-pation is not left to chance. His needs are very definitely analyzeci,and an attempt is macle to meet them through ihe various actiiitie;ar.-ailable in the institutional proEram.

In the institutions using the cilinical method for rnakins these firstassignme-nts, i t_was usual ly part of the procedure to Irave t l ie hov , . . , rnein after the decision had been reachecl and to explain to him in friendi;.,informal frsliion just rvhat plans were being made {or him. It .n'aiconsidered impor[ant, to have him feel t]rat Er.eryone there rvas inter-ested in his future and that every decision made hacl been reachedbecause thev all thought this the"best plan for him to follorv at thetime. In schools rvheie the clinical methoct rvas not usecl an eflort wasusually made t-o conlgy tlris impression of frierrdly interest throughinterviervs conductecl b-v the indlviclual officers miLing the dillereirtassignments.

7. THE BOY'S LIFE IN THE INSTITUTION

Daily routine

EverS' institution rvhich cares for a considerable number of bovsltls.t q{ necessity follorv an established routine for claily activities.\\'ith slight r-ariations in time the routines established at the variousschools were quite similar. In each all the boys rose at the same time,dressed,.bleakfasted, performed such chores "arouncl

their cottage aswere assignecl to them, and then reported to the classroom, the s[ops,or r,r-ork assignments. Some boys belonging to squatls that rvorkedin the _dai_ry, in the kitclrens,_and on othei assignmehts requiring earlyrising had to go lo worl< earlier than the rest"of the sroui. At nooiithere $'as usually a recreation period following tlre

-noon meal, then

all boys reported back to scho-ol, shop, or rr.o'rk. trlost schools re-leased- the boys from shop and s-chool and work assignments earlyenough to allow a short period of free time before thJ supper houi-Qupper was fairly early in most of these institutions and u-as folloueclby the-longest recreatio-n period of the da.v. The retiring hour I'ariedsomeu'hat, being usually arorrnd 8, 8:30, or g o'clock.

-Some oi the

institutions which cared for older boys permitted them to remain rrplater than the bo.vs in the cot,tages for the vounEer srouo.

This neeessity of li ' ing by exict routineineviiabi-y tencls to createan inst i tut ional atmosphere that in some rva,ys hampers indir- idualdevelopment. On the

-other hand, it inculcatei regulai habits of eat-

ing, working, plaf ing, and_sleeping. .The fact thit these things aredone b.v the bo)zs en masse because it is the rule that they be ddne atthe sarne time instead of_because they are good liabiti to accluire,decrerses the training value. Ho.*-er ler, t l re" srme tr-ne of roir t ineeharaeterizes practicall.v all boarding-sclLool life anrl "is an essentirrlfeatuie of life in large groups. -\'Iucir can be done to ofiset the me-chanical character of the routine bv those in charse if thev make snrethat every b_oy .nrlerstands rvhv tlie rules exist anil lvhy itis necessaryfor the good bf all of them that the routine be sladli and carefulli'observecl. 'rhe bovs' response will then tend 1o b"e r-oluntarv iircharacter instead of purelv mechanical.


RECAPITUI/ATION AND COXIMENTS 211

General atmosphereIn external appearance all these institutions visited were cier-oicl of

prison characteiiitics; tliat is, the buildings \r-ere surroundeti by nowalls or fences and no bars lvere in evidence. The types of rrrchi-tecture used and the placing of the buildings aiTect to some ertent theimpression which the-r.isitor qets as to the character of an instit'ution.Some have more in common ivith private boarding or military schoolsthan rvith public correctional institutions. In general much care hasbeen taken to make the grounds attractir.e and pleasing.

Radical differences weie observed as to the freedom of movementpermitted to the boys. In some institutions boys r,vent about freely,alone or in conples,- apparent'ly l'ith no thought of being constantlyobserved or under suard. In others such freedom of movement wasallou-etl to a r-ery few "honor" boys, and others mor-ed only in groupsaccompanied by an officer or a boy "tnonitot." The restrictive insti-tutional atmosphere was naturally conveyed most distinctly in thoseinstitutions where the bo5.s almost ahvays marchecl in groups two bytu'o lccomprnie, l h.v some supervisor.

Althougli the psychologicai or emotional atmosphere of an institu-tion is so intangible that any appraisal of it must necessarily b.esubjective, the character of such t'atmosphere" in each of the insti-tutibns visited bv renresentatives of the Children's Bureau seemed tobe revealed moie oi less clearly by numerous small matters. Thefacial expression of boys and staff, the tones in which boys qnd officersaddressei one anothei, the phras'es used, the evidence or lack of evi-dence of sincere liking between boys and staff members, t'he absenceof spontaneous laughter, the droop of shoulders or the upriglit andconfident bearing with which boys walked about the grounds orworked in shop or school-such things as these, plus the attitudesexpressed and those revealed without open expression, furnished abasis for at least some me&sure of appraisal of institutional atmosphere.Dvaluated in such terms, the atmospheres of the various institutionsvisited were very different.

If such a thing as the psychological or emotional atrnosphere rsparent to a visitor who spends a comparativelv shot't, time u'ithinapparent to a visitor who spends a comparatively sholt, time u'ithin

the institution, it must surely be very real to,the boys rrho live in itthe bol's u-lro l ivc in itfor months or years and must have a profound elTect on +,he majorityof such bovs. If that atmosohere is relativelv free of restraint.of such boys. If that atmospheJe is I' free of restraint,

nvitation to naturaldevoid of fear, imbued wiih friendliness and an invitation to naturaboyish gayety, encoura,gement to industry, and appreciation of effortand accomplishment, it should be highl;' tonic in its effect. On theother hand, if it is distinctly repressive, curbing boyish exuberancethrough fear, bowing heads and painting sullen expressions on youngfaces, echoing curt comments and harsh reprimands, or scoldingsand faultfindinss, it is hard to see how it could'have a b6neficial efieiton the personaliiies of boys, particularly those already warped andtrvisted by unhappy experience.Cottage "family" atmosphere

In most institutions operated on the cottage plan, it was found thatthere lvas a desire to itpproximate a feeling of family life and fanrilyrelationship within each residence unit. As has been remarliedpreviously, this becomes practically impossible 'when the cottage


242 FIVE STAT.o INSTITUTIONS FoR DELINQUENT BoYS

population exceeds 20 to 25 boys. In larqer units such family atmos-phere as is created begins to lal<e on an artificial charactei. and asthe number increases ii is strained to the breaking point. In all butone of these institutions studied, the cottage personnel included aman and x'ife rylio \\'ere supposed to stand iri the relationship offather and mother to the boys in their residence units, so far as ihatu'as possible. In tlie fifih "institution

the woman on the corrasepersonnel staff l'as considered a part-time ryorker and ranked as-amatron.rcsponsible for the housekeeping but having practically noreslonsibility for the supervision and guidance oI the boys.

Since tlre-principal objective of thE institutional treatment is toprep-rlre boys-for normal iocial living in a horire in a community, toomuch attention cannot be paid to [he develonment of a sem6lanceof- home atmosphere in relation to the boy's-life in the institution.This .means the provision of pleasant hoinelike surroundings, alsoexercise of the grea_test, care in-the selection of cottage persoinel, astheir character and their personal attributes are hilhly important.They need to be men anii women who understand arid lilie bovs.They should have an appreciation of the needs of all the boys com-mitted to their care. They should be people quick to take advantageof the opportunity to tea6h all boys rvtro be'come members of the"ircottage groups the -reasons behind all the rules, regulations, andcustoms that control cottaee life. One of the criticisms that seemsjustified in relation to institutions is that they tend to suppress theimpulse to self-direction and to make boys defendent on rriritine andregulation. This hinders instead of eniourafes the development ofpersonal and social responsibility. The chanie to help boyi to learnio stand on their owrr ieet is pr"obably greater in the homely deti\ilso{cottage life than in any othei phasebf"institutional activity, thoughthis faci is not always recosnized.. Tlrg building up "of

a c6ttage spirit which will resemble familyloyalties can be a very good thing if iot, carried too far in a competitividirection. The arvakening of loyalties of this kind sometimes iatisfiesa real hunger in boys w'ho have-had too little sense of belonging to afamily or other grolp in which they could take pride.rlrrangements for sleeping

In these five institutions, as rvell as in many other State institutionsmore briefly visited, the dormitory systerd prevailed. There is adivision of bpinion as to lvhich is the inore d6sirable, the dormitoryor the single-room system. The dormitory of course makes nightsupen'ision easier. In the one school u'here there were some singlerooms there seemed to be a feeling that it was wise to have both typesof housing available and to use t[em with discrimination for differbntj,Jp, es of cases, and the newest cottage at that inst-itution provided forhalf of the cot,i f of the cottage population in a dormitorv and lLllf in single rooms.

In three of tirese'schools all-nisht sun6rvision was siien in allight _srrpervision rvas given in alldormitories. fn one institution thd onlv dormitories su

at regular intervals by night watclimen. There has been considerable

dormitories. fn one institution the onlv dormitories supervised werethose in rrhich the more difficult bovs-sleot. In the fifth the bo'rsr'nose rn \\-nlcn tne more dfncutt tloys sleDt. ln the flltll ilte bolrslr-ere locl<ed in the dormitory at nisht"and the dormitories were visite,lat reEular intervals bv niEhi watclimen. There has been considerablediscussiqn of this question of all-night supervision, and opinions asto its value differ.

-Some institutional authorities feel that ihis inces-

sant watchfulness has not, a'particularly good psychological effect onthe boys; others feel that despite the drawbacks it is essential, andvery few favor discarding it altogether.


Arrangements for eatingAs u'as the case il regard to the phvsical &spects of the kitchen and

dininq-room at,.angeme"nts, t lre sociri rtspects among the five institu-tions'revealed similar vlriations. ln sonre dininc' Iooms tlre silencerule was observed during me1ls, in othe}s bo-r-s $-cie p0r'mitted to talkin natural tones. \Yith io manv boys it is oi iotrrsc rlfff icult to conductu dlrri]lg room in informal fashion ivithout runnin_g into di{culties intha wai of too much noise and too boisterous behavior. BLrt it canbe done. \\.hen the boys'eat in separate units it is easicr to encouragenatural conversational"habits and to give more attention to tablemaruters. This is one more place il rvLich there is real opportunityto Eive the boy an understaridine of standards of l iving u-it lr u-lrichhe inay have had relatively little acquaintance in his orvn homc'

Sanitary arrangements

RECAPITULATION AND COMMENTS 243

hasto be ctean and understand the values o1

"lsanliless, is missilg a fine

Little need be saidin the way of comment on this subject,. Obvio-usle sanitary arrangements should be adequate to encourage -a htgLittle need be said in the way of comment on thrs sublect. Ubvlo-usly

the sanitary arrangements should be adequate to encourage a highdesree of cieanlineis. The use of sanitary arrangements under theo"T.lo..o nf thc nntfn.qc nersonnel e,a,n be made to furnish opportunitydesree of cleanliness. The use of sanitary arlangements uncter then.riduo"" of the cottaEe lrersonnel can be m-ade to furnish opportunityIor teachilg good peisohal hygiene anfl an appreciation of the careof th" bod57 a+d the imp.ortalde of such .care

-tb,health,,gro.w,tlr' an{

il;;i";;" f5" i".tit"tion that merely has routine baili nights andhai bovs bathe because it is the rule to do so, not because they wantto be dlean and understand the values of cleanliness, is missing a fineopportunit.y to contribute to the development, of peisonal hab-its andsiandards ihat may me&n a good deal to the boyln later life.

Living-room and playgrountl activities

Even the busiest dailv routine includes some free time that usuallyis snent on the cottase playgrounds when the weather permits andindoors in cottaEe livinS riroms at other times. These hours freefrom scheduled d"uties ofl"er opportunities for developing self-direetionand nrovide an outlet for phvsical, mental, and emotional energyin diiections that ma.y contribute tb healthy growth of personalityor the reyerse. These are the hours that are t-he counterpart of theones during which boys are most likely to get into difficrrlty rvhenthev trv to"make theii adiustment aftei ther;are returned lo nornralco--rnitv lif". It is therefore highly important that, careful atten-tion be sirlen to teaching them how to make profitable and srtisfyinguse of this free time. This places a heavy responsibilit.v on cottagepersonnel that alreadv bear i ver.y considerable burden. One of theinstitutions studied was developiirg a system under il-hich rssistantcottage managers wcre expectecl totake the-majo_r responsibility {orleadeiship and supervisionduringlhis part of bhe bo;-'s day. ...In trvoothers a'.[ew sludents from nea]rby c6lleges were being rrtil ized toaid in this part icular feature of th-e inst i tut ional t reatrnent. Thosehours are tutt oi opportunities for teaching in qn unobst-rusir-e- wayal l k jnds of lessons' in personrl ethics, in subordinrt ion of individualimnulses and desires fo the comfort' of others, and in the generalneisonal control that is essential to successfui social living''

l t . . " ,n= important to provide the necessary physical i r rc i l i t ies foractivities thativill be helpTul in these directioni.

- Bach cottage nceds

a playgro_und of -arnple iire so that bol-s may,play gltnes in snrallErourjs. ii thev desiie, without interfering rrith one another. Thcil.e ,it ihe plavsround should not be too foimal nor the activities toorestricted to peimit choice according to individual lihes in the rvay of



games and exercise. nls4 cottage too needs for the hours that cannotbe spent out of do.o1s q living rodm that is attractir,-e ;;J;; ho-"rrk;as possible, in which the b.oys may read, play games, o, do any kindof handicraft thar lppeals- to them. inst i lu i ions- ' r . i^s b".*-"ntplayrooms should takb-care that such rooms are not

".ua""""i".i".iyfor the,prrrpose oT J<eeping the regular l i r - ing.oo,"n un o.a". i " ' . . . to* ' ,roonr thut docs the bors no goodl I f and

-*-hen ba.ement l l "uroo.=

f l l_o , :nq they,shorr ld 'be reserved for the rougher pto"

" i t i ln boy.

11f",,""d,I'h,i.,h provides an outlet for pent_up energy durirrg bidyTJ_l.,r tlrl kgfpp them indoors. Thes-e roords should be carifullysuperrrsed at l l I t i rnes. The use of bov monitors for t l l is purpose isvery inadvisable. The cottage atmospher" .ho,ild-Lu-il.Jiu. ,r"u,to that,of a large family of "boys

as possible. f r , i . - - . -Jn. that areasonabte amount of order is necessarv but the normal boy talk andlaughter should be heard at all rimes. "\t'i!h

ih;;igilliriJ'oicottageqsltollnl the spirir of the boys can be so built up-that it wilt not bed lmcu l t to marn tarn such an a tmosphere .Miscellaneous arrangements

some institutions make a special effort to prolide at least a smallspace in which-a bol- may keep his feu'talu*'Jp.iuut"-oor..rrions insalety. rn .others there is no such provision. I t id a universalcharaeteristie of human beings that ttiey do like i; i; ',;, una

". umatter of {a.c! they need to hlave, some degree of privacv'und.o-.

ptace ln whrch to keep at. least a few personal ,,freasuies". Boyscertainlv &re no exceptign.to this ruJe; uha, f po..i6t", it *"rld seemde:rrable to pro'ide indiridual lockers for persbnal possessions.. Smokrng was forbidden at all times in ali five of these institutions.At some ot them rt rvas,made quite clear to the bol-s that the pr incipalreason for the establishment bf such a reguJati<in

"n""ii"g'"ri;g;;and for its strict enforcement was the n.E trurura i"t-or"l'a lo ou"-Il.'^, ]

i.lg _.lfi ns .arnons so ma n]- bo.vs lodged ;; i;;.[i";'il ; r,l di:"g.rntl \t 'ere not entlrel.v fireprool'.

At some institutions boj-s are used in the capacity of monitors, theextent gf lhg pract ice' i r ] ' ing considerably. ' At"ei-erv- ini t i t , i t io"ln $-hlch therr rrse rvas_noted, staff membeis e.xpressed"considerabledislike of the system. They seemed to feel ih"iit'tt"a ino." ai.ua"u"-tages than.adi'anrages, b.i all aetio."a-in"t ,;ith ;r;;Jirrritiiiorr. o.,personnel, . r t was.absolutelv necessar. \- to make use of bov assistantsrn connectron wrth nranv phases of group management.Outside contacts

In all f ive institutio's the bovs rrere perrnitted to recei.r-e letters andwere encouraged (and. in some iases requir.ed) to u.-rite to their parentsor to members of their immediate famih- at reg.lar i.,te.rlai.. ' Bothincornin-q and o.tgoing letters ruere inspectEJ nr- ;;;fi'-il"-b"..a s s i q n e d t o t l r a l d u t r .

Each institution aiso permitted relaiives to visit bor-s under certainconditions and at establishcd times, the ruies t,t. ' . i .. l l isits notdiffering.greatlr-., ercept in detaiis due to local conclit ions.

Some rns t r t l r t r ons pe | rn i i l ed bovs to so l o t l r e i r l r omes fo r r i s i l s .These visits rvere often rnade a'speciai featrrre of the christrnassenson . T t * - r s sa id - t hn t \ - e r \ - l i t t l e d i f i l c r r i t r . h r rd bc "n -e . rpe r i en "edin connection *ith the ret,rn of bo.r's fr;d ,;;h r..i-.

-'Ti otir.,

institutions no snch r-isits were rllou-ed, ditrei";t;;a;;.lf"i"^s si""^


RECAPI'IULAT'ION AND COMMENTS 245

for this nrohibibion. At none of the institutions rn'as thegained tLat these home r'' isits-were.a part of what mightTsradual-release" system, such as is sometimes discussedto.-release from instit trtional supervision.


Hospital facilities

Reference has been mq,de in the section of this chapter on the

o h v s i c a l n l a n t t o t h e t r p e o f h o s p i t r l f r c i l i t i e s p r o v i d e d ( s e e p ' 2 1 8 ) '

hh".; . ; i io i , r . . t t " .* . . . r i ln di f fer 'with the size of the insl i tut ion rrndits accessibility to such facilities outside the institution itself . pveJYinstitution reciuires sufficient hospital accommodations to provide forthoroush phviical examinations,-for the treatment of minor injriries,and for-caie in slight illnesses. For an institution of any size it seemsJ".i."nt" t" hu""-tu.iliJi". to tut u proper care of

'all cases of acute

itt"".., *ittr arrangements such thai cases of communicable diseasemav be isolated pr iper lr ' . Surgical u-ork, ei ther correct ive o-r emer-n.n|- . -uv n" carr ied on in the"inst i tut ion, or arrangements for suehF;;d;;v 'be macle at hospitals.near by. Every i r ist i tut ion shouldi l i - ; ;a;"o"ate provision, which should, of course, he made in themost econbmicai fashion consistent with the bo1-s' safet.' rnd welfare.

Hospital staff

Three of these institutions had physicians sen'i-ng full. time. and. twohad phvsicians on part t ime at the head ol their metl teal dtvrstons'Tir;'G"" latter physicians were in private pr.actice in nearby cities.No Eene.ul rule'can be laid do'wn-as to which arrangement is thel"tt!.. tle decision depends on a number of factors, such as size ofir..inrtit"tlon, itslocation, and the availability of high-grade medical-"" i" adjacent communities r.illing to devote Po.tt 9t their time totml".liiittl"nal u.ork. Generally fre services of the directing plr51s5;io" ;"; supplementecl by surgebns and specialists. in lrrious fieldswho serve is consultants, either on an annual retniner's fee or on a

"o."-t y-"o." fee basis. \{ost institutions need considerable service

from dar, eye, nose, and throat spccialists.ifr" denial'workiilier.vise rnas done in some institutions by a dentist

*tr ct i " ful l t ime, in ot lLers hy dent is ls employed onl; 'o.1 pnrt t ine'Arr,r igement for r lental seryice, l i l te arpngements for n:ct l tcal ser l lee';;;il?r be workecl out in the most efiectir-E manner possible in relationto ttie institution's needs and the resourccs available. It is of greatimportance that good dentai service be provided.:

fk." fir-e instltutions varied somewirat as to the amoltnt ancl thecharacter of the nursinE service. AII of them employed at least one."s*t"t"a ^tr*". In soine institutions she rvasassls-tec,l by a practical

""?." ""a attendants or boy aids. others had additional registered

NUISES.

Physical examinations

On entrance or within a ]rery short time after admission to these

fir-e institutions-also a consid-erable number of other Stete institu-i lont ui . i te. l for other purposes t l ran this-stud'r ' - rr l l bo; s.rr elc :r ivcnphVsicr l er lnr inrr t ions. The charaeter oI t l lese e- \ i lml t l i t l to t ts l " l l 'ges

i.d- "

fairlv simple clinical examination to-9t9 involvin'g quite com-pf

" t " p ' r . " , iu |e inc l r rd ing laboratory tests. Heig l r t , r r c ig l rL, r rnr l o t l rer

i iLy. i i " i - " " .ur" - "nts i re usual ly" taken rnd recorr le t l . T l r ront cLr l -

impressionbe called ain relation


246 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BoYS

tures ancl a \\:assermann test, are usually made in all cases and fre-quently t'he Schich test is part of the iniiial examination routine. Insome institutions urinalyses, blood-chemistry examinations, and basal-metabolism tests are made in all cases; in others these tests are doneonly as indicatecl. If there is any suspicion of tuberculosis in an indi-vidual, most institutions arrange for an X-ray eramination. Immuni-zation against, diphtlieria and-typhzatio_n against, diphtheria and typhoid fever and vaccination againstsmallpox are frequently included as part of the initial routine.part of the initial routine.

In iome institirtiom,'boys are periodically rveighed anii niea.n"e,l,d a corrtinuous chart of"their siowtli end"devei-opment is kept. Inand a corrtinuous chart of

-their giowth and-deveiopment is kept,. In

others the boys are not reexam-Lred until iust, befbre thev ar6 to beothers the boys are not reexamined.until just befbre they ar6 to beuu_uors urle uuJS al.c rr()ti l.eexarlulteo.unlu ]us[ DeIoIe I,neyreleased, unless they come to the hospital for some rea.od.

provided .at llate eipelrse varies ionsiderably. In some instancesfuncls are insufEcient tc, do more than provide t[e absolute]v necessarvprovide the absolutely necessaLU uu rttul'U Llrlrrr IJr'o\'roe [IIe aDsolulely necessalyertraetions and fi l l ings. In others more complete care ]ookine tol-ari lt l re preservat ion of the bov 's teetL and to l - l id put t inE h is mout l r in to

Corrective workA varying de_gree of use is made of the findings of the physical

exa?inations. In practically all cases the medicaliecord is availableto all officers undef rvhom the bov mav live or work. if thev choose toconsult, it. In some institutions par"ticular efiort is mad"e to directthe attention of officers under rfhorn bovs work. or under tvhosedirection they may indulge in active exeicise of any kind, to anyphysical wealinesses ivhich would malie undue exertionbr special hind"sof effort unrvise, if not unsafe. In some institutions all under-ryeiEhtboys are recommeqded for special diets, and each case is follou.ed"upto make sure that the dieb is followed and that it is proving successfui.There is great opportunity for fi.ne health service bf this"deseriptionrn connection rvith boys committed to institutions for delinquents.Many physical defects of a tvpe easily remedied are discôveredthrough the entrance e_xaminatioins, and" the better-supported insti-tutions seek to do such corrective'ryork as appears io be needed.This means that funds are made available foi proper glasses, that,appliances such as arch supports and special shoês ean b-e purchasedas needed. The hospital r&ords at rnany institutions shou- a con-siderable number of

-operations annually io remedy such conditions

as diseased tonsils, adenoids, and herniai. In thos6 institutions thatmake an effort to study each individual boy and to give him everypossible aid tov-ard normal grow-th and development is a part of thetreâtment loo_l..rjtg toward readjustment, this' attention to physicaldefects and difficulties is eonsidered an indispensable pari oi thetreatment routine.Dental work

rn institutions for juvenile delinquents the amount of clental worh

ertractions and filliboy's teeth and torvaid putting his mouth into:eping it that rvay is piovidelt. In this con-first-.class shape_ and keeping it that rvay is piovicleit. rn this con-

nection a special feature at one of the institutions misht be mentioned.nection a special-ferture at oie of the institutions miglit be mentioned.It e-mployed a f'll-time clental h}'gienist *ho mai-ntained an officeI t cmployer l .a . fu l l - t ime r lenta l hygienis t r rho mai inin the school building ancl rvho ex:aminecl and cleanecl the teeth ofall the bor-s at regular inten'als, tlesignaling tlrosc rvho neetled toreport to thc dentist for treatments arul maf,ing surc that the.v dirlso report. An important part gf h.er rvork rvasieclucating the-boysur the care of their teeth and the importance of such ca*re to'theirgeneral health.



Other medical careIn these fir'c schools and in most of the other Strr,te institutions that

have been visited more briefl5r by Cliiidren's Bureau replesentatir-es,arrangenlents are made for boys in need of attention to see the plrl-si-cian any day. Sometimes this is done at' a set hour knotr-n as "siciicall", sometimes the service is operatecl like a dispensary ancl boysma)r come at any time during certain daily office hours. ln someinstitutions it is the policv to rnake the cottage officers responsiblefor sencling boys to the physician or at' least, for giving them peiniissionto report to the hospital. In others there is a striet regulation that nocottage officer may refuse a bo5' permission to go to the hospital. Inthe lalter the ohvsicians wish to keen st'rictlv in their own hands fullresponsibility for"the health of the boys. They believe that they them-selves should make the decision whether or not the boys need medicalattention. They permit no home remedies to be tised in the cottages.Thev require that even minor cuts be dressed at the hospital. In oneinsiilution where this regulation prevailed it was stated tliat the schoolhad an exceptionally low rate of infections, even of slight character,and it was believed that the close attention paid to even minorinjuries was very much worth while.

Each of the institutions had some regulations fixing responsibilityfor following up each case which the physician decided needed furthertreatment, until the case was dismissed by him as no longer needingattention.

All five of the institutions in this study were fairly well equippedto take care of acute illnesses. Inevitably an occasional epidemic,particularly of influenza, overcrowds hospitals planned for ordinaryneeds. In general it was the policy not to attempt to give care tochronic cases. Effort rvas made to secure hospitalization for suchcases in their own home communities or in other State institutionsparticularly designed to serve their special needs. Occasionally it wasfound very difficult to arrange proper sanitarium care for boys withtuberculosis. The institution hospital then made special arrangementsto give hospital care pending the rvorking out of the boy's return to hisown communitv for care.

Most instituiions. as has been stated in the section on admissions(see p. 232), are not required to admit and do not admit boys sufferingfrom venereal disease in an infectious stage. The better institutionsmake very careful provision for giving continuous treatment to boyssuffering from syphilis who may be admitted after being renderednoninfectious. Occasionally boys returning from parole are found tobe suffering from gonorrhea or syphilis in an infectious stage. Theymust then be isolated until rendered noninfectious. and care must betaken to continue treatment so long as tests indicate that there isneed. It is vitally important that when a boy still in need of treat-ment for syphilis is paroled, the parole officer make sure that treatmentis available for him in the community to which he goes, and that hereports. regplarly for such treatments or periodically for necessaryreexamrnatrons.

A special feature at one of the institutions that seems worthy ofmention here was the maintenance of a school nurse. (See p. 151.)Her office in the school building was a completely equipped dressingstation in which, under the physician's direction, she could take care



of all first-aid worl< and to which teachers could have boys report ifthey appeared to need some attention. This seemed to be a veryeffective supplementary service in the field of medical care.

9. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERYICE

Clinical facilities

Four of these institutions had some full-time or part-time psychiat-ric and psychological personnel rendering diverse^services.

'

In one institution a State juvenile-research bureau was supplyingone full-iime psychologist for a population that at the time of the visitwas 990 boys, with 808 new admissions during the previous year.When the institution was visited this psychologist did not have evenstenographic,_servic_e, exc-ept as such duties were performed by boyinmates detailed to his office. To a second institutibn a State reiearchbureau detailed a full-time psychologist, and

'a psychiatric social

worker. The services of the other psychiatric or psychological per-sonnel of the bureau were available for special cases. Thii institu-tion had a population of 330, and its new admissions during theprevious year numbered 215. In the third institution one full--timepsychologist was carried on the school pay roll, and the mental-hygiene division of the State hospitals supplied a second full-timepsychologist and a consultant psychiatrist *ho visited the institutiononc_e a week. _ The population of the institution when visited was 631,and the previous year's new commitments w-ere 358. The fourtliinstitrJtion had .a psychiatric and psychological unit directed by apart-time psychiatrist rv'ho was connected *ith a psychiatric cliniein a nearby citl-. Its staff at the time of the visit incfuded, in additionto tlis psychiatrist, two clinical psychologists (one on part time), apsychometrist, a psychiatric qocialworker, a second ps5'chiatrist givingp-art time, and.a secretary. This school had a population of 470, andthe new commitments during the previous yeai hld been 3g3.

Obviously there was much variation in the amount of clinicalattention u'hich could be given to each new boy or to all boys undertreatment at these various institutions and to the relation of eitherhandicaps or abilities to their physical conditicn and hygiene.Psychological tests

In all five institutiols psychological tests ryere used to some extent,r.arying from the routine of a group test for all new boys, with addi-tional individual tests for a very limited number of boys who madepoor shorvilgs in the group test, to fairly extensive use of various fomtsof both group and individual tests. In the instittition which had nocliniqal facilities, the principal of the school gave psychological tesrsto all nerv boys prior to their school assignment.

-Ii is obvious that

a single psychologist u-orking w.ith a larle school population and trheav ; ' l o rd o [ new commi tn ren ts can g i ve l i t t l e t ime to i nd i r i d r r r r ls tudy ihrouglL the appl icat ion of specia l tests and to thouelr t f r r linterpretati ins qf indiri iduaL"rpoo.b. ro th" i". i. giu"".--O?.- t l ' , .ot'her hand, the institution which had the complete unit was able todo a considerable amount of genuine study of the psychologicrrlcharacteristics of individual boys as a basis ior deterrnining ceitaiuneeds in individual cases.. Rout ine.psychological lests, which must be appl ied and interpretet lin more or less wholesale fashion because of the sreat burden of worli,

j


RECAPITULATION AND COMMIINTS

trained examiners. On the other hand, thoroughgoi

committiand tlrro

249

may well be regarded as of doubtful value. Psychological measure-ments are by no means rule-of-thumb procedures. Unless utilizedwith great care they can do barm rather than good. It is little shortof terrifying tg contemplate the damage that m.ay have been doneby labeling individuals as- subnormal after_ diagnoses.bv inadequatelytrained examiners. On the other hand, thoroughgoing, painstaking,psychological analysis aimed at discovering exactly w-hat abilities 6boy has and whether he has any special aptitudei can be a potentuoJ Irns ai lo w[e[[er 'oe nas any specrar ap[r luoes can De a potentforce in s.haping effective- treatment plans. In the opinion of someplychiatrist,s, far too much attention has been given tb looking for achild's handicaps and far too little to discoverins his innnte abilitiesand the relation of either handicaps or abiliiies t"o his physical condi-tions and hygiene; yet it is upon his abilities that conitructive effortto point hirirloward a hopefui future must be centered.Psychiatric examinations

In the two institutions served by psychologists from a State researchbureau, psyehiatric examinations were given only to certain boysdesignated-by these psychologists on theiasis of t"heir examinatioris,designated by these psychologists on thelasis of their examinatioris,or to boys whose diffidultv oT adiustment in the institution showedor to boys whose difficulty of adjustment in the institution showedspecial need for such examinations. In one State institution theseboys were sent to the State bureau and remained in its building fora period of observation and examination. Then they were returnedunless the diagnosis and recommendations were for some other tvpe oftreatment. The insiitution which ha,d no clinical seryices senl indi-viduals su.lpected of being "psychopathic" or "psychotic" to one ofthe State liospitals for eiamiriation and for recoinmendation as tofurther treatment. In the institution which was regularly visitedby a consultant psychiatrist, the two resident psychologists designatedcases for speciai fsychiatric examination. in ttre fiTth instiiution,which. had a comqlete clinic, all nerv boys were made the subject ofpsychiatr ic study'by the cl in ic 's psyclr iair ic personnel.-

Thus in thre"e of the institriti6ns studied. onlv the bov rec-ognized as suffering from some serious mental cottdition oi con-stituting a- gra"rre and especially troublesome behavior problem isgiven psychiatric attention. In the other tro institutions, and€specrally rn tne orof some psvchiatri;i;-# -y;r'iot.i" ..*i"u.- p'.;;;;;tli ;i,i' ;"o"i ; ;J"";;ili;dunderstandinq of the factors underlvinei their conduot nroblems and

ially in the one $rith full clinical facilities, all boys had the bcncfit

understanding of the factors underlying their conduct problems andsome valuable advice as to tvoes of tieatrnent likelv 1o heln themas to types of treatrnent likely to help themoYercome their difficulties.Personal histories

In two of the institutions relatively iit,tle personal histolrlur,rons relatrvely llt,tle personal nrstory wasobta,ined concerning the committed boys. In_one of these, if tlie boyhad been under obiervation at the separate institution oferated bythe State bureau of juvenile research,^a fairly comnlete historv rvasthe State bureau of juvenile research, a fairly complete [istory rvasusually available. Iir the other three institutions u foi. amorint ofusually available. In the other three institutions

-a fair amoint of

social history was usually on file, and in any case certain definiteefforts to obtain such histories were made. In all five States relativelyfew of the committing courts sent anything like an adequate casehistory with the commltti'lg paqerc._ ihe_ st6ry was blilt up throughinterviews with the boy hlmself, through coirespondence-with tlecommittins court or other social aEencies in his home commrrnitv.in his home community,commrttrng court or other social agencies rnand tbrough informa,tion obtained 6y parolehome andLis communitv shortlv after his cornity shortly after hi

parole officers who visited hishis commitment.


250 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEITINQUENT BOYS

Ilere the institution has a clear-cut obligation. It must seek tobuild un. throueh correspondence and throug-h as much direct personalcontact as posiible, the clrannels through which it may obtain theinformation-required if it is to perfolm its own function efiectively.In institutions^which have no-psychological or psychiatric clinicsthrough rn'hich this information maii be sought the iesponsibility maybe assiumed by some other stafi unit or by a person qualifi-ed by train-inE and erperlience to knorv what data rvill be useful and from rvhat

"oi,rces thev mav best be obtained in the communities from which the

boys come."Application of findings

Psychological and psychiatric examinatiots are largely wasteefiori unlesJ theit findiirg-s are used in developing plans of treatmentthat will help the boy make the adjustments necessary for return tocommunity life and for remaininq there without further serious con-flict. The findings of course haie considerable value in the field ofreseatch, but their primary purpose should be to serve the needs ofthe boy.

In three of the institutions such findings were of definite andpractical use through the clinical method fof making treatment P,la,ns,ior making first, ass-ignments and reassignments, and for determiningthe boys' fitness for parole. Stafr members at these institutions weresenerally of the opinion that this clinical method wa,s very satisfactory6,nd wai much mbre likely to result in a good understanding of theentire need of the bov ihan anv plan ivhich permitted differentparts of his program to be deteimihed bv individuals worlting in'complete

indepeidence of one another. Often, it was said, a itaffmember who was considering the boy and his problem from someparticular angle obtained much help from getting a new point ofview for that"particular problem thiough t[e observations-of strflmembers who

-were concerned with other aspects of the boy's life.

In the discussions in these clinic groups recommendations for treat-ment were often modified or changed when the whole picture wasput together and examined critically by all the specialists on theitun. if all points of view could be'combi.ted in on-e individual, thesame DurDose miEht be achieved. However, such persons are rare.Some are'being dEveloped in connection with-the psychiatric work inchild-suidance clinics, but there is still so much to be learned aboutthe tlinss which determine a boy's attitude and his conduct that fervindividu"als are likely to be found who possess the great insight andwisdom required if a decision as to a boy's program is to be left in thehands of one person.

In connection with disciplinary problems within the institution.the psychologists and the psychialrisLs are being cons!'lted more andmori fi'equen"tly. Their vilie in that connectioi should be especiailr'notable, but cl,ution should be used fu1 s,ssking their aid, lest theirclinieal and guidance usefulness be ieopardized by their coming tobe known in Ihe institution as a punilir-e force. The whole questionof disciplinary method is one to-which mental hygiene can and willundoubtedly make a great contribution.Research activities

A certain amount of research had been done at some of these insti-tutions, and more was contemplated. Considering the importance ofthe problems here presented and the opportunities*for study in a field



that should have tremendous practical value in relation to the preven-tion of delinquency, by an effort to disco-ver the forces ttrat produceit, the field s-eems-tb liave been as yet relatively untouched. Theseinstitutions lie readv to serve as laboratories in which the scientificmental hygienist mi,y find fertile fields for explorrtion in his search{or a kno#ledse of what the communitv need.s to do to render thefor a kn<iwledge of what the communitymaintenance of such institutions less necemaintenance of such institutions less necessary.General comment

The past 20 vears have seen the grorvth of tho mental-hygienemovem6nt and iis initial steps in connection with institutional treat-ment, of vouns delinquents.

- Unfortunatelv, both inside and outside

inslitutions-Ipeaking generally rather th-an r-ith specific re{erenceto the institutibns deilfwitir in this report-much of the early rvorkhas been confined larEely to so-called "diagnosis." The next stepwas to follow up sucddiagnoses wit,h re,commendations for types oftreatment. At-first the *ork consisted mainly of sorting out themental defectives or those suffering from mental disease, with conse-quent effort, to have them commifted to other types of institutionsthan training schools for delinquents. The growth o{ chjld guidancoclinic servicc has given impetus to the study of the behavior problemsof all children. The difficulties so far have been i:r making sure thotreatment recommended is given a fair trial. Like the parent, whotakes a sick child to the doclor, learns what is wrong with him, andthen fails entirely to follow the doctor's advice, maly communitieshave not follolveil the recommendations of the psvchiatric clinic. Aosvchiatrist does not Eive a recommendation which is to be followedie[ardless of consequ"ences any more than a physician seeking toheil some physical disease. ihe efiects of th6 tieatment, musi beconstantly ievieu'ed. Individual reactions to a program vary greatly.The resuit of regarding diagnoses and recommendations as thoughthey rvere verdicts endins alase instead of information on the basisof ivtrich a case begins h-as been clearly pointed out in the recentlypublished studv of 1.000 iuvenile delinquents whom the Bostonjuvenile court liad releired tb the Judge Baker Foundation for clinical"examination. This studv revealed tlat the clinic had confined itsefiorts mainly to diagno'sis and to the initial recommendations fortreatment and that iria large proportion of cases the court and otherasencies concerned did not follow the recommendations or made somernodification in them.7

If the psychiatric clinic in the institutions is to be of definite practicalvalue. it u-ould seem that four thines are essential:

1. Sufficient properly trained and.- experienced pr1. Sufficient properl5' trained and experienced professional workersso that each boy may be given the thorough study that is required ifhis difficulties aie tobe an"alyzed su-ccessfully.. Ttris means both psy-his difficulties are to be analyzed successfully. This means both psy-chological and psychiatric se"rvice of high quality for all cases, supple-ment6d by sociaicase rvork for procurTng^adequate histories, as il'ellment6d by sociai case rvork for procur-ing-adequate histories, as rvellas such stenographic and clerical aid as is required for systematicrecoros.

2. A plan of operation which insures the use of all the findings of theclinical study in connection with planning the various phases of theboy's institulional treatment and in maki-ng the preparations for hisre{urn to his on'n community. The clinical service should be sufficient-t

cto..t, su"tdon, and Eleanor T.: one Thousand Juvenile Delinquents; their treatment by court andclinic, p. 258. Ilarvard University Press, Cambridge, 1934.

76870-35-17



to-permit review from time to time of the boys who do not make thehoped-for progress under the initial treatmeni plans.- 3,_A syslem tbrougb which it is certain that the treatment plansfinally decided on will be carried out in all their essentials.

-This

probably means that the clinic will need psychiatric social service. Nochild-guidance clinic in a community can expect to operate with anl-degred of success without psychiatric social workers.

' This is as tru-e

in an institution as in any cornmunity. In the institution the boylives in a group moro or l"ess similar t"o a family. He has teacheri,vocational instructors, and other group supervisors. The clinic musthave the sympathy and understan?ing of all of those u-orkers who aredaily afrecting the boy's life if full use is to be made of the clinic'sappreciation of the boy's needs. It is this rvork of interpreting theboy's need, as scientifically determined by the clinic, to all the insti-tutional personnel who in any way associate with him or direct hisactivities that is tremendously necessary and as vet relativelv unde-veloped. Just as clinic rvorkers in communities emphatically"declarethat much of their most dfficult work must be done with- parents,teachers, and employers, so it is undoubtedly true that much of thdwork which would obviate ma,ny of the boy's difficulties in institu-tional adjustment leeds to be doie with cottige officers, teachers, and.other group supervisors. In aII this the psyc[iatric social worker canbe of ereat assistance.

ThiE does not mean that all the bov's previous misconduct must bemade known to any considerable numbilr of stafi members and dis-cussed with them. Nor does it necessitate the psychiatrist's violationof the boy's trust through presentation of material obtained in confi-dential talks. Just horn much must be divulged regarding a boy's pre-institutional experiences in order that stafi riembels ma5i fully uppte-ciate his probleins and help him to meet, them is ahvayj problematic.No rule can be iaid dow-n. The decision rvill depend in great parton the education, the experience, and the personal attitudes and ettLicsof the staff members concerned, also on the skill with which the clinicpersor-'lel 9qp bring abqut intelligelt, helpful attitudes without the

of the personalitiesuse of the full history. Each case-will have to be handled on the basisof the oersonalities involved. A summarv of the discussion of theseved. A summary of the discussion of theseproblems at a recent conference of psychiatrists and psychologistslrom juvenile training schools containi [he follorving statement:

Clinics, &s a new invention, have been welcomed with open arms in some insti-tutions, with the expectation that immediate and permanent solution of theinstitutional problems wouid be forthcoming. And sometimes clinics have beenviewed with suspicion as meddling in a field where they had no experience. Bothreceptions have hindered the work of the clinic, and in some schools the ciinic hastaken steps to modify the attitude of the staff-to instruct them in the functionsof a clinic, its possibilities, and its limitations * {< *. The importance ofeducating the cottage parents in mental hygiene was remarked especiaily. Theclinic must realize that the cottage parents generally have more contact with thechild than the psychiatrist or psychologist has and they can help or hinder theclinic's plan of treatment according to whether or not they understand andsympathize and cooperate with the aims and methods of the plan.s

4. A parole or placement service that rrili make intelligent use ofthe clinical analydis of the individual boy in making and cirrying outthe plans for the boy's return to commrinity life.

One of the surest ways to discredit a method or a moyement, is toclaim too much for it. Like many another good movement, mentalIE-.- nnfrr.t,-r,oui.g g.: Tbhd Annual Conferenco of Psycbiatrists and Psycbologists from Juvenile TrainingSchools, MeDtal EygieDo, vol. U, no. 2 (April 1933), pp. $r-$2.

Y


RECAPITULATION AND COMME}{TS 253

hygiene is in grave danger of suffering seriouslv at the liands of thosewho hail it as a panacea for all social ills. Its sincerest advocatesmake no such claims; they urge its use, horveyer, as one particularlyefiective approach to the problem of the young delinquent-anapproach characterized by scientifi.c objectivity, unhrmpered byemotional attitudes and moral prejudices. It will attain its purposemost completely when it so wins the confidence of the boys themselvesthat they respect it,, turn to specialized clinical help ivhen in difficult5',and recommend it to assobiates lvho a,ppear to need such aid as theythemselves have received from a clinic.

rO. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-CLASSROOM WOBK

The problems presented

Into the classrooms at these institutions come boys from a greatvariety of previous educational experience. They have attendel alikinds of public schools from the simple l-room rural school to thehighly orfanized institution in a metrofolitan center. Tbe bovs enterand leave the institutjonal classes irregularly throughout the year.Manyof them are-badly retarded. (Sedthe {ables in"foregoing 6hap-ters shouinE school srades by ase, pp. 67. 105. 157. 198.) I Ianv Stateinstitutions-for delinquents"reieiv-e'boys of atl giadations of "mental

ability except the very lowest grade of the feebl"e-minded. In everyinsti'+rtionai population can be-found boys presenting special educa'-lionqlproblqms that may or may not har e been previo"usly recognized.Reading difficulties are not, at all uncommon.

A number of the boys are confirmed rebels against school and schoolroutine. The schools which they had attended failed to arouse theirinterest or to_p-rovide the-l$ogr tlrat would satisfy their particularCevelopmental hungers. Many dull boys or boys-of slorv-reactionshave acquired resentful attitudes and definite feelinss of infcrioritvhave acquired resentful attitudes and ite feelinss of inferiorinaYe a,cquueg. resentlul attrtudes and denmte feelrngs of rnfenontywhen compelled to compete in classes with pupils much brighter andquicker. Sometimes ex-ceptionally bright boyl have u.eari-ed of thequicker. Sometimes exceptionally bright 6oy:s have rveari-ed of theslow and dull routine and have becbme Eostile ioward school DrosramsDruw tlru uull rOurrlrlc alro llave DeoOIIIe nosLlle lowalcl scnool DloEramsthat failed to give them sufficient activities to hold their inteiestl Asa consequence the institution for delinquents is immediately confrontedwith the necessity of finding _a wa.y !o Change the boy's attitude tor.vardwith the necessity of finding.a wa.y !o c] the boy's attitude tor.vardschool work and educational activity in general.

The first step toward the solution of the problem is to discover eachboy's educational need with special refere-nce to such abilities as hema}' have and to his probable environment and mode of life rvhen hewill leave the institution. The services of the psycholoeical andpsychiatric clinic can be invaluable here. The neit"step ii to buildan educntional program sufficiently rieh in subject matter and indiverse instructional media so that it witt supply ihese things neededto arouse the interest of every boy and to convert,him from hii attitudeof rebelliousness to a real interest in his school work.

-An impo_rtant need in every institutional program is to devise aneducational system that will permit, each bdy t-o progress at a raresuited to his particular intellectual endowmeit, thirs dliminatinE thediscouraging competition and comparison with boys much qrrickerand supdriol in in^telligence. A chance to enjoy a "sense of achieve-ment and to be protected from the unpleasant, emotional reactionsa_roused by continuous defeat and failure is particularly important forthe dullest and slowest bovs.



School facilities

If ihe problems outlined in the preceding paragraphs are to be metadequateiy the institution must have a schodl plant bf size and equip-ment suitable for carrying on a fairly diversified educational program.It must have a teaching staff highly qualified, not only by trainingand experience but also by possession of certain personal endowmentsthat especially fit them to rvork rvith boys presenting unusr"ral educa-tional problems. Institutions of this kind need teachers with a genu-ine liking for boys and a l-illingness to go to any length to help themovercome not only their educational difficulties but their emotionalones as rvell.

In general, State institutions tend to follorv the State compulsoryschool attendance larr.s and to conform to the public-school curriculum.This is of coulse essential. since the bovs come from the public schoolsand arc to return to them unless they itay at the institution through-out their school-attendance yca,rs.

Observations indicate that most boys are released from schoolattendance as soon as they have completed the minimum legal require-ment. This probably results in an educational handicap to some bo,ment. .Inrs ploDaDIy lesults rn an eoucatlonal nan0lca,p ro some ooyswho might have continued their schooling with profit if the rightsuida,nce had been offered them and if the curriculum had been fullguidance had been offered them and if the curriculum had been full

ir further needs.enoush and flexible enoush to meet their further needs.Another essential is su-fficient funds for high-grade teaching matg-Anbther essential is sufficient funds for high-grade teaching mate-

rials, so that the institutions not only may have enough good materialsto rvork with but also may keep up n'ith new and progressive ideas inthe teachins world. This is particularlv noticeable in relation to theamount of ironey that can 6e spent oi various types of visual aids,including the equipment necessary for the use of slides and motionpictures"in conhection with clasiroom or vocational work. Someinstitutions are fairly well provided with funds for such purposes,others are not. A good reference library is likewise an essential forfirst-class school wo"rk, but in some institutions the library facilitiesare poor.

In many States the institutions for juvenile delinquents do not seemto be utilizing as completely as might be possible the services of cer-tain other State educational agencies, such as the extension depart-ments of the State universities. the State libraries and museums. andspecial consultants in State defartments of education. Some institu-tions of other kinds do call on these other State agencies, sometimesfor special studies and advice. sometimes for fairly continuous serviceof various kinds.Meeting the problems

In these five institutions educational nroblems were beine met ina number of rvays. Tlre amount of study of an individual Iase pr', '-e prc-

rablv.paratory to planning for the boy's academic work varied considerablv.in son'e of them it c"onsisted of i i tt le more than asking him whab gmdeIn some oI them lt, consrsted oI lrtile more tnan asKrnq mm wn&t, graoche was in before comrnitted, determining his age an-d his standing irra psychological group test', and then placing him accordingly. Irothers a rather intensive studv of the bov was made. a number oi

group test', and then placing him accordingly. Inintensive study of the boy was made, a number of

difierent types of tests being in use, any-particular educational dif-ficulties he may have had were discovered, and his academic programrvas made up with special reference to enablinghim to overcome thenr.

The trvo schools that were using the contract system considered itwell adapted to the needs of an institutional population such as they


I

IRECAPITUI,ATION AND. COMMENTS 255

were handlinq. It has certain distinct advantaEes. ft makes pos-sible a high?egree of individualizrtion in eduiation. It permitsrather

"u# cori6lation with vocational work. Lessons within the

same scho6l srade can be arransed so as to suit the different mentalpace of dull, i,verage, or superioiboys. The dull boy may plod alonqit his own rate of- intelleCtual progress without feeling the sense ofinferiority that comes with claisroom recitations when boys of alldesrees of intelliEence arq doine the same lessons at the same time.TIie exceptionall! bright boy can go ahead as rapidly as his inlerestand his energv carrv [im. The sv"stem is peeuliatiy iffectir c in rela-tion to the ifreEulai entrance and"exit from classcsht all tit,tes of theYEAI.-

There is always a need for ungraded classes in institutions of thischaracter. Some of the institutibns studiecl have set up a consider-able variety of ungraded classes in an efiort to rneet the many con-spicuously different problems presented by individual boy-s. In somoo? these rinEraded classes teachers with cohsiderable imagination weredoins a great deal of individual work. Experimentation in this fieldbv q"ualified teachers is hiehlv desirable. In their work they need tohive available a great vaiiety of teaching materials. It wrs interest-inE to note that i"n some of t[ese schools"provision was made for justsuch exnerimental individualized instruction.

In one institution the classroom work was in two divisions, oneacademic and one desienated as manual education. In each divisionthe work of the different srades was goinE on. The academic divisionwas following the mor'e oiless conventional type of instruction, largelythroush the use of text and reference books; the manual-educationdivision, planned particularly for boys classified as nonverbal lypuqbv the ctinlc. madle use of a qreat deal of visual material and handpioiect work of various kinds..- Thus the same general subiect matterwad taught to the boys in both divisions, but thr-ough entirely differentinstructional media and method.Essentials

From the foregoing paragraphs it \\i l l be apparent thrt if an insti-tution for delinq"ueniboys is tb meet its full responsibilitv in relationto educational i,ctivitied, it must have adequate appropriations forspecially qualified personnel , Ior good modern clrssroom equipment,ai',d toi ari abundant supply of frany different types of educationalmaterial. The problems presented- are chailenging and difficult,.Many of these institutions' inmates represent failures, not of theindividual boys, but' of the conventionalized schooi qy.steln into whichthev have been iorced and from rvhich their personalities have suffereddefinite damase. It is not an easy task for an educational unit toundertal<e to iopail the damaee done and to win the interest of theboys and malce it possible for ihem to develop 1o the highest possibledelree whater-er.abilities thcy may have, be tlrev ever so limited oreYer so superior in quality.

rl. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-\VOCATIONAL OR PREVOCATIONAL

From the beginning many of the State institutions for .5 oungdelinquents rverd designed to-include industrial training rs rn intpor'-tant dart of their program. tr 'or example, t l re str tute rut l lor iz ing t l reestablishment of tihe

"Nerv Jersey institution in 1805 specificalls pro-


was the idea that many of these young offenders committed theirdelinquencies because thev lacked education and nossessed no knowl-edge of some useful trade through which thev coirld make an honestliving. They needed "to be taught to work." There seemed to beconfi-dence ai thut time in the efrcacv of aqricultural and industrialtraining as a means of deflectins bovJ from"criminal careers. It wastbe popular panacea of those dry.. "

At present there seems to be much difference of oninion as to theamouit of definite vocational or trade trainins that can and should begiven in an institution of this kind, though no one doubts its necessityin an insl,itutional program. The questions a-re how that trainingshould be given andto rvbat age groups and nhat types of boys.

Considerable difference in actual teiminology in this field has been

l * : 1, 1Tp-"q-T1lI rrli!t!:l: rl!:9 :,, ? :yrp_t'l:, t"Ir ? -y:-"9 ?Ip

vided that the pvided that the program should have the bovs under care do resularlabor of mechanica-i, manufacturing, or agri"cultural character.

"(Seelabor of mechanical, manufacturing, or agricultural character. (Seequotalion from this statute on p- 83_.) Man5' oth-er States incl4e.da similar definition of purposes'in the statules which created theirinstitutions for juvenile deiinquents. The general wording of manyof these earlv larvs. also somebf the earlier"renorts from tlie institu-of these early larvs, also somebf the earlier reports from ttions. show rilearlv'howlvell established in the'minds of thtions, show Clearly how rrell established in the-minds of the founders

manual training ", " vocational training ", t'industrial-arts training t'

and "trade trainins.rng ", " \,oca,tlonal f,ralnlrainins. " These have di

ralnlng .,, " rndustrral-arts trarrung'',,ve different meanings, yet there is

some confusion as to their exact applications. No attempt will bemade here to enter into any technical discussion nor to establish anyexact definitions. Such comments as are made will be rather Eeneraland directed to the ways in which some institutions have been seekingto meet those problems.The problems presented

In State institutions for juvenile delinquents may be found minorsall the rvay from 8 or 9 years of age to 18, 19, or 20 years of age.all rne lvay lrom 6 or y years oI age to IU, ly, or zThis immediatelv raises the question as to how old aThis immediatelv raises the question as to how old a bov should bebefore he is introduced to voc'ational work of anv kind. As has beenremarked in the section on academic education. there is also theproblem involved in planning for boys of exceedingly different mentalendorvment. (See p. 253.) This brinEs up at once the need for deter-endorvment. (See p.253.) This brings up at once the need for deter-

256 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIoNS Fon, DELINQUENT BoYS

expresses

enoolvmenr. (bee p. zb'.) lrus brrngs up at once the need lor deter-minine, so far as tests of various kinds can analvze them. each indi-viduaf boy's abil it ies and his special interests or aptitudei. If a bovi &nd lrls specral rnterests or aptrtudes. Il a bov

icular in torest , the next quest ion that r r iscs isexpresses some partrcular rnterest, the next questron that arlses lsholv much or how little he maf' know about the sreat variety of otheroccupations that are onen to bovs at, the nresenl time. Insiitutionaloccupations that are open to boys at, the present time. Institutional'lvorkers find that many boys coming to thcm for care have very littleknorvledge of occupations upon *-hich they may base their choice. Onesuch worker commented on this point in these u'ords:

He rnay have a vague idea that he v'ishes to be a mechanic but may not everrknorv the several trades by name, much iess anl'thing about the work, wage-r,opportulities for crnplo-vment, or social environment of such occupations. Thepopular choice among the uninformed I'outh is the auto-repair and electrir:ialtrades. Lisuallv hc has uo real conceptiori of these trades but chooses thembecause they touch his life in some spe-ctacular lray. The great need for nanl'of these voun le is sane counsel and an opportrinity to come in contact *itiror rnese voung people ls sane counsel ,some life activities suitable to them.e

e Shank, Allen L.: Method of Developing Manual Skills through Industrial Arts Training. Proceed.ings of the National Conference oi Juvenile Agencies, 1932, p. 87.

4{



Whatever trade training is to be a part, of the boy's institutionaltreatment, one of its objeitive., p"es.rioably, is to piovide him withsome skills that rvill be useful ori hi. return"to community life. It istherefore highl5r advisable that something be known about the em-ployment oiportunities in the region to"which he will go when holeaves the institution.

A difficulty often mentioned by the instructors in trade-trainingcourses at institutions is the relativeh' short neriod durinq rvhich boysremain under their instruction. They ask r:er1- seriousl! how usefulshort-time traininE actuallv is in tiades thit usuallv require anapprenticeship of i or 4 /e"t.. Horvever, even those rvho ques-tion the nractical value so far as emnlovment on release is con-cerned oflen express a belief that the training has definite thera-peutic value in connection rvith tlie boy's social adjustment, both inthe institution and in later life.

One of the nroblems that is as old as the institutions and that stillremains to be-worked out to tlie satisfaction of thoughtful institutionadministrators is I'ow the maintenance and production work for thoinstitution can be done as part of the vocational training with aproper balance between the performance of a reasonable amount ofwork for the institution and-the other kinds of vocational training.Even when the rvelfale of the bov is the onlv criterion. a decision isnot always easS'.

Training facilities

An institution for training delinquent boys, representing as it doesa simole communitr'. constitutes an excellent laboratorv for tradetraining. Instructois commented that they found the boys liked todo useiul work and responded very much more enthusiastically toprojects in which actual jobs were to be done than to pseudo orso-called "made-work" projects. If this is generally true, then aninstitution has a distinct advantaEe over shops that must dependalmost exclusively on mrde-work piojects, in which worl< is done andthen repeatedly torn dorvn to be done over aEain. The institutionplant can oflei opportunity for real projeets in a reasonably variedfield.

Facilities in the wav of shoos for trade traininE \vere found to difrerwidely in the varioui State institutions. trIan! of them have beenunable to keep up, in their shops and their ecluipment and workingmaterials, rvith industrial progress of the past 2 decades. An insti-tutional superintendent of many years' experience commented thatalthough training schools for delinquents u'ere pioneers in the field ofindustrial training, it had to be admitted that they have not beenable to lieep stei'rvith modern changes and that "the methods oftraining had fallen short of the icleal requirements. He further re-marhed that although he recognized the deficiency of the trainingprogram in his own institution, he had been compelled for economic-andother

reasons to be tolerant of a system u,'hi6h he recosnized asnot meeting industrial conditions of modorn times.10 Manylther in-stitutional administrators make the same complaint. They have notbeen allowed adequate appropriations to keep up with the mechanicaladvances as the years have passed. Some institutions make a brave

tEi.k-r", M"j. Eanson B.: value of IndustrialArts in the Training ol the Juvenilo Delinquent.Proceedings of the National Conference of Juvenile Agencies, L932, p. 74.


258 FrvE srarE INSTrrurroNs FoR DEr,rNeuENT Boys

fight for adequate support for developments in this field, and some oft[em have managed^tb keep at least some of their shops reasonablymodernized_ The question of personnel in this field is important. It is a common

observation that manv institutions operate iheir trade courses underinstructors who are efficient workmen in their particular trades butwhohave no training or talent, for teaching, and little or no conceptionof what a well-rounded trade course shorild include. NIany of ihemare of course inherited from the earlier days rvhen the conception oftrade training u/as merely that a boy be keirt at work on mainlenanceor production jobs unddr the direction of a foreman. Some of themore outspoken institutional administrators recognize that they areusing.as instructors men who would find it difficult, if not imposiible,to hold a job outside in the trade which they are teaching-becausethey have remained in institutional life for many vears withlut mak-ing the effort, needed to keep abreast of devel6pinents in their ownparticular lines.rl .It is encouraging to note, hov'ever, that some of themore progressive institutions are seeking to obtain for their tradeinstructors men who llave been thoroughly grounded in the tradeyhich they are^to teach,-and-who besides hav-e had definite trainingfor teaching. On the rolls of some institutions one now.finds voca-tional instructors who are college graduates specializinr in vocationalwork and in some particular branc[ of it, also u-orkmen-taking coursesof instruction in a commendable efrort to increase their knowl6dEe andimprove their methods.

Most of the State institutions have considerable farm land as a nartof their training resources, and agriculture is emphasized. The exientof th-eir-trainjng resources, and agriculture is emphasized. The extentto which agricultural operations-have kept abreist of modern develop-ments depends partly on the amount of money u.hich the schools haiebeen able to obtain for the purchase of modern machinerv and forimprovements in the treatment of their soil and the der-eltjpment oftheir live stock.

A nurnber of State agencies offer serr-ices that probablr- could beutilized in the trade-trai+ing- !eld, as well as in academic lines, togreater extent than.is realized by-some institution rl'orkers. Amongthese are the extension courses of State universities and the State col"-

Iop-

Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and Labor.Meeting the problems

There is wide variation among State institutions in the matter ofhow a boy is assiened to a trade--trainine srouD. Tn some it is doney,is assigned to a trade-training group. In some it is done

him,merely by having some member of the a-diriniitrative staff intervieuhim, find out his personal choice. and-if the needs of the institrrtionhis personal choice, and-if the needs of the institutionwarrant it-place him where he savs he would like to be. Unfor-tunately, if the shop or place of his choice alreadv has enoush bovs fotunately, hop or place of his choi y has elough boys 1o

leges of .ggricu.lture. and mechanic arts, Statq departments of agri-culture, State libraries, and State museums. The nublications. shd'es.culture, State libraries, and State_museums. The publications, slides,and films prepared by many of these can be obtained free or'can beborrowed. tr'ederal asencies also have services that mioht he rrsefrrlborrow-ed. tr'ederal agencies also have services that might be usefulto institutions, such as some of the bureaus in the Delpartments of

do the maintenance or-production work for rvhich it is re"sponiible,and if some other shop doing another sort of production or maintelnance work needs boys, the newcomer must be assigned to this lattershop in order that th-e essential work of the institution may be done.

l l Id.



It is encouraging to note that, many in_stitutional administratols are*uf.ing

"t"ty itroTt to get arvav from this necessity.an,l to.treat the

nu.di Bt t t t ""boy u= of pararrrount i t t tpot ' tance. ln insi i t r r t ions lv i thIhut t i "a of at t i lude, mbre rnd more effor l is being.made to slrrd]- thq

"*ii""tu"i"dividual'rvith special reference to his abilities, any special

;;|i l;d;; he may have, anh his personal in[erest's. The' recognizeifi"i itl. i-portuht froni the therapeutic angle that, no bol' be assignedi"ii"iL *6ich is beyond his capadity. Every boy needs to,be placedin nroiects in which"he can achieve iuccess u'ith a reasonable amount

"i intlit and application. If a boy ig sloy, dull, and awkward, it.is

uil 1n" *or" important to take car-e that he succeed in his first tasks

""4 [t

"i his eriery achievement be given cordial recognition by the

instructor. A gr6wing sense of usefulness can be a potent factor rnbrineinE about

"an entile change of social attitude."-i;ihi. liaJe-lraining field tfie findings of psychological and.psS-chi-

atric clinics are exceedi-ng\- useful. By meahs-of various speci-al testsifr"

"f1"i"i"". often disc&"er special abilities of which the boy himself

had not been aware, the deveiopment of which can be of inestimable[;"nt ,;d .uii*fu.fiotr to him. In the absence of the professional;.-;;i;;

"fin. "ti"i., much can still be dqne- by vocational personnel

in connection r,vith'the study of an individual boy in relation to achoice of placement for him,":S;;;

i*tit,tlio". ttu". made use of rrhat is l<norvn as a "genetal shop"or a ,,multiple-exper.ience shop" to explore a boy's inte,rests and possr-[if iti.r.

'_S,]"h u it op includes srnall units of s"everal different trades.

i"-il... th. nu* bo'y has a sampling e_xperience and he is carefullyobserved d.uring the experimental pefrod.- Q]"h a try-out serves twoouroo..r. lt fives thb boy a ch'ance to discover in which one of's&ital

trades'he is most i"nterested, and it gives the instructor anonnortunitv to observe in rvhich he shows the greatest aptttude.^

Ctbrerr-uiion of many State institutions indicates that they lag con-siderablv behind some of the nrore progressive city school -systems tniLnit-"o'"ulional-guidance u-ork. Specialists in vocational,"guid ance;;

";;-t;i- io'ttu"" found a pla'ce on instit'utional staffs' Such

;;;;i"ii;t.lhould be able to give io these boys, u-ho have.{ound them-selves more or less baffied in their approach 1o res-ponsrble ll\tng',4Ereat deal o{ information about, the oect_tpations tbe Iodeln \l-orld|f"r. io yorng people seehing a way of-seli-support. .Th.is u-otrld in-clude a cliscuiibn bt ttre principal professions, the p.rincipal occu-pa-tions in the commercial u:orld, and^the primaiy trades-in the indus-i"i"f n.ta, ihe boy. rvould iearn somi,thing

"about the conditions

""au" i"[i"h ihey viould be likely to work ifthey chose any one of

;h;; q;;.,p"iioti.. The5' *'ould l"urn something. about, the rrsual5or.., i*cli, huiutd., dnd placement opp.ortuliltiq:, Thel'. u'ouldufio iiut"Eo-.tning about the effect on their social life;thaL is,.theywo"ld be tausht to"think about the di{Ierence betr-een working in anuEri"uti"rui oZcupation and living in rural surroundings, and living thelile of a skilled mechanic ernployed in a great factory ln a1I ulban en\-I-;;il.;;.

- \{ost of the boysin these Sta"te institutio'ns have lqached an

aEe at u-hich ther- are reudy to thinl< about such things. , The voca-ifr""t-s"idunce i-orker rvh"o is shilled in his field can do much toiti"n u-no"t a thoughtful attitude on the part of many boys tou-ard the

"r".?i"" "f what tie' reall' rvant in lif'e. The effect on the boy-of

ffi. uoorou"h to the duestion of his trade assignment rvould undoubt-;aty ff highiy tonic.^ If he is convinced that, the members of the



stafr are sincerely and honestly concerned about his future career,and that they deiire to help him to make it as successful and as huppyas possible, this will inevitably have a beneficial effect, upon his ownattitude tow-ard this trainins oeriod and toward his later life. On theattitude tow-ard this training period and toward his later iife. On theot'her hand, if he feels that his trade assisnment is not based on aot'her hand, if he feels that his trade assignment is not based on agenuine desire to help him, but is due to the need to get certain insti-Iutional rvork done or to make him work as a sort oinunishment, forhis former misdeeds, then the effect may be quite

-the reverse of

beneficial.It would seem that vocational guidance by people particularly

trained for such service might very'properly haie d place in theseinstitutions. Such service misht appropriately besin w:of new boys during their periol in ihe receiviig co"ttage

rtely begin with the grgupof new boys during their period in and the firstmonth at the institution. A secondmonth at the institution. A second period of close contaet betweentbe vocational-guidance worker and tlre boys might well come duringtbe vocational-guidance worker and the boys might well come duringthe m.onth preceding release. This would be paiticularly true of th6the month preceding release. This would be particularly true of theolder.boys, who in iost cases are going^oyt.to-jgb plac.eirents. -This trrings to the forc the questi-on of the inslituiion's need of prac-rIrrs Dnngs r,o [IIe rorc Ine questlon oI tne lnstltutlon's neeo oI pIB,c-tical acquaiitance with the piacement opportunities in the communi-ties to whic! its boys are to-be released.-'Unfortunately this is a linoties to which its bovs are to be released. Unfortunatelv this is a linoof inquiry that. ha6 been relatively ignored. Parole o-fficers us.ua-llyhg,ve a more or less general-but somCtimes rather vague-knowledg-eof the work opportunities in the communities in the districts in whidhthey work. Such knowledge is likely to be spotty and incomplete.It depends to a great extent, of course, on the eneigy and the visiongI lFg various. parole

great extent, of course, on thearole officers. Usuallv thev ar

, of course, on the energy and the vision. Usually they are so busy with a mul-

tiplicity of duties that they have no tiine to give to a ge-nuine c&nvassof wori< opportunities in [heir districts. So'far as das observed, nov u t u v

systematic study in this field was being made. With the develop-ment of an adequate employment service in all the States, muchFent of .an adequate employmelrt service in all the States, mucment oI an adequate employment servrce m all 1information could be made aiailable to institutions.

It is advisable that institutions frequentlv, seriously, and honestlyanalyze their own programs in an attempt to discovef to what extent,they are equipped to give genuine trade training. In the r-ords of theinstitution superintendenf to whose remarks nrevious reference hasbeen made, 'Trade or vocational training offered by most of our train-ing schools for delinquents has been a misnomer." 12 In his opinionwhat has been ofrered has been to a large extent merely training inhabits of industry and learning to do cerTain simple processes in par-ticular trades in-connection ti'ith performins maiint6nance duties ormeeting production requirementd for the institution. However,a number of the more progressive, better-supported institutionsare gradually developing well-rounded, .well-planned trade-trainingcourses for the principal trades l'hich they are listing. In suchcourses the boys are given opportunity to become acquainted u'ith thetools and the most modern machinerv in use in that particular field.They learn about the wide variety b{ materials and their physicalproqerties a.nd relative merits and uses. In some trades they havemechanical drawing in connection with their shop work as a part ofthis study of the trade as a 'whole. The5. 4s aitual practic6 u'orkappropriate to the partic.ular subject rvhich they are studying in thegeneral course. In institutions as at present operated-there is aEradation from such rvell-organized cotirses, desilned to give a boy

u Ibld., p. 76.


' RECAPITULATION AND COMI,IENTS 261

a rather general acquaintance with the whole trade, do'wn to theshops whiih are opefated primarily for the benefit, oI the institutionbut in rvhich the boys are taught to perform specific u.ork processes.Apparently in many institutions the trend is ton-ard a genuine empha-sis on the traininE asnects. even in some of the roritine duties that areperformed, and "attention is being focused more and more on thebenefits to be derived bv the boys rather than on the benefits accruinEto the budget through ihe econbmic production of articles for institu'-t ional consumption-throuch the use'oI rrnnnid Lov labor, TlLcrc iscertainly roord for a greaCdeal rnore such intere-"t incl enrphasis in agreat many State institutions.

A problem that is occupying the attention of the entire educationalpersonnel at many institritions is that of correlatins the academicwork with trade instruction. Different institutions are e-rneriment-ing with difierent methods of doing this. In scrme placesl palticu-laily u,'here a contract system is used in the academic school'piog.am,the individual dailv lessons which each bov has are made un so as topresent facts and problems that are directiy related to the iarticulartrade in which he is interested. In other institutions courses knownas "related subjects" are given, in which boys in certain trades takeacademic courses that preient iubjeci matt6r and problems directlyassociated with the work thev are doins in the vocational course. Inone school that was visited a new schefrie was being devised by u'hichboys taking certain rvell-organized trade courses did not attend aca-demic school but had coursEs known as applied mathematics, appliedscience, also English and hygiene and social science in the vocationalschool.' In suc[ courses t[e" tie-up between subiect matter in thesecourses and in the trade and shop was very close.

As these efforts are still in the experimental stage, it would be un-wise to venture to predict what mav Drove to be the best solution forthe problem. One- thing only stairds out: Those u'ho are enthusi-astically worhing on these trade-course developments are certain thata closetorrelatiSn is essential and that out, of uti the exnerimentationwill come successful methods of instruction rvhich will aicomnlish thedesired correiation.

No discussion of the wav in which institutions are meetinE the voca-tional probiems of their b"ovs would be comnlete without, r6ference tothe place occupied by agiiculture in the training program. I\lostinstilutions con^duct largeTarming operations, and t"he rep'orts of rnanyState institutions reveal an emphasis on and a pride in farm produc-tion that is almost distressinE in that it overshadows the reporl as roprogress made in guidance of-the boys.

'ln many States the majolitv

of boys sent to State institutions for delinquents do not come fronrrural areas. 'Ihev come from industrial centers. AlthouEh no thor-oughgoing stud5' has been made which would shorv, on a lalge scale,to what extent bovs trained in these institutions make use of the aEri-cultural training'tihi"h they have obtainetl, the general opinion seinsto be that not verv nrany urban bovs turn to mral occupations asa result of their trainine, and that. ionsequenth-. sl,ill in fann 'workwhich ther- mav har-e acquired Dloves oI no fru'iher use to thenr onrelease. This cioes not mean that thev have Eotten no benefits at allfrom their farm work. Thcv mav or riav not have been sreath' aidedphysicaliy and mentally by iheir'outdooi u'ork and theiriontact withnature. This would be largely dependent on the type of leadership anddirectionlvhich was supplied by the staff members under ri'hom they


262 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FON, DELINQUENT BOYS

performed their various farm duties. If the spirit that pervades thefarm.-work.g1o11ps is such as.to -give them u runiu oTur"l"rirur.Jn-un[marrng a^deh_nrte and pract ical contr ibut ion to the inst i tut ional coir_munity.life, th"l ttrp', probably.derive some benefit f.;;;h; experi-encc. It is difficult to deterririne how much emphari.-i.-gio,en tomaking the bol-s understand .how very mrreh rhe tr".tilut- iroductsrrom ille darry, the .r-egetable gardens, the berrv patches,'and theor.hards really contribute to the health and happiness of the wholeschool population. It'u.ould seem that some effoit to supplv this as3 :o:]p:l.uti1g"moti'e for bovs *ho are not inrerested i'n'#u[i,rg etuture career rn farm lil 'e rvould be worth while. It could make a va-lu-able contribution to.the building up of desirable sociul aitiila;; and ofa sense of' responsibilitr-.

In some insiitutio"s'it rvas found that a recognition of tho unsatis-factory oharacter of the vocational work being i'trne in thoT.a&tionatshop and_ farm organization had resulted in i request for vocationalsulyeys by_persons from other State agencies oi other educationalgXstems. The purpose was to obtain aiareful analysis of what wasberng done and what needs and opportunities exi"sted in such aninstitution, r-ith definite recommend-a-tions as to what -iEnt be doneto develop a {nore effective vocational-training orsu"iru?io". suchfglveys, if made. hy persons properly 9]al$.e4 aid p6ssessi"g imagina-tron coupled .urth -practical senso, should bring-to the ilstitiltionmtny sugge,stioas that would make for more effeitive treatment.- In geleral, then, it may be said that a trend has been noticed toward

the settlng up-of planned vocational courses. This is berieved to behrghly desirable. oJ course, it is recognizod that there is a certainamount of value in the performance of a--ny kind of work under

"ut"f,.isupervision. Habits ofindustry, reliahllily, responsibility, and B,ppre-ciation of fine rvorkmanship and satisfaciion iir a iob #"u doou ur"all.coltributory to that reeducation which is one oi the instit"tionalobjectives. But there seems tobe beyond doubt some special valueln grvrng.boys urth good natural endowment a start toward becomingreally r[i,l.lsa- rvorkmen. rt is admitted that no boy can be turneilrnto a skil.led tradesman in the Jrear or year and a half, or at most2 years, that he.is likely to remain i+ trailing. - But he can be givena live interest in some. qarticular lin,e of *-"ork and an elemeitaryknouledge of ,its mate,rials, tools,.and processes so that he can geb\-ork rn that lrne much more easily than if he had no knouiedge-ofit rvhatever. tr{oreover', he may 6ecome so interested as to recelyea definite objectir-e *-hich wiu be ertremely helpful in his reestablish-ment in.communitl ' l i{e. I+..any case, most oi the boys, on leavingthe. institution, probablv rvill be employed in mass production fo-rwnlcjr trt,tte or no skru rs lequrred. An acquaintance \.ith severaloccupations should then be helpful to tirem rvhen they seekemproyment,.


General valuesA * cll-organized, properly su.per.vised program of physical education

and a,Lliletrcs h0s a dehnrte plaee rn rnstrtutional treatment. Boyscome to these institutions in all stages of physical development andin all sorts of physical condition. "Some^aie

underdeveioped anJsome are overdeveloped for their ages. Many of them haie nevor


RECAPITULATION AND CM}IENTS 263been,inside ? Slmnasium, _and many have never had oppo'tunityto take part in organized phy. It ii not .nusual to find

^bovs wh"o

actually have never takeLpalt in group play of any kind and u-ho donot,klow how to play. The progiam irf-ednnastic u-ork ancl seneralatNetics and sports should contribute notably to tho prrr-sical dEvelop-ment, of all.the.boys-. The- sports programs especiilly fulnishâhealthy emotional outlet for boys who have a greit dea[ of physicalq4ergy and a liking for violent eiereise and for si-er. Manvât"hleticdirectors in tbese institutions and many sup"erintendents ieel thatteamwork,.and eompetition betrveen teims bffer e*ceptionally fineopportunities to develop cooperative attitudes arld to teilch pririciplesoJ g.ood. sportsmanship which u-ill carry over into rater rif'e outiidethe rnstitution. They leport that man;i boys to r'hom the principlesof. s portsmanship" are q uife new neverth"elesi _respond enthu sias ticdliS'.'r.!err, response ol eourse.is _dependent largely on the type of leader-smp rnar_ ls. oflered lnd. the consequent spirit and morale of thoteams and of the institution as a whole.Facilities

Most state institutions for delinquents nou.' ha.r-e some provisionf-glgymnasium work and for outdoor athletics. The facilities in thedrtlerent states co\-er a u-ide range. - It is safe-to say that, with properplanning and with the right kind of personner,

"reiy ,uch instiiution

de'ves great, benefit, from the use of a u-ell-equipped gymnasium, anathletic field, and oût{qor playgrounds sumcrenr ro permrr tnu ireoororganized play of all boyi siriultaneously.

These activities in an insiitution of any size at all require suoen.isionby. adequately trained personnel. _A hi[h-gracle arNdliJ di-re'ciot .,"ho

1: l,nteresteg not pnmanly rn developing u-i,nning teams but in seeingfh.at evory qoy.ha,s-a,n o_ppo.rtunity to participate in healthv athleticactrvrtles surted to hrs physical eondition and his desires, is hn impor_tant member of tho staff.-Physical education

Tb". pto"i.ion,,for,regular gymnasium classes in u-hich all boyspa'rtrc-rpato- and the character of the u'ork done bv such classes boihu-ere found Lo "l"y

widely in diflerent institutions. In some placLstormal calrsthenrcs \.r-ere a regular- part of the program. In otherssome formal gymnastic group drill-was ac"o-paoi"d bv ooou.otrnwork and special instru.ction in tumbling, boxing,

-and simill r a'c^tivities.

rn tle .mo.re. progressive institutions,"in u.hiiL ildiyid;lization isemphasrzed m a.ll phases of the treatment program, this idea per-meates even the.gymnrsium. The instructors p"ay palticular rtten-trol !o.every,ildividual boy u'ith a vierv to deteiminins u-hat kind ofactrvrtres wrll benefit him most. It is their desire to take the new.awkward boy *ho feels lost.Lnd strange_in such

"-o"k uod letp hi"i

gradually to overcome his difficulties and take his place in thti classrvo-rk and the group play r,r-ith distinct satisfaction al"a ptea."rl".

rn some institutions the physical-education departmenl kept regularrecords showing the physilai development and gro*-th

"i 6".tr-1"y.

rt was reported that the boys became very muc"h interested in the"irphysrcal development and gained an appre-ciation of what health andstrength could _mean to them and what things they needed to do orto avoid in order to maintain health_y, stroig bodies. us"ulty-t[ogymnasium is too inadequately staffed and the"daily progra; oifoy,



is too full to make possible individual work for conection of specificphysical defects. One director who was much interested iir thisproblem said he found it impossible to undertake that kind of workbecause if it u-ere to be effective he would have to have such boys atregular hours evely day and the institution program could not "be soarranged as to permit this,

Tal-ks on perional hvgie.ne..both to groups and to individuals, rveresometimes made a responsibility of the physical-education departrnent,though specialized rvork of thia kind dbei not seem to be so'eenerallvdeveloped as might be desirableSports program

. Practically all modern institutions for boys have fairly rvell o'gan-izfd prograps _tn tlre different sports at the appropriate setsons.i\4any of the larger ones have

^elaborately organiied intta-urai

competition, especially.in such spo-rts as 6aseball and basketball,sometimes in foothall also. verybften.there is one team co-posedof the. best players in the institution, rvhich plays games with oritsideolEanlzatlons.

one of the athletic directors expressed a belief that around teammembership should be built somo definite character standards. rnuirs, he drd lot believe that athletic pro\4'ess alone should enabre a boylg."-h a place on a team th.at walto represent the school. He though"ttlus u'ould have a very.bad- effect on other boys, since physicillystrong and skillful individuals whom the other bovs kneri t"o be oiundesirable character might win coveted places on t"ho team. There-fore he had set up certain standards of character and ethics whichteam members must meet. This same director was stronslv of theopinio! that iI the development of an athletic p"osro- ?fr"r" *u,grave dalger that most of the attention would bo rievo"ted to the moresuccessful boys, who really needed help least. His idea of an institu-trona.l _sqolts,qr.ogr&m \r.as one in which every boy who desired to dosornrght find his appropriate place.'r'rack events u-ere popular suruner ectivities in most places, andcertain track meets were regularly scheduled, usually oi an intra-mural character only.

A lerv schools had rvell-eonstructed swimming pools wbich couldbe,used,th.e year round. others had only outdooi rioolr ot poois u ith-our racllltres tor \\'armtng ilre tr-ater, which consequently eould lle usedonly.during the rvarm season. - Qwimrying ig poputar,iitn ^o.t loy.,and rt rvould seem that a p.ool in which-all mi!;ht have a chance tolearn to srvim and might.sri-im.regularly rvould 5e a varuabr;-;aj;;;iin any institution for iraining bojs.Military training

., \lilitary training vas given in two of the institutions included inthrs study. I t is also a.regular part of the training progra,m in a num-ber of other state institrrtions for. delinquents.

"There is mrreh dis-

agreement among institution autborities and among others interestedrn correctronal work as to its value. The trend seems to be away fromthe rigidity and re,gimentation which military training impii."." uritts a rather natural accompaniment of the giowth of lnteiest in indi-vid.ualized as opposed to mass treatment. "There

"u"mr to be a verv

Ieg-ttmB,te doubt as to horv much benefit from their institutiondlpilit3rv training the,boys wi.tl ca-rry over into .o--u"1ty iii" tt ut i,Iree lrom mrlrtary rules and regulations.


RECAPITUITATION AND COMMENTS 265

13. OTHER RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIYITIES

General valuesRecoEnition of the therapeutic values in diversified recreational

activiti6s uas noted in a nuinber of institutions. The boy was seenin relation to all his needs, and the parb that so-called recreationalactivities could play in his rvholesome and healthy emotional andethical growth aiid development was clearly apparent to thoughtfulstafi members.

Bovs with special musical or artistic abilities of which they may nothave-been conscious, but the thuarting of which may have had adefinite effect on their coaracter, were said to have responded amaz'ingly to opportunities for tnusical or artistic expression tbat, u'on theiratlention.

' Tlrrough some of these activities bbys were introduced to

an utterly ner appieciation of sound_, form, coloi, and rhythm. Ilruywere glven & ne\y sense of values and new standards as to what, thingsmiehi be worth workins for in life. \14ren their interest was thor-oulhlv aroused in some farticular line in which they desired intenselyto"become proficient, the question of their use of lree time rvas largelysolved and dangers inhereirt in an excess of energy and the absence ofa wholesome o6jective were obviated.Musical training and activities

X,lusic was brought to the boys in most institutions through two ormore channels, The radio provided an opportunity to bring themgood rnusic as well as to lieep thern in touch with popular rirs-- Reg-ulation of the radio differed in different places, being centrally con-trolled in some institutions and left entirely to cottage officers inothers. Its contribution to tbe boys' development obviousl;' dependson the way in t'hich interests and-tastes are unobtmsively-but-skill-fullv cultii-ated through the kind of programs to rvhich the boys weroencburaoed to listen.

One of the other principal channels through which musi-c comes toboys in an institution is- the maintenance

-of their own bands and

orchestras. Of course the number of boys that can participate inthese two groups or that have the talent and the desire to do so islimited. Sbme-institutions have, in addition to the band and orches-tra rn'orlr, individual instruction for boys with talent in voice, piano,or ot'her ntusical instrument,. Some alio have glee clubs or chotuses,and in many of them group singing takes place at, various assembliesand is popular.Dramatics

Dramatics and pageantry have a place in institutional progr-ams.In some this rvodi is nlore oiless occasional, and no parlicular emphasisis eiven to it. fn otlters special personnel devote full time to creatingoplortunities for needed ielf-expression for boys _s'ho have a^ talentftir dramatics or sonre interest in dramatic work. One such staff mem-ber rvas enth,usiastic about, the therapeutic values of this particularline of activity. Practically all the boys under his direction had anonoortunitv during the school Year to iake part, in a "shol" if they*:iihed, doing anl'Ihing from tairing a Ieading or a minor pa.rt to help-inE build and plan the scenery or make the costumes. His aim u asnoi to produc-e a finished th-eatrical number but to give u neededemotiorial outlet to the boys who participated.


266 FrvE srATE rNsrrrurroNs Fon, DELTNeuENT Boys

Motion pictures

Few state institutions-were entirelv rvitho't apparatus for showingmotion pictures. Periodic showi.g of feature and short-sulject filmswas -usually_ a part of tlle recreat-ion program. some schdols .ll'erehandicapped bv not vet havins funds for the purchase of eo'inmenrfor showinghandicapped bynot yet having funds iorit't. p"t"hu.u oi"quip^""tlor.sho\-rng talkrng pictrres._ rt is increasingly difficult to gelsilentpictures that have ally po-pular appeal. ReJponsibility forierectionof the fiims u'as usuclly d.elegated.io some sta.fl,member, who presum-of the films u'as usually delegated to some stafl member", who ptu.r--ably obtained as much infdrmation as possible about the a?ailablea,bly obtarned as much rnformation as possible about the availablefilms and chose those most likely to inteiest the boys ancl least likelyto.contain objectionable subject

-matter or scenes. frri. iorm of eoiei-

tamment, was reported to bevery popular *ith the bovs. IJsuallythe entire population of ftre institrition attcnded the motion-pictureshow, except those who were denied the privilege &s & disciirinaryme&sure.Eeading

rn some of these five.institutions, and io many other state institu-tions t'hat have been,visite.d, grlat-er efforts to-develop betterlibraryservice prgh! be worth while.- rt has been pointed oit that in botiracademic and vocational work it is high]y disirabre that a

""ffi"ie"Jnumber of good up-todate reference"books be available. At thispgint, however, attention is directed es_pecially toward tbe opportun-lr,les ror developmg a.n rnterest rn reading as an eniovable free-timea-ctrvity, thr-ough the provision of books and magazines of suitablecharacter. It u'as obsersed that very ferv ilstitu-tions were able toafford the services of a well-trained librarian x-ho could devote fulllimg to^ building up library service and stimulating libiary use.

- since

f-ugds.for tle purchase of books are almost invaiiably {uite limited,rt rs.vrtally important that tbe money be made to go ai fd,r as possiblern o_btamrng !!e krnd of books that will be constantlv in demand.

the library has been u-ell.stocked, it is necesiary that a,implebut -efiectrve system for circulatilg the volumes and iho periodic-alsbe demsed and maintained. Books. may looli weil on shtlves, butthey serve their true purpose only when in circulation.

In institution life there is- opportunit}' to create an interest inreading which, once_ar-akened, may grorv"iato a habit thaa;il] be ;igreat benefit .throughout the bby's iife. Ilany of the bovs who come1,o these rnstrtutious are found to have had little or nb int,erest inreading as a satisfying, pleasing experience. tr[anv of them tnowlrtue-or.nothrn_g of the possibilities for intellectuai and emotionalsatrsfaction to be deriled fronr reading. Responsibilitv for definiteattention to this l<ind of senice should-be praced on sotr"re nrember ormembers of the staff. If it, cannot be assu-med b5, a full-time trainedfibrarian, then some other stafi member shourcl ne aeregatJ-to carryrt as_a part-time duty...The, best results probably u.ill"be obtainecl iIan enort' rs nlade to enlrst the ard of other staff menrbers, especiall;-tcachers,.trade insl,ructors, and cottage personnel. Teuch6ri fiun" unopportunity lo, o4*t a new world totheir pupils by rer-ealing howthey can enrich their school-study through-supplenrentary re"ading.Both teachers and cottage officerj can do mucn ror rnorvrcruai boisthrough studying their Interests and discor.ering for or *iin tirl'rn1]:l,j"..ol exploration which may arouse their cuiosily in sueh & wayas to b.nng a completely-new form of recreation into th-eir li'r.es. Indi-vrdualized guidance in the matter of reading may lay the foundation

4n'



for future personal development, of considerable significance. Acquaint-ance rvith fiction of wholesome character can give great satisfactionto the boy rvho is unable to br ing into his.own l i fe the adventure thathe craveJ. Outside the field of-fiction there is a wealth of readingmatter for the boy rvho may find some hobby t-o claim his eagerinterest and to keep both miiid and body active^during some of hisfree time. The librirrv-extension services in such states as have themcan give a great deal"of help to instiiution libraries and librarians.

Boy Scout workIn three of these institutions Boy Scout rvork was well developed,

each institution hnYing a number of troops with'r'ery active programs.One of the remaining-institutions had only one troop, and the otherhad none. In those institutions in which there was an e-rtensive EoyScout proEram, stafi members expressed a belief in the very consider-able bene"fits to individual boys from their participation in Scouttraining. The appeal is to th6 younger boys, as is true outside ofinstitutions.--

Tlie Sco"t organization v'ithin the institution provided a great, dealof activity for a"bov's free time. In many cottages, especially d-uringwinter nrbnths, the Boy Scoul,s spent many of their eve.ning hoursstudyine and praeticing for scout-tests. The scout, activities offer a

"tlun"o.t"ttltouih *hich"boys may lose -qome gt tn*l feeling of being

sei-anott ancl cut ofl from the-outside world. These insl,i1,ul,ionalitoooi were accepted as part, of the nal,ional Boy Scout organizat'ion.Th;;; i..olne of the institutions participated in various events with

""t.ia. troops. District Scout olfficers lisited the instituiions and

ioot p"ti in'their councils, so that the boys got a definite sense ofi"tati6".trip and of belongiirg to the great boy group that constitutesthe entire movement,.--tni"i-*ty

sense of belo_nging is one of the things that requires.verytu.tiui anci delicate handlfigahen_ a boy is re.q_dy to leave the insti-irii"". it tr" I.ur'". it, at, an-age uhen he is.stil l keenly interested inS.o"i*oit , then it becomes deiirable, if pqspiplg, to have-him affiliatedwith a scout troop in the commynity t_o w.hich he goes. .In some casesthis constituted i serious problem-$hen. Scout worlt in inslilutions

":"r nt.f f"g"". It still presents many djfficulties in connection with

."riul".u.*E. A parole ofllcer uho is making the plan.for such a boy;h; h; i. io be' releaserl investigates t'he-opportunities-for Scoutaffil iation in the communitr to which the boy is going-, and rl he canfi;,I;^i;;; in which theboy uill bc accepted uholeheartedlv.theirr"nt."iir iotr"a. Unfortunately, social attitudes being *hal, t'hey'ui".

i5"t. is oftcn rellctance on ine part of-a Sco_ttt, troop to accept

"- fi"V

"-ith an institutional commitment behind him. The boys

i6u-"r"t""" may not object', but the scoutmaster may know that;;;;;d

":il, otialhut ut1.n if tt ',"y outwardly accep-t him, situations

wi l l ar ise in ' the troop uhich r ' r i l l make the boy unhappy' , , rn son-o;;i

" i; * oulcl seem tfiar such an experience follog ing upon the happi;

"*'. *iri"n he trua tounA in Scout, '*-ork at the institution might tend

;;;;;; te"te- of diJl,t.iott-ent, and a bitterness that ruouid befighlid;rit""ii". to ihe boy's morale and to his consequenb socialadiustment.--ii

th-"8;v Scout, work within the institution has th-e enthusiasticf."d.t.ftip

"i *""

"i integrity of character and warm human undcr-

76870-35-18


26E FI\-E STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DDLINQUENT BOYS

ific activities toq.ard I'holesome objectives,'is undoubtodly a

something.that satisfies one of t[e boys' ernoti6nal-neels during'this

various Scout troops go for a summer outing. Such attempts w-erenot limited in all cases to Boy Scout members 6ut \\-ere oDen t6 cottar"enot Iimited in all caies to Bo.y Scout members 6ut were open t6 cottager,roL rlrruLeo ln au cases to lJoy Dcout memDers b.ut, were open to cott,agegloups and other unit organizations rvithin the institution. sometiniesall-day hikes or other types of excursion formed a part of the institr.r-tional program. It is believed that recreational activities of this kindthat, tend to break dorn'n the boy's_shut-in feeling, occa_sror]€d by com-plete restriction to the institutional communitv,"aie valuable. Soone.ty,or lnter he is eoior later he is going to.be_expectqd to resume hijflace in t,he communityas a, responsible individual. Therefore anv activity that sives himy -activity that gives him

period of development.Hobbies and handcrafts

. During the months.u'hen orrtdoor pla;- is relatively linrited, thereis need for indoor activity of dir erse-kirids. some iristiturioni har-esought, to. meet the boys'- needs in this respect through the develop-ment of interest in man;r different kinds

-of hobbies and a certain

amount, of handcraft^r1'grk. -Cottage personnel lupply direction and,stimulation rn these fields. trIuch help can be givdn Io them in tlieiieflorts to develop this t1 pe of actir it-rr bv some6nc staff niember u.boeil,her is already thoroughly familiai rrith the field or ulro rrralies ithis business to become acquainted u ith its many possibilities and withsuccessful.ente.rprises of this ldnd in other institutions or in other typesof educational or recreational organizations. fn such lr-ork niucheager, restless cnergy can be direcl,ed into channels that not only uillrender it harmless but will definitely contribute to the building up ofcertain strengths in each hoy's personality. Overabundance 5f suchnal,ural energy, wh-en it, does not find permissible outlets, is liliely toresult in broken ru]es and regulations and Iouered morale: this in"ten-sifies in the indivrdual bo.ylhe antisocial rebellious attitude whichinstitutional treatment is presumably trying to help him conquer.Outings

Some of the more pro€lressive institutions have been developingmole a1d-.ryore opportunities for outings away from the routine iirsti"-tutional life for the bo5rs who are su-itable ior such privileses. Insome cases these have taken the form of Scout camps to which the

standing, and if the transition from institution troop to communitytroop can be made without any disturbinE jncidents, participation iirthe program cerlainly uill be of rery greal benefit to thcse 6oys.Other organizations or clubs

Some schools have developed rrnits of other boys, organizations,such as Sea Scouts, Rangers, and similar orgamzations.

--Some have

very special clubs peculiar to their owh institution and not affiliatedrvith a1I outside gr.oups: tr'or most boys of these ages there is aaatural satisfaction in this club life. Th-e tendencv ofbovs to form"gang?" everywh_ere is evidence of this common social craving, par-ticularly drrring the adoiescent, period. Anv Eroupine of bovs \\-hoalrcad.v lrave, or in 'rvhom there can be developedl mutual ir itercstsIn s^pecrnc actlvltres to$.ard l'holesome oblectrves, rs undoubtodly auseful.part of the treatment program. Th6se group loyaities supplysomething t'hat' satisfies one of t[e bovs' ernoti6nal'neels durinE'this

sorn€ responsibil i ty for his -conduct, that takes him array'from theinstitution-al r-outine,. and that permits occasionally euei a l imitcdamount of self-direction should contribute to his final adiustment.


RECAPITUI,ATION AND COMMENTS 269

Supervision and leadership in the recreational field

In many communities there is gror,ving recognition of the contri-bution that is made to community life,

-particularly io the normal

development of its children and young people, by community pro;vision-for supervision and leadership in connection uith the use offree time. Asimilar appreciation is noted in some institutions. Itis beginning to be recognized that what.a boy does during llis non-schoo"l and"nonwork tifre is of vital importance to the growth of hisnersonalitv. Consequenilv there is a grou-ing tendency to provideiriendly gliduoc" and ieadership in thls field-instead of lcaving allrecreation rlrore or Iess unplanned, haphazard, and without anyparticular obiective.^

In ihis connection it should be noted that there is a real probleminvolved in the matter of recreational supervision and planning.Sonre thoughtful executives feel that there is a tendency -toward toomuch plan-ning, too much supervision, -too much standardization.They believe tlat there is danger in not leaving enough freedom forindividual preferences or origiial ideas and initlative.- They believethat compelling all children io participate in specific gqrygs or activi-ties may 6e just as harmful to certain individuals as would be completefailure to participate in any play.

The ideal instilutional program would probably center in some onoperson, preferablv a trained" recreation worker, responsible for the'rlevelofrirent

of a diversified program of recreational activity. Ilntilit is possible to employ a tralned person for this worli better resultsprobably can be obtaiied in many institutions by delegating respon-iibility Jor the development of leisure-time activities to somo onestaff member, or perhaps to a stafi committee. The best -programwill be one tliat u'ill not cornpel participation of individual boys butwill ofier to them opportunities which v'ill enlist their interest andmahe eager and voluntary participation universal. There shouldbe amplJopportunity for irhoice in-leisure-time pursuits iI the boysare to qain biperience that will influence their selection of wholesomeinterests after-they have ret,urned to community life.

Such a ptograni presupposes the giving of consider-able individualattention [o ilt Uoys, especially to those who obviously have had noopportunity to discbver or satisiy t -beir particular recrealional interestsoi needs. Such a program would also maintain a nice balance betweenforms of recreation t-hat are almost purely passive and those thatinvolve active participation. The object would be to get every boyinto some activity in which he could achieve enough succe-ss to givehim that sense of

-accomplishment and to win him that social approval

that contribute to wholesome growth and development.The inevitable increase of l-eisure time through the shortening of

work hours in the industrial and commercial world makes this partof the training program in institutions for delinquent boys. of muchEreater relativ:e importance than it has been in the past,. Ahvays itEas been in this free time, when the boy rvas not in school or at worli,that he was most likelv to drift into activities that got hirn intodifficulty. Therefore, h-elp in making a wise choice as to the rr.ay inwhich h"e would spend thai free time *as always itnportant- . Present-day developmenis in relation to employment, and r'vorking hoursmerely make such training of relatively greater siglificance- lnsti-tutions that are attemptin-g to keep abieast oI the times and to face

Provided by the Maternal and Child Heatth Library, Georgetown Universify


squarely the problems their boys are to meet on release will give moreand more attention to this problem of building up within each boycertain habits and interests that will safequard his use of free timewhen he returns to his ou'n community.


In all five State institutions especially studied, definite provision wasmade for holding religious serrices ancl for giving a certain amount ofreligious instruction to all the bovs. Thii is ilso true in all other

held to be a necessary part of the reeduca,tional process._ This usually means that an institution ernploys full-time or part-

time chaplains for their Catholic and Proteitant boys. Obviouslyi1, is not possible to provide chaplains for each of ihe Protestantdenominations. Therefore, the Protestant services were for the mosrpart un{enomilational. Some special arrangements are often madeso that Jewish boys may receive instruction-frorn members of theirown faith and may obserr-e their prescribed fasts and feasts.- Su-nday servicei{or both Cathoilc and Protestant boys were almost

glw_ayq a part o-f the institutional program. These uiually includedboth Sunday school and church services. Some were supblementedby.special youqg people's meetings, in u-hich case young people,ssocieties from adjacent communities sometimes participated.

fn some institutions, particularly where full-time chaplains weroernployed, religious instruction included coumes in Bible study atcertain hours durinE the neek, either in connection with the reEularschool.program or wholly independent of it. In some instituTionschaplaiJls undert-ook a great deal of individual work with the boys,especially with the newcomers. These efrorts seemed to be directecitoward the creation of a genuine friendly relationship between thebgy qna fhe chaplain, in tfie expectation ihat the boy^would turn tohim for advice and for social as-well as spiritual guidance,

So far as could be- discovered, there has noibeen any clear-cutanalysis of the place-that religious rrorkers should occupy in an insti-t}tional program. Neither *as there observed any indication thatthe. positions ha-ve been filled by persons who have had any specialtraining for work of this descriplion. Successful workers se-em moreor less to har-e 'worked-out their-own programs independent of trainingfor the job. A careful study of the N-or-k of chaplains in such institu"-tions as these and of. the range of opportunities for service mightresult in some srrggestions thairvould b-e highly beneficial. In addi-tion to setting foit-h a clear analysis of whaf, chaplains in the institu-tion gre doing, or could do, su<ih a study might seek to determinewhether or not special courses of traininE"for Juch services should beoffered in theological seminaries, and, if offered, of what they shouldconslst'.

A wish for somethiag of this kind was voiced by a reformatorychaplain in these'rvordsl

State institutions for deliState institutions for delinquents that have been visited by represen-tatives of the Children's Bureau. ReliEious instruction is EenerallvReligious instruction is generally

I think that this work should properly begin with our seminarians * * *course if l'e desire to become rtreacheis. at-the end of our college or rrniversif,rOf course i f s 'e desire to become rireacheis. d of our colleee or universitv

carcer there comes the three yeirs of seminary s-ork, and I haie often nishedsince I got out into the work fhat another veaimisht'be added tothat-oarticu-since I got out into the work fhat another veaimisht 'be added to that, part icu-larly to give us da;u af ier day regular cl inics in how t lo do this kind of wort l Thevlarly to give us.day after day regular clilicsin how tl do this kind of woril fneysend us out fuli of ideas, or with a head full of knorvledge, but so often they fail


2VLRECAPITUI,ATION AND COMMENTS

to tell us how to apply it. we come up against situations and troublesome tliosgr;;j;Ja; "otr.n6*

because we have'neier been up against such a thing before-tg

Another reformatory chaplain has made the following"statement':t,Our service to them inust be more than a gesture_to satrslyPur senso,of decency and to make them think we have tsmst'hing !+9{,tave

not.

W. ,uo11ot rt.utu [u"gui in them for what we have-unless what we

h;;t ;"titfi.t "t.--

$;E a.fitite, constructive -program mustbe under-

;"il;;hfih-*ilt ti"Ailhrpr "od

**uition in human heatts." 1{ This.chaplain *u* ooi"i"g [i* i..ognitio." of th.o fact that' in these boys,

iluiti'*r"rto tttor. who are *roi to institutions during the adolescenti.ii""if

"l!"in""e;;;.irr; [t ut is not a physical hun[er and that has

in it eleurents beyond those ordinarily charactertzed as ment'al'*- A ;"d;* prJ.ft"togiJ p*yt tribute to this need in these word's:

It is sometimes implied in discussions of adolescence that the modern youtt1ai no '"iisiouJ t;"b16;;b;i til;;;iin a wide acquaintance with boys and girls

wi1 scarcety ugr""l"'itTJ ;roe;ir-;i *aIrv oi the old relieious problems no longerh;;;;;;;dE f; tne au.mgb ir-Aot"r."it, but he is,justis much und-er the neees-.l]vtr ;;;i"g?"

-tlr*. *iiit i'ir. as he

"-"er.yapand that.after all, is the essence of

.Lii*ion.--H""is ott so *uch concer"ea *itt, heaven anh helt as'with his place initt""""ii'"t.-rj Trr. tir""i"g r"a p"rpo* oi tire,.wtrence we all came, and whitherwe are bouncl ur" rliit qub-.tions^of iur"*onot'importance to the aclolescent boyt;;;;-th;;Et' i,e *;;;"i-;i';;i. t_d"i" in this npnier. tl": rytiq'_"_l'_ attitudes ofdevotion to a per"i"t oi u'."*.., ittougt tftey,may, not so often eipress.themselvestiir-igrr .ud.h;;;i;itG, #" 1!ut ur r""g,teitas.ihey ever were; and the vearniagi". triEiiui-tnfis;-iil;6ir;i"s'6. so-ething only viguelv sensed, for experi"*:":which lie outside fri"lr"r-Fi?

-p;;b;bty d;Ee"t i" ev"ery"adolescent at some tirne

.or other."'W;ft living in an extroverted society, and evel in the churches the religioFstrai.ring ih;fi? gt;-ffy;n-tnr toau,v ii inore apt to put the emphasis^upon tFe,extroverted side.' C"int, leagues,

"""4 J".itties, activities of all sorts, n! qn.p\e

;;&;;;-;;[ir ii" i""ei-iteeai rr" o-fi* ctowaea .quite out of sight. - But it is.iust these inner neecls that are

""ty u-t*o"g ai tt ii period' The load 9f. e,Yift'

't;;"r"i"il"i"i1,-trr-iTpt".ii."uv eiery boy c-arriepi the need for reconciliatio-n,for setting himselii^;tgti-;iilTit-", *rtirrr ie leets in ttte wav of unrdst and dis-satisfaction with n'ilr1irr, tii;i;&fis'i;;;Fillhy qnd underitanding, for contaetwith a power g""fi.."trt"l;hi;;;fi ifl;il"1G_Gnt"y to save"-these afe the.thingsfor which the oldei religious

"rpeti"o*Es onE ed an outlet. The necessi.ty for

.coming to some t"ti of t"".*s with tfrese inner attitudes irq.just as urgen-t as it ever*".; fioa"t"lonlir--ry trv tb ai.illp*iecognition of them by more and morer.tiiru"r, n-t"guy^p;;i"r;6i;;i# i;ik;oi ui an attitude of cvnicism; a'll !-oo;f t";- ilofi"*JiitJ rilTrllilf yittt -trte"e'i""ei"needs still un recognized, with theie.fi"g-ifr?t i" p"i" *V or"other f6l; cheating him, that lre ha-'s missed sorn€;6;Ii"ti;;ih;#; nir"ai*.--l; th;

""G t"a"confuiion of modern life, in its

.empnasrs gpon *ore and ever *otJttti"ity,.rte we not in dang,er of robbingvouth of some oiit" -ort

"iiut e*petGoceti'In our scientific zeal and our em-

iilisil iioil'i"lt""'r"ct""i.ide ;i rif;,-;;;-;; nsf i:n-danger of.fo.rggtling that the5*ffti"tiir"lrre oi aaotescence is its uiosi ilripoitu"t _featu"re and that it needs gt\e.rougets ttran uaselaii;;;;r, lauu,;;a th;-;ovies?. -The.boyhimself isapt,tobeimpatient with religious forms a"d--ceie*onies, with set riles of conduct aq'd#J";i;;;f iif;

'IIE'k;;'; i"rti"rti"ety tnut ielieion rrre&ns something more

than this.r5

An institutional program thab neglects to take a'ccount of these

"rcdr ;;; [;rdlo;"'.oiria.rca lb tr"Ur completely fulfiIling its obli-

;;;iril. -n.Hsil,,'!-;;tk

is-uetieved bv manv -peisgns to be one offfr;';;;- il..}ili;l ih;-";h;ppt, disdontented delinquent mav, be#i;ll fi;;;.i'ttr. .rGutshm6;i'ot rott ,ideals of pelBonal conduct;;^;iil ;;bi; hfi i; ;;d tuttner social conflict ind to a,chieve e; ort*X"s, It."J. B.: Velue of Ethical-and Religigu5 Training in the Process of the Rehabilitation o{

tno D;;ir{belipqgdt. b;;;,;liig.st;r tfNili;iilid"ii.retici6t ruvenile Agencios, tntl,,ot";Slings of-

r; garev; hew. o.'e.i varirir it netiEioiiiinsiruction in Stabilization of the Delinquent. rrthe Niiioial Conference of Juyenilo Agencies' 1932, P' L28'

u Ricbmond, Winifred v.: The Adolescent Ii6v,'i';. 266-zoa. Farrar & Rinehart, New York' 1933'


272 FrvE srATE rNsTrrurroNs r,oR, DELTNeuENT Boys

mode of life that will brinE him an enriched experience and a measureof content. Through re-liEious instruction,

^manv sincere worhers

believe, hoys can be- giv-en-a sense of spiritrial values and an appre-ciation of certain ethiial 1rrinciples that will be of inestimable valueto them. Insofar as the bbieci of relisious instruction is this soundbuilding of inner strengths in. relation tio responsible social living andis. not primarily the stimulrtion of an eestatic emotional e*perienee,almost certain to be temporarv in character, it, undoubtedlv makesa considerable contribution to-the reeducational orocess.

Very rarely in institutions has there been found a slstematicapproach, through the efforts of the institution chaplaini, to theproblem of the boy's religious life after release. It would seem thatif a point.is made-of c_reating in the boy an interest in religious ritualsor affil iations and a dependenee on them, then it is quitl necessarythat steps be taken to hake sure he rvill'have the beirefit of simila"raids in the communitv to which he soes. Some institutions have aformal requirement th-at b-oys attend ihurch l.hile on parole and thatthey seld in reports signed by their pastors testifying to their attend-ance. But anv amount of external conformanie to resulations ofthat kind will-do little to help the boy with the real iroblems ofeveryday life. Parole officers iometimei try to see that'an efiectiverelation is ereated betwee,n a pastor or som-e church lay worher andth.e boy. . The parole officerf bowever, has such a niultiplicity ofother duties that it is impossible for him to devote a great deal oftime and attention to.this particular matter. It is quiie likely thata well-qualified chaplain whb has knoun the bov u-ell durinq hiJ insti-tutional stay could do more toward perfecting a helpful churchaffiliation -b51 making the right kind of iontact 'i'ith the-communitypastor and lhe familv. This has been attempted in some p]aces anhis said.to h1rng very good results. Ofter', it is said, the communityp_astor has little conception of the returned boy,s problems and needi.The institution chaplain may give real help iii interpreting the need_an$ 1ngking sure that the chirrEh connection will be a'.varrnTy human,helpful one.

15. CREDIT SYSTEMS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Credit systemsThe whole subject of credit systems seems to be one on rvhich there

is much difference of opinion. -

In rnanv state institutions that havebeen visited by representatives of the ehildren,s Bureau at one timeor another, no two exactly similar credit systems have been found.In maqy institutions lo credit system is in operation. In the fiveparticularly considered in this stridv only one had a credit sl-stem inthe complete sense of that term. Three others had certain svstemsof grading the boys in their difl 'erent aetivities in such a wav as toindicate progress_torvard adj ustme!t, but there r.r'as no fixed iystemfor awarding credits and no set credit Eoal to be achieved. Th; fifthinstitution operated under a systern t-hat more nearl5r approached apenal program. The terminolbgy used referred to time io be servedand instead of credits aryarded oi taken arvay boys were given ,,addi-tional days" or t'davs off."

There are certainiy some grave problems involved in devising asatisfactor.y credit .vit"-. fhe obiective of institutional treatmenLis, as has been repeatedly stated, to;irepare a boy for self-direction on



return to community life. It is not an easy matter to set up a measur-i"g tq4 in terms of bredits which will reafy reveal the progress a boyis making toward strengthening those persbnal qualificatiois essentialto succesiful adjustmenl in his"commuiity. On the other hand, thereis surely some connection between his"ability to conduct himselfacceptably in the institutional group life and his abilitv to live with-out conflict in the more difficulisocial situations into which he rvill beplunged in his life after release. Therefore, within limits, it is properto consider credits awarded for response to different, phases of initi-tutional treatment as something of a measure of piogress tou'ardsocial adjustment. Some observers, hou'er,'er, feel tfat ]n the opera-tion of a credit system the boy's attention mav have a tendency tofocus on the acq;isition of cr-edits rather than on the satisfactionsinherent in buil<iing up good habits and achieving certain goals ofactir-itv. Thcse persoirs-bclieve that some of th5 verv smi,rt but"ba-d"-boys can and do set themselves to rvork to earn thenecessarycredits fof release in a minimum time, but that the whole process iisuperficiai and works no inner changes'rvhich will continue tb operatoaft-er release is won. Liher.vise thef beleve that it is undulvhard forsome of the duller boys to comply with all rules and regulalions andso achieve the credit goal within a short period, although they mayactually be making greater progress towardiucceisful adjustment thaiboys oi the other"tfpe.

^ in the cqe-{it, rys'iein which has been developed in New Jersev ma,nyof these difrculiies seem to have been successfully met thrbuqh "agreat flexibility in the system. (See p. 118.) Theie the clinic frxedthe credit goal individually for the bbys, so that the difference be-tween the brighter and the iess well endo#ed bovs was recoenized andthe. requirement in credits to be earned 'w'as inodified aicordingly.This se-tting of_a credit goal o4 an individual basis seems a higLiydesirable procedure when-a credit system is used. Otherwise theie iigrave danger of developing so mechanized a system that it is incapableof providing the measure for which it is designed.- Ano-ther foint that is raised, not only with"respect to credit systemsbut with respect to all grading, is th6 subjecti^ve element ini-olved.There.is no escape from this p"eisonal equation. Certainlv no purelyobjective measuiement of the-qualities that determine ttre probalitityof social adjustment has been devised. Thoughtful institrition work-ers.point out that it is almost impossible, even-with the elosest super-vis ion and thc rrrost ser ious attempts at ieadership, to nrake sure ihatall persons doing the grading have approximatelv-fhe same standardsforJudgment.

-Behaiior w-hich in one cottage would be rated hish

might be lqted ser-eral points lower in anotLer group on the safrecarnpus. Yet, so far as adiustment outside the insfitution is con-cerned, both examples would mean the same. There is the furtherdifficllty of making sure that all stafi members maintainas objectivea point, oJ view. as possible and that they do not permit their ownemotional reactions torard any bovs to-color their EradinE eitherfavorably or adversely. To some eitent these probleris caribe metby insistence on a high type of personnel throughout and bv frequentdiscussion of these problems, designed to keei the individual'staffmember alert in regaid to his own prejudices forbr against individuals,so tlrat he may guard against tlem in grving gr"ades or awardingcredits.



Probablv one of the principal advantages in the use of the creditsvstem is that it Eives the b,jvs somethins tanEible at which to aim.Ii through constint individual and group discu-ssion the boys can bekept conicious of the fact that a credit is merely a symbol for their owndei'elopment in a desirable or an undesirable direction and is not anend in itself, nor to be sought \ilrith the sole purpose of obtaining re-lease, then probably such

-a system could colstitute a genuine aid.

But a purely mechanical credit system would seem to have greatdisadvantages and to'be an obstable in the path of attaining insti-tutional objectives.Disciplinary measures

The general policy with respect, to the maintenance of discipline wasusually"fixed bi theiuperinteirdent of the institution and apploved byhis su"perior oifficers or a managing board. Responsibility for th-ospecific application of such disciplinary measures as were permittedb.y the general policy was usually vested in some one stafi member,#no miftrt delefiate "to othermembers of the stafi some of his respon-sibilities. particularlv in connection with lesser infractions.

In thefive instituiions studied, considerable power for dealing withthe breaking of minor rules and regulations, or for dealing withmischievous or troublesome but, not vicious behavior, was left tocottage officers, teachers, instructors, and others to whom boys weredetail"ed for various purposes. The responsibility for dealing witbmore serious cases was r-ested in some oire memb6r of the staft. Intwo of the institutions this duty fell to the lot of the supervisor ofcottage life and cottage personnel. In a third the superintendentkept it largely in his own hands. In the fourth it rested on the assist-ant superintendent, and in the fifth it 'was delegated to a staff officerknown as disciplinarian, or court officer. The latter, as the titleindicates, held'rcourt" evety day for boys reported for formal disci-pline. In some institutions"the clinical personnel frequently servedin an advisory capacity, particularly in ielation to certain iypes ofmisconduct.

At this place l word must be said about a point that came upfrequentlv in.discussio.ns with institutional persolnel; that is,.the.evikinherent in the use of bov monitors or cadet officers in maintainrnElnnerent ln tne use oI DoY momtoTs or caoet omcers rn m8,In[arnrngorder and discipline. iYithout exception, thoughtful institutionorder and discipline. \Yithout exception, thoughtful institutionrvorkers expressed dissatisfaction with the monitor and cadet-officersvstem. Thev believe that it is oracticallv impossible to operatosystem. ey believe that it is practically impossible to operatosuch a system without abuses, sometimes of very grave character.However, even the most progressive schools with relatively largestaffs found it verv difficult to abolish monitors entirelv. In some ofthe institutions #hich were very poorl5' stafled, it was said to beabsolutely necess&r], to use boys as aids to the overl'orhed staffmernbers. It was also said to be an almost irresistible temptation,especially in connection with cottage management, for offieers todelegate-authority to boys rvhom tfiey con-"idered worthy of it, inorder that the officers themselves mieht har.e some respite from theireternal r-icilance. Ner ertheless the inonitor and cadet-officer systemis believe-d to deserve unquaiified condemnation. Even if s-eriousabuses can be kept to a minimum, this system always makes manyboys feel that officers have favorites and that there is no chance forfair play. Such attitudes destroy trust and confi.dence in officers u'homay, as a matter of faet, be trying very hard to help every one of the


RECAPITULATION AND COMTIENTS 275

bovs. That trust and confidence is one of the principal foundationstones upon wlrich service to the maladjusted boy must be built.

observations in manlr state institutions for delinq_uents indicatethat there is sreat variaiion in the manner of rating different, types ofoffenses as to seriousness. In some institutions an attempt to escapeis reEarded as a very Erave offense' In others it is regarded as anatuial incident, aod i[. seriousness is rated wholly on the basis ofthe boy's reason for making the attempt. With rec.entiy admittedhomesick boys, escape was ionsidered tb be- a.very different mntterfrom the same'ofiense committed by boys obviously motivated by-adesire to escape the irksome rvork or control of the institution. Inthe latter case it was the rebellious attitucle that $.as considered inneed of treatment-not its outlvard s1-mptom, the runling a\l:aY.

An institutional superintendent hai d-eclared that the child in aninstitution should be siven an environment as nearly as possible likethat of a normal hom"e and a good community; tha[ there should beno walls or barriers, no locked doots, no night watchme.n to preventescapes. His attitride to$-ard these control measures is clearly setfortii in the following remarks:

All these things are fatal to the best inferest of the child. There will beurcape. and freqilentlv in considerable numbers. Homesickness is a powerfuli"..ii[iu.. In tie first few days or weeks of the child in the institution, whenatt ir

""* and strange around him, when he is subjected to- a course of routine

inui i. regular and Jvstematic, whbn he eats and sleeps and works and goes toschool exactly on the-minute, when his molher and father no longer gre^et him rnihe mo.rringi-do you wondei that he grows homesick ald runs away? - In myiuae-e"t, f-or the'beneflt of the child, I-tnini< it is infinitety better-that. the doorsb" ipe" ai.rd the way made clear for trim to run awa_y rather_than forcibly detainhim. Ii the matters are anticipated properly and t[re cases handled:sympatheti-caitv. *"nv that are tempted tb eo will not !o. Those who have refrained froms;l;d *iU "build up within themielves the f[eling that they have won, arrd willf iauia conscious victory over their weaker natures. Those who go-wil l oftensoon .eturt"t themselves, br can easily be picked up, and they are much easier toi.atrat" uit"rttards thao if they had been ?orcibly dbtained in the first place. Inthe course of a ferv weeks, if institution life is made interesting and attractive'the child I,iIl soon get acquainted and adjusted, and the temptation to run awaywiit ia.gety disappeir. Hb*ever, if inforriration comes to him that some memberof the iamilv is iick or in troubie, and the rules of the institution are too_rigidabout visi t ing home, the chi ld wil l probabiy run away again. I f lhe dis-cipl ineof the institulion is'too severe, the cnna rfiU frequentiy run ari'a5' after havinggotten inlo some nrirror dif f icrr l ty. Horr.ever, vi th profcr spir i t in the edminis-f,rat ion of discipl inc, the num6er of these wil l not 5e grcat-. -Tlose rrndulyemotional, suffeiing under a fancied or real indignity at the hand of other childrenot aa"ttt,'-"y rurr"a\Iay rvhile under great st'r6ss.- Of course the feeble-mindedand the clefective run arlav from time to time, but with tolerant, wise, and carefulsupervision, the number 6f these should not be disturbing.l6

Other behavior rated as objectionable and deserving formal dis-

ciplinarv action included such acts as sex offenses, stealing, open

insubor8ination, and, in many places, smoking' There was consider-able variation in attiiude towaid the last offense. At some institu-tions the boys rvere gir-en to understand that, sm-ohing had to beforbidden, even for th"e older boys who rvere already accusforned tothe use of tobu""o, because of the fire hazards invoived. In otherssmokinE in itself was reEarded as "bad" behavior, cailing for theimposition of a penaltt if detected.

ivhen institutional workers assemble to discuss vexatious proLrlems,this question whether or not smoking shoulcl be permitted often arises'

r0 Bastin. II. V.: City and. Counly Versus State fnstitutions for Dependent, Defectire, and DelioqueDtCbildren. Proceed.ings of tbe National Conference on JuYenil€ Agencies, 1930, p' 14;



Il every such gathering rvill usually be found adyocates lor boih poli-cres. Some contend that the older boys, very many of whom haveused tobaeco regularly before commitmenf, shou]d be allowed to con-tinue its use within reasonable limits. They believe that indulgencein clandestine smoking, fgom which admittedly no institution is"free,has a far more harmfu-l effe-ct-on a boy's character than the temperat6use of tobacco could possibly have on-his body. . others are coni'incedthat tobacco so seriously ietards physical growth and developmentg,nd go lower_s physical and mental'efficienc! that to sanction its u.eis to betray their charges' wclfare. unlike the other group, they seemto feel no grave apprehension as to the effect on ab6v's charatfur oft-he practice of deceit involved in clandestine smokins. or as to thedanger invol'ed in his cultir-ation of the habit of ,,seili;q awav with,,arr.act adjudged an oflense within the social unit in"which-he isiiving.lzwith this great diflerence of opinion, and as long as no authoritati"vedata are available on the relative adr:antaEes or i[anEers in nermissiveo.r rrohibiti_ve_policies, the question wiil colntinue tobe determined onthe ,basis of the personal opinions of the administrators currently incontrol.

. Disciplinary measures observed covered a rather. wide range. Cot-tage .officers, leachers, and other grouli supervlsors were usuallypermitted to, impose for punitive purposes certain deprivations ofpnvrtege, such _as requrrtng. a boy to stay out of games on the play_grounds or in the cottage living ioom foi a rvhile.- rn manv institir-tions these officers rvere also permitted to place a boy,,oniine,,fora limited period. All the sup6rintendents siated thatho officers werepermitted to require fixed postures involving physical strain whileboys were_ on.l-ine- Thc.boy-s merely had to stand in a designatedplace on the side lines while the othei bovs worked or nlar-ed.

When an officer felt that he could not control u bbv, the minordisciplinary measures used so far having proved ineffeciive. or whenhe thought the oflense committed was too ierious for such punishmentalhe was permitted to administer, he reported the bov io the staffofficer charged witLresponsibility for deallng with problems of majordiscipline. This officer depended on certairidisciplinary measures toDrrng flrr_out the control whrch rvas deemed necessary. All such officersre-ported using deprivation of privileges to a cbnsiderable exrent,.Ihat meant withdrawing the prisilege of atlending motion-pictureshows and cntertainmenti. of .ali kindsl-including ba#etbari, bisebail,or other games, and forbidding participation iir anv school activitvwhich was classed as a social privilege. All the ofhe"r. stated thatthe_y did not use rviihhoiding of food"or curtailment of food as a dis-ciplinary .m,easu{e, with th; possible exception that some corragematron might takc away a boy's. 4essert foi a certain period, tho.fheven that u'as frowned upon.- AII declared that limitation irt -oultto bread and water was nbver permitted.

rn some institutions miscondrlct brought in its rvake the additionof a specified amount of time to be served.. The records of one insti-tution contained rnany notations of numbers of d.ays added to theperiods that boys had to remain at the institution. "

At only_one of the institutions visited was co'porar punishment, ner-mrtted. Its use was said to be safeguarded bv specific resulatibns.rn none of the institutions were individual officdrs fermittld-io sr,rike

tt S'." dlw""t*, Proceedings of tho Natiotral Conference of fuvenile Agenciss, 1982, p. 46.



boys or use physical force against them. Whether or not, this regula-tion was scrupulously observed by all officers could not be determinedby a visitor from outside. The institutions which used no corporalpirnishment at all were emphatic in their belief that it rvas not only un-necessary but that it had a distinctly brutalizing and harmful effectand that, it had no place in a modern program of social treatment.

Corporal punishment has been found to be still in use in a numberof other State institutions for delinouent, bovs visited bv renresenta-tives of the Children's Bureau.

Many institutions use as their most severe disciplinarv nleasure le-moval to a special cottage group, hnown by some such iemr as "seg-regation unit." fn some institutions the segregtition cottage rvas notnoticeably di{Ierent from the regular cottaees, Jrrtt tnuch lcss fleedomwas enjoyed by the boys tlius segregatecl frorn their usurrl cottagounits, as very much cloier superviiioir rras erercised anil tliere n-eieusuallv more locked doors. In other institutions the sesregationcottase u-as nruch less attract i r-e than the t 'egt i lar residence lni is andthe liie in it was not onlv much more restricted but thc bovs from thatunit were recuired to do the more difficult and unpleadant manuallabor for the institution.

Some institutions had within the segregation unit or elsewheresegregation cells {or the confinement of boys in isolation from alitheir companions. These cells har-e the full flavor of prison atmos-phere. Many people are firmly convinced that this penal treatmentexemplified by confinement, in isolated prisonlike cells has no placewhatever in an institution for iuvenile delinouents and that its efiecton the boy rvho is subjected to il can be nothing but destructive. Thisdoes not "necessarilv inean that it rnav not sdmetirnes be desirable ornecessary to remove a boy for a little"while from companionship withother boys. Such segregation, however, need not be in a prison cellor a cagelike place. A boy can be restricted to a comfortable bedroomwith probably much better efiect, provided great care is taken to rnahesure that, he understands the reason for thus segregating him, and alsothe purpose of this quiet period all alone as designed to give him op-portunity to do some real thinking about himseif in relation to theother boys and the institution. Some staff member u'ho knows howto set, boys to thinking in this way should talk with him at fairly fre-quent intervals. The sole purpose of such segregation should be tobrinq about a chanse in the bov's attitude. As soon as that is accom-plish"ed, segregation should be"terminated.

Occasionaliy it is necessary to isolate a boy who is in an abnormalmental st'ate, but such cases are subjects for the medical director, notthe discinlinarv officer.

In gen-eral it,'seems possible to say that a definite tendency has beennoted in the direction of abandoning the idea of punishment, and ofdeveloping measures that seek to motivate desirable conduct, throughsome controlling factor other than fear. Fear is generally regaldedas anything but an admirable trait. One of the rnost admired qual-ities is the direct opposite of fear, namely, courage. fn some rvals itseems a tribute to youth that it can so seldom be completely cowed.X'ear of punishmeni ma;' keep a boy temporarily from repeating hisoffense, but it may in addition create within him a driving impulseto get, 6ven eventually with that society which sanctioned his hurt orhis public humiliation. This certainly is no way in which to aid a boyto avoid further social conflict.


tA.


Back of the idea of punishment lies the revenge motive. Anger,hate, and rerienge call forth like responses. There might be someexcuse for so-called punishment if it could always be administerecl insuch a way as completely to convince the boy that there w&s no per-sonal emotional drive against him on the part of the person s'ho wasbringing about his punishment, but, that th-e person rvai honestly inter-ested in the boy's future welfare and.considered it dependent on hisnot repeating the offelse for which he w-as being punished. But rareindeed is the inst'ance in'which the victim of nunitir-e action could bethus convinced. As a matter of fact it mav safelv be asserted thatback of every punishment lied an emotionai re"po"n.e to the break-ing of.sacred rules, an affront to some officer's dignity, or some likesr[uatron.

The newer philosophy underlying disciplinary work in the moreprogressive institutions is that the pleasures and satisfactions to bederived from social livinq must be earned throuqh some contributionof the individual 1o the wilfare of the group and t-hrough his avoidanceof conduct that may disturb or hinder the progress of the group olinjure any of ics members, also that social privileges are sacriflced bythe individual rvho follows his own impulses and desires without con-sideration for his associates. Built oh this foundation, disciplinarvmeasures become positive in their effect. fn order for ihem to hav"ethe best possible results it is essential that the boy who is being dis-ciplined understand this philosophy and realize why he must un"dergocertain more or less unpleasant consequences for something he had doneor failed to do. Such a philosophy renders corporal punishmentobsolete. It comes to its best fruitage in an institutional programthat is rich in privileges and social satisfactions, where there is muchto be earned or sacrificed. It seems far more reasonable to expectthat the effect of this t5rpe of discipline wiJ.l carry over into later lifein a normal community than that of any &mount of punishmentinflicted at the instituti"ons

The newer approach to discipline requires that every case be con-sidered individuallv and that attention be focused on the bov and onwhatever drove him to the specific act, rather than on the ofrense itself.In this the psychologist and the psychiatrist can givo aid of inestimablevalue. There are many troublesome types of behavior for which boyshave been punished consistently and repeatedly but without satis-factory results. Research in behavior problems has shown how littleeffect punishment is ever likely to have on some of these youngoffenders, such as sex delinquents of certain types or boys sufferingfrom enuresis. The psychiatrist may find surplising reaions under--lyinE the specific misbehavior in many disciplinable cases. If thatlrom enuresrs. the psychratnst may hnd surplrsrng reasons under-lying the specific misbehavior in many disciplinable cases. If thatwhich lies behind the boy's behavior, the reason rvhy he acted as hedid at that particular t ime, can be determined, e

reason rvhy he acted as henined, either through the

help and advice of a clinic or through careful inquiry by other stallnelp ano adyrce oI a cllnlc or tnrougn carelul mqurry Dy otner stanmembers who possess sympathy and insight, then some intelligenttreatment of a disciplinary character may be devised and applied.treatment of a disciplinary character may evised and applied.


A great, variety of record forms w-ere found at the different, institu-tions, but comments on records will be limited chiefly to forms forrecordinE information obtained relatinE to the individual boy and tohis progress while under care and to hls adjustment while oii parole.

va



No special attention was given to those institutional forms which hadio dd with administrative- processes. A careful and intensive studyof records with a view to riraking certain suggestions as.to the mostnractical tvpes probablv would be rvelcomed by many institutional'od-inirttuiors. '

However, that would be a study in itself. It ispropo.ed here merely to refer to the general pla_n of recording datatoncerning boys under treatment and to leproduce. eerta,in sampleforms whi"ch niay be of interest, to other ri'orl<ers in this field. Theseioi^. nt" t.ptddrced in appendix C, pnge 302 (so fal as is me-chanically possible on pages ilie size of this report), not bcea use theyare consilered ideal but 6ecause ihel'shorv ]rorv some instii ulions a1eattemntinE to build up cnse records and how tfuough the use of certainfo.-. ihel:.re seeliin g to present informa tion.effectivelir for u til izrtionin deterniining what-treaiment the boy shall haYe while in the insti-tution and wliat is likely to be the most successful placement, on hisrelease.

Somewhere in each institution, in addition to the card file whichIists all boys committed, there was usually a case folder for each boy.The vatio,it institutions'put rvidelv difler-ent types of material in thiscase folder. In some institutions ihere rvas rrsuilly not much more inthis folder tban the commilm-'nl papers, perlraps r grade card or two,a miscellaneous Iol of discipline iecord {ips, Ietters to and from thoinsti(ulion rvhile the boy was there and after his parole, and somefew reports from his prrole officer. others l<ept a fairly complete..r-marv of the bov's

^case, including preinstitutional history, history

of nroEr6ss in his virious aisignments while in the institution, recordsof aU Tne various examinations given him while ihere, reports on thonrenarole investiEations, on the parole placement, and on the super-ti.o"v activities i'fter parole. T[e formi used in t]re New Jersey andNew"York institutions for obtaining the social history of the boyprior to commitment and for obtaining a report preparatory to pa-roleire reproduced in appendix C, pages S0Z-S|Z. In a-boy's case folderat Nlichigan, was Tound a form rrhich- is-reproduced in, lPpe-n-dt\ C. naie gig. This was used to record the observations made by theofficeiin"charge of the receiving cottage. At that school, w-hich didnot have ctiniial facilities to assist in determining assignments, greatemnhasis was placed on observation of the boy's responses during themohth he was in the receiving cottage, and this was the form used.for recordinE these observations.

fn some if the institutions each case folder contained a summaryof the principal findings of the various.examinations taken bypl.chbov duiine 6is flrst fJw weeks. Tlfs included a summary of themedical-eximination retrort, the psychological and psychiatric reports,if these services were available,-the school-princ-ipal's interview, andthe observations of cottaEe personnel under whbse clrarge the boyhad been. The detailed

"recbrds of these examinations by various

snecialists were usually filed in the different departm.ents. Pages 315-gte of appendix C reproduce the form used for the psychometl'icreport iniire clinic of the New York institution studied, which containssnaces for recordins a considerable variet.y of tests.'-q.t

the Californla institution were found trvo rrther interestingforms, which are reproduced in appendix C, pug.t 317 and 318. Oneis a report to be marie bV the cottage sup,ervisbr to the research dcpart-ment in cases in which a transfer is reCommended; the cottage super-


280 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR, DEIJINQUENT BOYS

visor checks the items on this form that describe the principal attitudesand characteristics of the boy. The other form is q report to be madeevery mo_nth by each boy's counselor. If carefully prepared on thebasis of close observation of the bovs bv counselors ofsood irrdsmenf,-such.monthly reports should give a good picture of the bo

ation oJ-the boys by cornselorsbf-good judgment,cr. Judgment,y's progress

or failure toJailure to progress rn certarn ways.School records and progress in rSchool records and progress in vocational-training courses are

recorded in various rvays at the different institutions. The schoolrecord card at the New Jelsey school is reproduced on page 3lg andtbe trade-shgp ratin_g card i! use in New York on page aZO of appen-dix C. Similar cards contained the boys' scholas[ic, house, and be-havior records. The latter trvo are repioduced on paqes Bil-824 of.appendix C, each followed by the instiuctions for perions rvho wereto keep_these records. In addition to the specific-directions tellinslrorv to fill in each space, these instructions urfed great care in makinljudgments and arriving at the ratings, as the carcls were expected t6be used freely by the assignment, and parole committees. Sfufi mem-bers were warned that they must be r-eady to appear before the com-mittee at any time to explain the ratings given. At this institutionthese cards were confi,iential between the officer and the administra-tion, not to be handled by the boys nor to be inspected bv them.Each officer was expected to make his own estimate of the bov"withoutbeing influenced by other officers; and the ratings were [o be theresult of prious, bonest, and fair consideration by iach officer.

At the Ohio institution a report slip was placed inthe boy's folrler eachtime he was disciplir,ed. Each cotlage-family officer made a weeklvreport to the disciplinarian, on u'hich he listed the boys who had beeiiplaced on line, giving the date when they u-ere placed-on line, the datewhen they.were.tal<en gfl ling, gn.{ th-e oflens-es for which ihey hadbeen thus disciplined. The disciplinarian made a dailv report i,t tn""cases in court" and furnished a list of the boys

,,receiving corporalpunishment" that day. This report included lhe ,,specific"natu]:re ofthe offense " and the times the boy had been in court ihe last B0 days.

The conclusion reached after 'isits to many state institutions iordelinqu*-ts is that, there is room for much improvement in devisinEand keeping & case record on each bov that u'ilI brine tosether wittrifione folder, in as brief form as possible, all the esseitiaf informationrelating to his history before commitment, his proEress u-hile at theinstitution, and his ad justment while on par.ol.e.

- Sulpplementary data

might be kept in the various departments giving the contacts of thosedepartments with the boys in eonsiderable det;il. In individualizedtreatment, records pJqV an important pa.rt, for in a rvell-built caserecord each boy's problems stand out elear ly, and the success or fai lureol rnstrtutronal treatment to meet some of those problems shouldbecomeapparent if his institutional career is adequately and honestiyrecorded.

This brings up the question as to the scope and uses of institutionalstatistics based upon individual case records. The proper kind ofstatistics compiled from adequate case records shouid irovide thebasrs for administrative analysis of such things as the foliowing:

1. Intqke--rt w-ould be useful for an institutional administrator toknow something about the following points on the basis of evidencegathered from each year's admissions.

t;



(n) The amount of information concerning committed boys madeavailable to the institution at the time of admission: information ofsuch character as to be helpful in determining types of treatment to begiven during their institutional stay.-

(6) Attempts at adjustment, or tiea.tment, applied in each case in thecommunitv before resortinE to commitment.. (c) Thitypps oj adjustrient problems presented by a year's admis-

srons to the school.The statistical basis {oa: such analytical compilations would prob-

bably take the form of an individual card for-each new admiision.This card would contain certain statistical items relating to familvhistory, the boy himself, his age, physical and mental condi-tion, schodlachievement, behavior problems leading to commitment, types oftreatment. alrgad.y tried (probation, fostei-home placement, oicare inother rnstrtutron).

2. Institutionaltreatmenf.-Certain data on the treatment to whichthe boy was subjected at the institution u-ould be rnost useful in study-ing the work of the institution in relation to individualization bftreatment,- with particular reference to social adjustment, physicaland mental healtli, and academic and vocational edueation.

' The sta-

tistical basis for this analvsis would be i:r the form of a card filled outfor each boy at the time-of his first release. This card would showsuch facts as his length of stay; the results of physical examination atthe school; defects d-iscovered-, if any; correctivo-work done; acute ill-nesses or injuries; findings of psychblogical and psychiatric'examina-tions and progra,m recommendations; educational assignment andprogress, both academic and vocational; assignments to maintenancowork outside the bona fide trade-training courses; social adiustment,d*.*g institutional- life (indicating how-t!r" boy fitted into cottageand- class groups, what recreational activities he participated in, aidso forth); behavior while at the institution, including ihe characterof misbehavior for which he was disciplined and the type of disciplineadministered ; preparole-investigation-findings as to hbme con ditions ;to whom he was paroled; and-what plans had-been made for schoolingjemployment, and the use of free time.

3. Hi,story Jrom f.rst release to f.nal di,scharge.-This material wouldenable an institution to study the results of the treatment that hadbeen accorded each boy. Its statistical basis would be a card for eachindividual fiIled out at the time of final discharEe from the institution,sc&re or supervision.

This card v'ould include such items as the re&son for discharEe: thelength of time since first, parole or release; the amoulrt of supeivisionexercised during the parole period (number of written reportirequireda!d.received, numbei of times the boy's home was visited, and numberof times the boy rvas_seen) I the number of times the boy was returnedto the institution with the reasons for each return; the tbtal time spentin the institution since first parole and the time spent, outside; schoolprogress since his first release; emplovment record between release anddjscharge; the lumber arrd typei ol new offenses committed duringtho period, and convictions or commitments to other institutions-:where he was living and with whom at the time of discharEe: his eco-nomic status; his home and neighborhood conditions; and"where a:rdwith whom he spent his leisure [ime.


282 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FON, DEIJINQUENT BOYS


Parole

Commitment to institutions for juvenile delinquents is usually forthe period of minority or until some other specific age, not for a definitenutriber of davs. month.. or vearc. All flv'e of the inititutions studiedhad some provision for releise of boys on certain conditions. Suchrelease rvas hnown as parole in four and as placement in the fifth.Usually the superintendent, has the porver to recommend or to grantparole, subject to the approval of some local board or State depart-inent or agency. In one of the institutions included in this study thepower to iaroie was vested in the local board of managers. In frac-tice, however, the board depended on the superintendent and theinstitutional stafi to make recommendations for their consideration.

The methods of determining fitness for release were found to varygreatly. In the Ohio institution release rvas rathet automatic inlhai it seemed to be whollv denendent on "setvins" a fixed periodat the institution, this period b6ing shortened or len'gthencd by daysoff for good conduct, or days added for misconduct. In New Jerseythe credit system with its credit goal determined the time r.hen a boyrvas eligible for release. This wis not so automatic a procedure as itsounds because the classification committee set an individual creditgoal for each boy on the basis of very careful study of the boy and hisproblems. fn another institution the grading system took the placeof the credit goal in singling out boys for considcration for release,boys being eligible for consideration when they had made six consecu-tive "B's. " In the California institution the secretary kept constantwatch of the progress records of the boys and sent to the placementcommittee eabh ironth a list of those "whose Erades indicated thatthey had made a fairly good adjustment in the institution. Thatcommittee then reviewed their cases thoroughly and passed upontheir readiness for olacement. In Nerv York the assisnment com-mittee reviewed eaih bov's case at the end of 6 monthi and on thebasis of progress tou'ard idjustment made by that time set a probabledate for parole. On that date the parole committee re'l-iewed thecase carefully and decided rvhether or not sufficient progress had beenmade to warrant release.

ln three of the institutions the institution itself had parole or place-ment officers. In one all parole work r,r'as done by i central'Stateparole office, and in another the parole $-ork was done through asystem of countv welfare agents. locallv anpointed but doine theirsystem of couaty welfare agents,worh under the general direction of supervisors

y appointed but doing theirsunervisors from the State

welfare department.The standards of personnel engaged in parole service varied widelv.

1'here rl'as also coniiderable difeience in the size of the case loadsof parole officers in the four States having parole officers, ranging fronr114 in one (California) to 287 in another (Ohio). All loads rveremuch heavier than any approyed maximum case load standard.

The amount of rvork undertaken in preparation for parole was insome instances almost negligible and in others fairly definite andextensive. One institution denended almost whollv on a, reDoltrequested from the original committing court as to ivhether or notthe boy should be returned to his ou'n home. In the institutiouwhich had no parole, reliance had to be placed on rvhatever reportcould be obtained from the county agent in the boy's home countl-.


RECAPITUI,ATION AND COI\I},IENTS 283

Neither of these methods seemed to be producing reports that wereadequate or that would be genuinely helpful in making a wise decision.In the other States attempts were made to obtain a considerableamount of information on conditions in the boy's home. Theseinstitutions souEht immediately after the boy's admission to obtaininformation ab<l'ut his home and the communitv influences that hadsurrounded him. These data were used not onlv to arrive at a betterund.erstandinE of the bov and his attitude but"also to suide in con-sidering the pioblems tha,t would have to befacedwhen he"was released.One institution had a director of preparole activities whose functionwas not only to watch the boy's progress in the institution, but tomake an effort to have some work done in the bov's own home andcommunity in preparation for his return.

In three of the institutions a soecific treatment plan was made inpreparation for a boy's release.

'A placement or

-parole committee

went over the summary of the boy's history before commitment, therecord of his l,reatment, while under the institution's care and hisresponses to it, and the descriptive report outlining the colclitionswhich would sunound him in the home and the community to whichhe was to so if released. The committee considered these and maderecommendations with respect to such things as home placement,school adjustment, employment, and social and recreational activities.

It was not easy to get, on so brief a visit and without extensivefield work, an adequate picture of the amount and the character ofthe help and the supervision given to boys who had been released andof the degree of completeness with which treatment plans made at theinstitution were carried out. The impression gained from the conversa-tions with persons in charge of parole service and from reading recordswas that in some institutions this was one of the weakest points in thewhole treatment program. In other institutions a great effort clearlywas being made to raise the standards of personnel and to do as muchintensive case work of high quality as could be done under the loadwhich the officers were required to carry. In some States it seemedthat the contact with boys on parole was so slight thai very little helpwas beinq extended and there was almost no likelihood that the firststeps toward further difficulty would be known in time to help the boyavoid such conduct as would make it necessary to return him for liola-tion of his parole or to have him committed t,6 some other correctionalinstitution. With the amount and character of the supervision vary-ing so greatly, it, is certain that the number of boys returned for viola-tion of parole is not in any sense comparable as betrveen institutions.That is, a low number of returns-instead of indicating success on thepart of

'the parolees-may mean merely that iheir diffiiulties were not

known to their parole officers, whereas a high rate of returns mightmean fhat, parole officers in close touch with their charges wereadvisins return to the institution for further treatment w-hen firstsympto"ms of failure to adjust began to be evident.

In connection with this brief r6sum6 of the parole regulations inefrect in these five institutions, it is probably appropriate to commentthai ihe general impression obtained from reading the reports preparedbv field renresentatives of the Children's Bureau rvho harre visitedolher similir State institutions is that, the u.eakest snot in institutionaltreatment of delinquent boys appearc in connection v-ith their releasefor return to community life. Parole services are entirely lacking in

76870+35-19



pa,role officers are members of the institution stafi with headquarterson the campus. If the parole service is siven by a centrai parole

some States. In such States the bovs are simply turned out, after aperiod of training, with no community preparation for their receptionand:ro special aid to them when they must again face the very sameconditions that had brousht about their former conflict. In otherStates the number of parole officers provided is extremely inadequate,the qualification standards for parole officer are low or prlctically non-existent, and their work is often done without proper supervisionand leadershin.

Certain standards 'and procedures of parole work are essential,whether the work is to be done bv parole offcers on the staff of theinstitution and directed by a lead'er who is responsible to the super-intendent, or whether it is to be done by parole offi.cers working asa State uirit and under a State director "of-paroie not responsibl"e tothe institution superintendent. The personnel should be chosenentirely on the basis of qualifications in education, experience, andpersonal characteristics.

^ Appointments and dismissais should be

6ntirely free from political'influence. Persons who have a goodeducational background with training and extrlerience in social casework are hlghly desirable. The parole-officer needs to have a thoroughunderstandinE of the social resources likelv to be found in the com-munities in ritrich he is to serve. He niust know what kinds ofservices the various agencies mav be expected to offer on behalf of theboys whom he will place in their co--unities. His parolees shouldhave, throush the cbntacts he makes. the benefit of everv availablesociai servic"e which can be secured aid of which they stand in needwhen they return to community life. A parole unit, even if composedof men with a me&sure of training and experience,'will undoubtedlyfunction more effectivelv if directted bv i, trained and exoerienceil.person who can give full" time to supervision of the work, tb consul-iation with indiiidual officers on farticular proble-s, to planningfor continual growth and improvement in the'amount and characterof service rendered, and to assisting in interpreting parole work toother social agencies and to the genelal public^.

Another po-int to be made is Ihat the parole service can functionbest if it, is- brousht into contact witn tn^e bov shortlv after his ad-mission to the inititution and if it remains in"contacd with him andhis .problems throughout the institutional period. This early ac-quaintalge with the case is probably arralgdd m_ost.easily when the

oa the campus. If the parole service is given by a central paroleoffice for the State, there is no reason why procedures cannbt beoffice for the State, there is no reason r.lhy procedures cannbt beadopted which will bring about this introduclion of the parole officeradopted which will bring q,bout this introduction of the parole officerto his future case. NervJersey has been developing methbds designedto effect, this close workins relation between the hsiitution and- theindependent State parole office.

Parole work is in reality cornmunity case work. The boy has cometo the institution because something in his home or his communitvhas done somethinq to him or failed to do somethins for him. as "aresult of which he

-has come into conflict with social"standardi and

laws. It is most unreasonable and absurd to expect this young andinexperienced boy, even after good response to training in the pro-tected life in the institution, tlo return^ to an uncorrec"ted home orcommunity eondition and to succeed in resisting the destructiveinfluences there. Yet that is exactly what many-State institutions



a,re expecting. They accept boys for treatment, but they make littleif any efiort to make sure that corrective treatment is being appliedat the same time to the bov's home and communitv. This is a phaseof the treatment procranl that, must be develope? if the results ofinstitutional treatmenl are not to be rapidly nuliified in a regrettablenumber of individual cases. If parole officers could devote more timeto securing the cooperation of social agencies in carrying on this cor-rective work in home and communitv while the bov is in the insti-tution, there would be far less need fo'r intensive sup"ervision when heteturns, and much of the watch-dog character of present parole rvorkwouid be eliminated.

Many experienced parole workers have expressed doubt as to thedesirability of trying to develop to any great extent the use of board-ing- or foster-home care for parolees. In some cases such placementworked very happily;but boys who had lived in homes of their ownto the age at which boys were usually committed had developed anafrection and a loyalty for that home, no matter how poor it might beaccording to ordiirary community sti,ndards, and there was u"suallyan unbreakable bond of affection betrveen the bov and some member ormembers of his family. If, because nothing hid been accomplishedtoward improving the chaiacter of the horie during his stay'at theinstitution, the boy rvas placed elsewhere, he might stay in thefoster home a whil6, but ilmost invariably the teilptatioir to runaway and to return to his own home eventually outweighed the adviceand admonitions of his parole adviser. This does not mean thatfoster-home care is nevei to be considered. It does mean that itshould be used with nice discrimination both as to the tvnes of casesfor which it is used and the care taken to fit the person"aiities of theboys to those of the people in the homes in which they are to beplaced. Above all it means that more attention must be given tocorrecting home and community conditions from which boys havehad to be removed.

When the parole authority decides that a boy's ihstitutional adjust-ment and his progress in training warrant his return to communitylife, a highly crucial point in that

-boy's career has been reached. Tob

much care cannot be taken in effectins his return. Institutions thatare using the clinic or committee method of preparing a plan foradjustment on parole believe it to be by far the best approach to theproblem. Its zuccess is dependent on-a great many Td,ctors. Sucha committee, or clinic, must haye at its command a very carefulsummary of accurate information upon which to base its decisionsand recommendations. It must know as much as possible about theboy himself. It should have a thorough knowledfe of the home towhich he wishes to return-not onlv its phvsical attributes and sur-roundings but the persons who live itrere, aird their attitudes towardthe boy and his toward them. The committee should know exactlywhat educational opportunities are available, whether they are suitedtg !,he boy's abilities and interests, and whether it is going to be easy,difficult, or almost impossible to effect an educationa|adjustment in afreindly school atmosphere, devoid of distrust or antagonism. If thoboy is to work, the committee needs to know what emplovmentopportunities are available, and rvhat the hourc, w&ges, and v-brkingconditions and hazards will be. Last, but by no means least, it shouldknow-what connections can be made in order to provide satisfactorv

t_



activities and associations during the boy's free time, How, where,and with rvhom he spends his free time will have an important bearingon his entire social adiustment.

It is imperative that the meetings of this clinic or committee beattended liy the parole officers who will be responsible for carryingout any treatment plans that may be devised. The parole officerneeds to hear the discussions in order that he may understand whycertain recommendations have been made. and how important it isthat they be carried out. The committee, in turn, needs the prac-tical point of view of the parole off.cer, and his opinion as, to thefeasibility of their plans and the necessity of modifying them becauseof unchanEeable conditions that must tre faced.

In the Iast analysis the degree of success attending placement,depends to a very considerable extent on the skill of the parole ofrcer.Some cases, to lie sure, tax that skill but slightly. Others tax it tothe utmost. No treatment plan, however carefully and expertlyarrived at, works automaticallv. Success or failure is largely condi-tioned by ihe personality and [he skilI of the parole officerfhii capa,c-itv for influencing boysi and his ability to interpret their probl-emsaid needs, and t6 wiir ine wholeheart6d interest- and coopeiation ofparents, teachers, employers, and fellow-workers in health, recreation,i.nd weifare agericiesl b"oth public and private. Regrettably, '!anyof these officert have'little sympathy arid no genuind liking io1 boyswhom they consid". 116*6.rr- ihe iuccesful [arole officeiwill havesuch sympathy and liking so broad, so deep, add so articulate as to beinfectious.Discharge

In one of the institutions studied discharse was automatic when theboy reached his seventeenth or eighteenth Sirthday, depending on theage specified in the court commitment. In the others commitmentwas for the period of minority, but the authorities granting parolealso had power to give a final dischargo short of the twenty-first birth-day in three of these four States. In one of them advantage was takenof ihis regulation in a rather automatic procedure by meins of whichboys who remained on parole one year without violation and withoutbeing returned to the institution were automatically recommended fordiscliarse. A new commitment was thereafter

-required for their

return. In another of the four institutions a bov was usuallv releasedor discharged on recommendation of his placem'ent officer after about,2 years without violation or return. In the other two institutions,alihough active supervision might be very greatly relaxed or entirelydiscontinued. bovs remained under lesal control of the institutionsuntil they were automatically dischargdd by attaining their majority.The only exceptions rrrere in cases in'which they rvere committed toother correctional institutions before thev rvere 21 vears of age. or. inone institution, if they married or enlisttid in the drmy or tiie'Navy.

18. CONCLUDING STATEMENT

No attempt is made in this report to suggest, a complete set of mini-mum standards for institutions for delinquent boys. It would bevery difficult to agree on minimum standards that would be appli-cable in all the States. A standard reasonable to expect in one mightbe so far beyond early attainment, in another as to discourage effort,whereas in still another it might represent an absurdly low level. X'ar

+:j

Child Health Library, GeorgetownProvided by the Maternal and University


more important than the achievement of fixed minimum standardsare clear recoEnition of the fundamental obiectives of such institu-t'ions and ma[rtenance of an onen mind as io the means bv rvhichthose objectives are to be achieved. The best stanclards are flexibleones, which continuallv absorb into thernselves new goals set bv theconstantly changing concepts of what institutional ti6atment sfiouldbe, as experience shows certain methods to be ineffective and othersto hold promise of greater usefulness.

n'ixed standards may well be regarded with distrust el'en thoughthey be labeled minimum. It mifht be possib]e to set fairly satis-factory standards for the institutional plant and its equipment; butthe most, perfect plant fails disastrously in redirecting boys' Iivesunless manned by exactlv the right kind of personnel. No doubt anagreement couldbe reached as to'the training and experience believedto be essent'ial, or at least highly desirable, as preparation for per-forming differeirt t'ypes of insti"tuiional rvork; and th-o developmenl ofstandards of this sort here as in other fields of social v'ork is higlilydesirable. It might even be possible to set up certain general rgquryg-ments as to character and personality traits. But as yet scientificmethod has produced no teats by which the presence or absence ofcertain personal capacities mav b"e determined. Anvone with a wideacquaintance with ilelinquent 6ovs and with persons who work amonEthem knows that individuals differ enormously in their capacity foiwinning the liking, loyalty, respeet, and confidence of such boys andoonseqiently difiei in ttr"eir aBititv to influence individual bbys indireotions considered desirable, This capacity is one of those forwhich no measure has vet been found.

In other words, an iirstitution with a piant rated. poor may do anexcellent job by virtue of the quality of its personnei. On t6e otherhand, an "instiiution w-ith an excellent plani may largely fail in itsobjeciives because of the poor quality-of its humarirrilationships.That institution approaches the ideal which manages to combineexcellence of plant irird equipment with a preponderaice of personnelrichly endowed with thistairacitv to influ6nce boys.

Given a good plant and high-grade personnel, that institution willprobably travel farthest along th6 road^to succesi which utilizes to thefullest extent such materials and methods as educators possessed ofvision and couraEe and mental hyeienists endowed with insight andpractical wisdom are devising and ricommending as promising-a moreeffective approach to the problems of maladjustment in children andyouth. Aiitoo little is knbwn as yet about dhe mental and emotionallife of children and the motivation of conduct in the individual. Onething seems to have emerged clearly out of the study and research ofthe fast decade, in relati6n to con6.uct problems. That i. the greatvariety of mentil and emotional experierices and attitudes which"maylie be[ind almost identical behavi-or incidents. such as instances ofminor theft. Treatment, if it is to be genuinely corrective, obviouslymust be directed toward the removal of realignment of these impellingforces. Since these differ from case to case, tt'eatment must differ insimilar fashion. This is one of the thinEs that has si\-en such impetusto the trend toward individual izat ion oftreatment- in work rvi th jure-nile delinquents and that has occasioned the growing mistrust of theeffi.cacy of mass treatment, of repressive measuies, andof ttpunishmentto fit the offcnse."



in the interest of children anld

This newer approach to the problem tends to bring about a multi-tude of changes within the inititutional program and to reveal thenecessity for-much closer integration of

-the institution's activities

with those of the communities whose bovs it serves. Learnins tolive together is a continuous process. All "attempts

to guide, heli', ordirect lhat process need to b^e correlated if conflict is io be'avoided.The, time is- ripe for experimentation along the line of bringing theinstitution into closer iontinuous v-orkins"relation u'ith loc"al aeen-cie. - t l re juveni le court , the pol ice, the healtJr centers, the guidanceclinics, the schools, and all recreational and child and familv welfareorganizations. This integration would mean more intelligerit servicefoi the individual and it-would help to expose those basi"c causes ofmaladjustment which are making criminals of some children andunhappy, inefficient adults of man-y more.

Isolation, either geographical ofsocial, but especiallv the lrtter, isone of the severest"haidiiaps from which an inititution -uv suffer.4 boy maytrecome adjusted to institution life very satisfactoiily, butthat rvould be no guarantee that he would be able io make adiustmentto community tiie with a similar degree of success. His ability tomeet-the problems of Social living outside the institution would defendlargelv upon two thinss: First. whether the institution had in-facth_elped lrim to meet daiiy life ashe found it, making for himself thosechoices that are essential for harmony in group-iife; and, second,whether the return to the communitv was efi"ected easilv and withouisevere handicap in the form of unfridndly or antagonistic attitudes ontbe part of the-community torvard the boy and the institution, or onthe part of the boy toward the institution and the community.' Thislatter requirem.ent cannot be fulfil led if an institution releaies boyswhose institutional experience has failed to eradicate bitternessaroused by treatment prior to commitment, or whose institutionaltreatment has inspired in tbem deep-seated feelings of resentment andhostility. Nor can it be fulfillea if the institutioi has failed to inter-pret its work to the communities from rvhich its boys came ancl totake its place in glope_working_relation to all other agencies functioning

-rn part-2 of this'"JJi; *"tlt"#f,fl"iifl1ilit" analyze the problemsof boys after thev rvere released from thes6 five Sta,ie institirtions. itboys,after they rvere released from thes6 five Staie institirtions, itis hoped that some additional light may be throrvn on the subjecl ofsorvices the institution should perform.


Appendix A.-SAMPLE MENUS '

BOYS'MENU FOR THE WEEK ENDED SEPTEMBER 28, 193IWEITTIER STATE SCEOOL. WEITTIER, OALIF ,

Day

a

Breakfast

Stewed fruitCorn mush, milk and. sugarBoiled eggBread and butter,

cocoa

Dinner

Veal stew with vege-tables

Mashed potatoesBeet saladDoughnuts and jamMilk

Supper

Split-pea soupButtered carrotsCabbage saladFresh {ruitBread and butterSugar cookies, milk

E

Stewed fruitRolled oatsMiIk and sugarFried baconBread and butter,

cocoa

Red Mexican beansChili, with meatVegetable saladBoiled custardMitk

Rice and lamb withonions

Boiled cabbageVegetable saladFresh fruitCurrant cake, milk

€

Fr

Stewed fruitHominy grits, milk

and sugarBread and butterBoiled eggCoffee cake, cocoa

Macaroni and cheeseCombination saladBread and butterShort cakeMitk

\Yieners, potato saladBr.rttered beetsSliced tomatoesFresh fruitG ingerbread, bu t te r

milk

/a

B

Stewed fruitHot cakes, sirupBread and butterFried baconSweet rolls, cocoa

Baked beansCabbage saladRusksMilk

Baked hashSummer squashSliced cucumbersFresh fruitVanilla cake, milk

'rJa

Fr

Stewed fruitCorn mush, milk and

sugarBread and butterBoiled eggCoffee cake, cocoa

Potato chorvderVegetable saiadSugar cookiesMilk

Spaghetti with baconand tomatoes

Creamed onionsCarrot and cabbage

saladFresh fruitLemon cake, butter,

milk

t

Stewed fruitFrench toast, sirupBread and butterBoiled eggRolis, cocoa

Lima beansCombination saladRice puddingMilk

Codfish cakesButtered carrotsColeslawFresh fruitGingerbread, milk

.c!=dB

a

Stewed fruitCorn flakesMiIk and sugarBread arrd butterCofiee cake, cocoa

Vegetable soupLettuce saladCorn breadMiIK

Meat loaf, tomato sauceNfashed potatoesBoiled cabbageFresh fruitRaisin cake, i.rutter,

milk

I Furnished by 4 of the 5 institutlons included in the study. Thero was no uniform menu for all coloniosin tho New York State Agricultural and Industrial School; suppliesworo issued uniformly and each colonymatron was permitted to make such use of them as she thought best. See p. 148.

28976870-35-19



BOYS'MENU FOR THE WEEK ENDED MARCH 27,1932

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCEOOL. LANSING. I { ICE.

Day

a

Breakfast

Corn flakes, milkMuffins, bread and

butterBoiled egssCoffee, s=u-gar

Dinner

Baked ham, browngravy

Mashed potatoesCreamed peasBread and butterAppie pieCoffee, ice cream

Supper

Bread and butterCottage cheeseFruited gelatineChocolate milkCookies, apples

>r Cream of wheatBread and butterMilk, cocoa, sugar

Steamed bolognaSteamed potatoesLima beaisBread and butterBread pudding

Macaroni and cheeseCherry sauceBread and butterCocoa, coffee cake

>)

a

Fi

Shredded wheatStewed prunesBread aird butterMiIk, coffee, sugar

Beef stewBrowned potatoesWax bean-sBread and butterChocolate pudding

Veeetable soup. crackePlulm sauceBread and butterTea, cookies, apples

>'

a

tr

F

Oatmeal and milkBread and butterCocoa, sugar

Beef bash, potatoes$p lnachBread and butterCoffee, pudding

Spanish riceStrawberry sauceBread and butterCheeseCocoa, cookies, apples

>,

a

Fi

Bran flakesBread and butterCocoa, milk, sugar

Spanish stewSteamed potatoegCreamed beasBread and butterCocoanut pudding

Chili con carneCrackersBlackberry sauceBread and butterTea, cookies, apples

L

Corn-meal qruelStev-ed apricotsBread and butterMilk, cocoa, sugar

Fried haddockBaked potatoesTomatoesBread and butterCoffee, rice pudding

Italian spaghettiTomato sauceBread and butterCocoa, cookies, apples

(t)

Puffed wheat. milkBread and britterCoffee, sugar

FrankfurtersFried potatoesCreamed carrotsBread and butterTapioca pudding

Pork and beansPeach sauceBread and butterCocoa, apples


APPENDIX A.-SAMPLE MENUS 29L

BOYS'MENU FOR THE WEEK ENDED MARCH 6, 1932

NEW JERSEY STATE EOME FOR BOYS, JAMESBURG, N.J .

Day

a

Shredded wheat, milk, I Frankfurterssugar I Baked beans widh pork

Bread, butter I Bread, butter, catsupCocoa, milk '

I Fruit gelatine, milk

Breaklast I Dinner Supper

Cheese, potato saladDressingBread and butterMiik, sugar cake

asugar

Milk

Stewed prunesSteamed rice, milk,

Creamed beefSteamed potatoesButtered string beansBread, milk

Vegetab le soup w i thstock

Peanut butter, breadN{ilk, apples

>,fia

H

Apple butterOatmeal, milk, sugarBread, cocoa

Beef sterv with pota-toes, onions, carrots,peas, beans, celery,tomatoes, turnips

Bread, milk, jelly

Sliced bolognaStearned potatoesBread and butter

molassesCookies, milk

h

ao

€ts

Stewed raisinsFarina, milk, sugarBread, cocoa

Boiled eggsSweet potatoes, car-

rotsSalad with pineappleBread, butter, milk

Baked macaroni, cheeseTomatoesBread, fruit jellyMilk, apples

a

4

Fi

Grape jamCorn-meal mush, milk,

sugarBread, milk

Sausage meat, onionsGravy, mashed pota-

toesBread, milk

Split-pea soup withstock

Peanut butter, breadStewed raisinsMitk

rdI

Apple sauceBoiled rice, milk,

sugarBread, cocoa

Codfsh, mashed pota-toes

Stewed tomatoesBread, milkApple pie

Boiled eggsSweet potatoesBread and butterMilk, apples

>|

H

a

Peach butterOatmeal, milk, sugarBread, cocoa

stewand

Browned porkwith potatoesomons

String beansBread, milk

Sliced bolognaPickled beets with

onionsBread and butterMiIk, apples

Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Libraryo Georgetown Universify

292 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUDNT BOYS

BOYS' MENU FOR THE WEEK ENDDD MARCH 26,Ig32

Breakfast Supper

€a

Fr

>'

CD

r

>'

ao

"@k

E-{

Bran flakes, sugarMilk,. bread, apple

DutterCoffee substitute

Corn flakes, suqarMilk. bread

Pot-roast hamPotatoes and cornPickles, breadApple pie, miik

Stewed kidney beansDIrCed boloqnaBread, butferApples, milk

Macaroni and tomatoesJacket potatoesBread, butterApples, tea

Creamed dried peasTomato relish

-

Bread, butferApples, cookies, tea

Hot wienersJacket potatoesCatsup, breadApples, cookies, tea

Boiled pork and krautChocolate puddinEBread, butierMilk

Potato soup, crackersBread, picfl'ed beetsApples, cookies, tea

Baked hashButtered beetsBreadApples, cookies, tea

>,

k

t

a

fpple sauceoftee substitute

Creamed dried cornTomato relishBread, butterBuns, tea

Cold sliced beefCreamed riceBread, catsupApplei, cookies, tea

BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCEOOL, LANCASTER, OEIO

Rolled oats, sugarMilk, breadApple sauceCoIfee substitute

Corn flakes, sugarMiIk, breadButter, sirupCoffee substlitute

Pot-roast beef andonions

Creamed riceBreadApples, milk

C_or_n-mealmush, sugar I Vegetable soup, crack-Milk, bread I

"rsApple sauce I Rar- krautCoffee substitute I Bread, butter

Peach pie, milk

Bran flakes, sugarMiIk. breadApple sauceCirfree substitute

Stewed navy beans andporK

Br-ead, butter, picklesApples, cookies, tea

Rolled oats. suearMilk, breadApple butterCtrftee substitute

Boiled pork and krautButtered potatoesBreadApples, cookies, tea


A.B.C.

Appendix B.-OUTLINE OF TRADE COURSE, q$qlINSTRUCTOR'S REPORT, AND SAMPLE LESSONS

OI]TLINE OF COURSE IN AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS, NEW JERSEYSTATE HOME FOR BOYSl

I I . Aurouosrr ,n I lnp,r tn-Cor.

D . Rea r ax l c an r l l r t r kes :1. Installing Ire\Y gears in the

di f fercr i t ia l .2. Installing nel' ring gcar and

p I 1 l l O l l .

3. I r rs te l l i r rg ne \ \ ' bear ings inrcar -ax le hous ing .

4. Instal] ing new key in drivep1n1on.

5. Replacing broken axle.6. Overhauling split axle house-

1ng.

7. Pulling rear rvheels.8. Adjustlng rear-axle level and

pinion gears.9. Removing universal from car.

10. Disassembling rear axle.11. Inspecting and reassembling.12. Adjustingexternalbrakebands.13. Adjusting internal exPanding

brakes.14. Removing grease and oil from

brakes.15. Relining brakes.16. Repairing squeaking brakes.

E. Oiling system:1. Cl6aning valve stems, guides,

and piston rings.2. General instruction for drain-

ing, flushing, and refillingensine crank case.

3. Repair ing and inspecting oi l ingsystem.

F. Cooling system:1. Caring for radiator hose.2. Removing radiator'3. Repairing radiator rvith liquid

compouno,4. Overhauling water pump.5. Packing water pump.6. Replacing or repairing fan

belt.G. Fuel system:

1. Adjusting carburetor.2. Installing carburetor.3. Instaliine vacuum tank.4. Overhauling vacuum tank.5. Overhaulins all carburetors'

I See Educational Program; plan of organization and description of activities (New Jersey State IIorrofo rBoys ,1930) ,p .67 . In regard to themethodsof ins t ruc t ionseechap. IVof th is repor t ,p '110.

293

I. Wessrrc AND GREASTNe

Automobiles.Tractors.Farm implements.

II. Auronronn,u Rnp,q.ra

Front axle and steering gear.1. Straightening axle.2. Straightening knuckle arm.3. Replacing bolt and bushings.4. Adjusting steering gear.5. Overhauling radius rod (if

Ford)Ensine work:

1. Grinding and adjusting valves.2. Reseating and refacing vah'es.3. Replacing valve-Iifter guides.4. Adjusting main bearings.5 . Ad jus t ing connect ing- rod

Deanngs.6. Fitting new connecting-rod

bearines.7. Fitting n"ew main bearings.8. Fitting nerv piston rings.9. Fitting new wrist Pins and

bushinss,10. Replacin{ cam-shaft bushing.11. Scraping carbon.12. Cutting and fltting gaskets'13. Replacing manifold gaskets.14. Scriapine;nain engine bearings'15. Timing engine.16. Silenb chain care.17. Removing cylinder head.18. Replacing cylinder head.19. Shellacking cylinder head to

prevent compression leaks.20. Fittine neri' pistons.

Clutch tran-smission and universals:1. Removine transmission bands.2. Relinine

-transmission bands.

3. Replacing gear and bearing.4. Adjusting clutch on all cars.5. Relining a disk or plate clutch.6. Installing nerv clutch springs.7. Installing new clutch bearings.8. Repairing a spinning clutch.9. Repairing a grabbing clutch.

10. Repairing a slipping clutch.11, Refacing disk clutches and

installing nerv cork insert.

A.

B.

c.



lI. Aurolronrr,r Rnpern-Con.II. Ignition:

l. Testins coils.2. Repairing all ignition s;'stems.3. Cleaning spark plugs.4. Repairing distributor.5. Repairing magneto.6. Repairing magneto switch.

I. Generators and starting motors:1. Cleaning comm-utator a n d

brushes on motor or qenera-tor.

2. Adjusting generator charge.3. Adjusting Wagner starting

motor.Adjusting Buick Delco-motor

generator.Adjusting Remy Oldsmobile

system.

II. Aurolrosrr,p Rnp,trn-Con.I. Generators and starting motors-

Continued.6, Fitting brushes and sanding

commutator,J. Wiring and lighting:

1. Replacing fuse.2. Adjusting and cleaning lamps.3. Replacing light bulbs.4. Repiacing and cleaning light-

ing switch.Repairing old wire troubles.Splicing lighting cable.Attaching wire to lamp sockets.Installing and wiring ammeter.Test for locating lighting

troubles.

i

5.6.F,

8.L


SHOP INSTRUCTOR'S RNPORT ON CONDUCT AND PROGRESS OFBOYS ENROLLND IN TRADE-TRAINING COURSES, NDW YORK STATEAGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL2

Bov's xaun- - - - : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Tnaon-Er,ncrnrc Sqop

fNsrnucron pBDpaRrNG REpoRT-- - - - - - - - - - -D,Lru-

ELECTRICIAN'S TRADE-TRAINING REPORT

I- Core ol shop equipmenl

C a r e o f t o o l s - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - - - - - - -To learn lho prirciDles of the leser

'

and their application to the use of i ltoo ls and t igh ten ing w i re - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - l - - - - - - -

Proper use of mat€rials- - - - - - - - - - - - - l- - -, - - - l- - - - - - -Sa le ty p recaut ions- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - l - - . - - - -Making soldering and tapeing joints- i- - - - - - - I -- - - - - -Splicing wire from size 16 to 500,000 I i

c m _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - - - - _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ iSle€ve rwisring solid wire from size I

1 8 t o n o . 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - l - - - - - - -Sweating sleeves on large and small I i

cab les- - - - - - - - - - -Sweating on lugs and connectorsi;;;uft;ota;;iess ivp"-"o"neii"ii- I--- --- -I--- ---:Knowledge of wire sizes and capaci- i

t i e s - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

tl, Shop preparatot! u'ork

IV. Shopjobs

V. Cond,uit uiring

.....1160.

295

IIL IIoUe uiring using fleribLe cableon skop practice house



IShop instructor's report-Reverse]

i*"--l1 ber of RatingI nOUIS

V. Conduit airint-Continued I ; V I L T elephon!-Continued

Knowledge o f l ine c i rcu i ts . - - - - - - - .Knowledge o f eord c i rcu i ts - - - - - - - - - -Knowledge of operators' circuits----Knowledge and caro of battery and

rinsins circuits- -Consiruit ion of aerial and under-

ground lead cables------------c 6niiructii,n oi tet;;Ifi ;:p;i; tfi;;'

including drops (see pole-lino con-struction under power) - - ---------

VI I L Pou er-Line construclion

ice using flexibls coqductors- -Meter coinectioni of ; ihreo-w;;

th ree-pbase serv i@-- - - - - - - - - - - - - -Meter connections of a two-wire

Proper precautioDs whilo workingwith live wires (alwsys uso testl a m p l , _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _

Proper ere of cuts and punctures ofthe hands- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , - - t - - - - - - -

Use o f power saw-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1 - - - - - - -

VI. Stock-room and ofi.cc uork

VII. Telephon!

New construction and maintenan@on a 12o-station common batteryand conference system- - ---- ------

Study of induction and impedanc€--Repair desk sets-nepaii *ati iets- - - --- -- - - -- -- --:-- -Acting wire chiefTests for coDtiDuity sborts, grounds,

tests for crosses with other tsle-phone or power l ines----------

cieaiing tr'ounre in oonestic -air-,i'

ofrce buildings- -Clearing troublo oD pole-line coD-

s t ruc l ion- - - - - - - -

IX. Motor uorh

BuildiDg small motors to lesrn fun-damentals- ----- -

Building an A.C. fractional horse-power motor from ufinishedGtings to finished product-------

Study electri€l and mechanical

Install by underwriter code a l5-

Instau by underwriter code a 15-horsepower A.C. motor using a

Contrect and run test on three dis-tinct types of D.C. motors and

Obtain output of small motors by IpoDy-brake method- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - l - - - - - -

Inspection and oil of morors from I

Knowledgo of common batteryswitcbboards- - - -

Read loads and other characteristicsof A.C. and D.C. motors by use ot


APPENDIX B.JTRADE COURSE, INSTRUCTOR'S REPORT, LESSONS 297

SAN{PLE LESSONS, NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL ANIIINDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 3

APPIJED MATHEMATICS-ELECTRICAL SHOP

Lesson - - - -

OHM'S LAW

L Objectiae.-To learn horv to find the ohrns in a circrrit b1- using ohm's Law.

IL lntroductorg inJormation -Refer to the infolnation 1-oLr have rvritten up onOhm's Law.

III. Rute 3 of ohm's Law.-The resistance of a conductor is found by dividing-ihe pdtential difference between the terminals of the conductor by the

curr6nt flowing through Ure conductor-

Volts ^ Eunms:A-ps or n' :7

For example: If it takes 5 volts to force 0.4 amps. through a telegraphsounder, wh^at is the resistance of the sounder?

So lu t ion : a :Er : f ; :n5 ohms. Ans .

IV. 1. A wet cell (bichromate) has a potential difference of 2 volts across itsterminal on open circuit, when the terminals are shortened 8 amperesnow itrougfrihe short-circuiting wire, what is the internal resistanceof the cell?

2. An electric heater is operating on ll0 volts- If 10 amperes a_re passing- - thiough the coils wien hotl what is the hot resistance of the heater?

B. An elect"romagnet used for lifling purqoses uses 7 amperes at 100 volts.Find the resistance of the magnet coil.

4. A22}-volt motor is using 2.75 amperes. YVhat is the apparent resistanceof the motor?

b. A rheostat with all its coils in operation is connected into a 120-volt circuit.- Wt at is the combined hot fesistance of the coils if the cu*ent in thecoils is 2 amperes?

Copy the above rule for resistance in Ohm's Law data'-

r F- dit""..i* of the trade training in which lessons of the type shown rvere used seo chap' Y ol this

report, p. 160.


298 FIYE STATE INSTITUTIONS T'OR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

APPIIED SCIENCF-ELECTBICAL SHOP

fnformation sheet

Lesson - - - -

I , Objecliues.-To study kinds of currents.(a) Mechanical method, mechanical energy such as power siven off

lroln a steam engine or water wheel connected to s.n- elcef.rin

Instructor,

to an electric

energy.

generator iq then converted into electrical ewe may give the electric senerator in

As an example6u'erauvr re ! 'err uuuvEr ue-(r ru!u crcuurtoat energy. As an examplewe..may_ give the ,electric generator in whiir the ;;;hile-i;ordinarily energized by steam power or water power.oroluarllv enerslzed by steam power or water power.

(b) chemical ni:tnoal rixe"a ctremic-ai ;;;.gy is converted in electricalenergy; as an exampie, we have the biltery cell in which certainenergy; as an example, we havtchemical reactions- occur, chacnemlcar reactrons occur, changing the unavailable chemicalenergy of the materials into available electrical enersv.

I . continuous current.-a continuous current is one in which the directionis constant and in which the anlount of the flow do"r;;;;;;y:*li"iilexternal resistance is sufrcieltly rarge, a storage nutt..v-iiiit gi".-icontinuous current for some tim-e.

2' Pulsating curre-nt.-A pulsating current is one in which flre current isconstant in direction, but in which the current strengih.i..* u"a ruuu,(Strictly speaking.) '

A direct-current generator d;fi;;;-; ill.;fr;gcurrent.

consranr'. but.rn whrch the current strength rises and fails sriehilv.rn speaKlng or a dlrect current we generally mean a current deliirerrid0y a olrecr-currenf generator. A direct current is reallv a nulsatingby a direct-current generator. Acurrent whose flow varies so littl the equivaient of i

uy a urfeuL-currenr generator. A dlrect current is really a pulsatinecurrent whose flow varies so rittle that we have the equivaienl or i

3. Direct current -A direct -current is one in which the direction of current isconstant, but in which the current

contrnuous currentAlternating .cu*jnt.-An altjlrnating current is one in which the flowreverses its direction at fixed infervals. Durins the no.iâ h;;*;;;reverses its direction at fixed in[ervals.- During: the p;;iA;;i;;;

reversals it increases from zero to maximum, t"he" aimi"rsn;J'i;;;au urru rru€rv:trIs. _ uurrng Dne perrod between

fy:fL11il increases from zero to maximrlm, t"h,j"-ai*iirt.n;"i;;;

in which the currentflasher employs such

maximum to zero. An arternatiog cu.i"oTis;"uJilv iril.iiir:Jia'u'"0can be transmitted to distant point*s more .tr"upty tt i" u a-i""""t1"i..""t.5. oscillatory curr-ent.-an oscillatory current is one in which the currenrreverses in direction a great.m-any tilles-a se"ood, lui-i"-*rri.riîn"

:FT":Î-*:T:::|:: j:g*,-_l-.rm;p-gntiiarLa;-sr;b;-Til.'ei;;il,;;$":::l*::": 1'^1i.,'Igt_"1{.'-ttre,f requen.roiri'*"1l"ffi ;X;ft i;issometimesalmostinconc6ivably-h-tch]"f t;'"rr"fr ng"ifi"*I"'rxffi

'r1icomplete oscillations per second.

6. Interrupted currents.-An i,nterrupted current is oneis made and broken at fixed intervals.

- -Tir; .ig;

a current.

Tr' Assignment.-copv and. memorize the above statements as they will beasked for on eiamination.

Y


APPENDIX B.{RADE COURSE, INSTRUCTOR'S REPORT, LESSONS 299

MDCIIAMCAL DRAWING_ELECTRICAL DBAWING SYMBOLS

PLATE 41A-36 B

L TIte problem-1. To lay out and draw the plate of electrical symbols below, and to learn

how to recognize their meanings.

II. Suggestions for proced'ure-I Dividi: th-e v'orking space of your plate into 20 equal squares, using the

dividers.2. Be sure to use guide lines r'vhen doing the lettering connected with each

symbol.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Er,pcrnrcal ENcTNEERTNe: It is the job of the electrical engineer to apply allhis knowledge to practical use. For example, he designs and supervises the build-ing of lydroelectric, power plants, he designs.electrical machines,.he plans andsupervises the construction of transmission lines, he designs- electrical de-vices,such as switches, transformers, and the like, he supervises the installation of elec-trical equipment, and so on. Like other engineers, he must be able to express hisdesigns by means of mechanical drawings.

Efuctricat engineering is one of the most interesting of the technicalprofessions.Because of thislact, it is becoming a field in which there is a great deal of compe-tition. Young men are rushing into the work in large numbers' This of coursemeans that only the most capable students can hope for success. Before enteringupon a course bf training, a young man should assure himself that he has a realiriterest in science and niechdnics-and that he has more than ordinary ability in

-mathematics.

Souncp FoR FURTuER, sruDy: Wade: Everyday Electricity'Jones: Essentials of Applied Electr ici ty.

ruArE 36A-4/A

+l+l e-l -l*Ce ur,tq ourttrlva,t firecxer I ErtT Lrcnr ltrcuTuEAurtl nAZ

+ls'ln| | locnuSwtfcx IFtoo4 o u7t e7l (5 wate w t e) | 3a z z e 4

@ l^;:';;:,1 wUoTot l(Fux €rnorco)

| Pbwentuuet

E l.l'l,l,l,l'l' -1,"",,1 h,;;,1_VPu s rt punottl.Ba f f E qy | 7F I eln or e

l7uot (o rc e * e ol T7a n s row e q

?6870_35_20


300 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FON, DEI,INQUENT BOYS

MECHANICAL DRAWING-ELECTRICAL DRAWINGSYMBOLS, page 2

\ s .r [ . * \ i . o t s

$ s iss\-.$it \ss-isc $$5$$ Ii\ ii\- 'F [$\{ 5s

'is:\\t

ss\SE

N$N :

u*Nrsi r r

RStl

\h

$$s$

rt

t ^ ii i t r i\ : F i

) ^ ' . E ySi r i: : $ ;

s i t \ aJ i ts

$.

\r

IN

s'x

*s,tA{\

\\a*

sttN

\

t


APPENDTX B.-TRADE COURSE' TNSTRUCTOR'S REPORI" T',ESSONS 301

MOTOR INFORMATION (INDUCTION TYPE)

CARE rrstructor

Toinsurethebestoperation,.rya4gasystematicinspectionatleastonceaweek'Give t'he following points special attentlon:

Cleanina.-Tr"^t u 11oioii"r;;;';;;id ""y

other high-grade apparatus' Dirt'

a.rii. uoi"oif .n""ia ,rot-Le-aliowed to accumulate ii liie motoi' - Comprerssed

;#;'. ; i;"d #i1"*; rt "itiJu"

it1"J1."qr'."tty to blorv all dirt and dust out of the

;;;,;r: "l"v

ttf *r,i"h ;;;;;n;* iti,t".-qr6 bearings should-be rviped from the

il;;;: eiitu" "ii."lio"*i;tt

ir t.gtrd will result in continued satisfactorl' oper-

i l t i" l i . . .r j tr "na "ount.

tn. motor io gire the best service for manl ' .r 'ears'

Bearinqs.-Pr"u"rrt .*".Jtii" it6atitfg ;a t'ear of all b-earings by proper lubri-

."ili","irEii t.i,lior,-i"a uU""t"""t. Wherethe air gap has become close on one

:fr';;;;il;;.thfi;;.i"s.:" \i-;u. or tr. bearings witfciuse a closing up of the air

gap on one slde ano -"V ullow ifte rotor iron to- strike the stator iron, iesulting in

trouble."'"dt'irttr.-Before starting the motor, -wash out the bearinqs with kerosene or

easoline to remove u"y alri'o. ."i",i".i #tti"tt may have adcumulated after motor

f,r. Giiti'"?i,.t";;; tli";;;;i;t"itt" o-tui"uee phigs,, after dipping ttrem in a mix-

ffi";?ffi];;iiii,H.n"1u. io;;;;ti;k;6".' r-ig'trten plugs securely. . Fill the

;ii;;id;iliiefl.h. "i1il,;r".";t;h; t;i,-*tifi a..goodgrade of Iight !.ineral oil (not

;;r;;';ylil;;i'iu ir;ie"r fat, or veg6table_ oii). Fi1 bearine with enough oil to

cause oil to appear uo nofou6.hJ* 1r,ffi" ria" oi the bearing. -

To avoid incorrect

oil level, never oil tne mo"tJr;ffi L;tl"t"g-- Do not use oii so thin that it splatt-ers

;; i; iill;ilori oi trte 6ii ti"s. -

R;flii1-t" -oil wells at reqular intervals, the fre-

ouencv denending upotrio.ut .%"diiions, pucn as severity oi contiluity.of service,

;"rli"ii"J#i,I..---rfir'".ir].'ii'e.;"iii.Ji iJ 'uie i"dicalion that l'here is not suffi-.cient oil in the wells."*i"r;;";:io'n-J-depend on the hand to determine the temperature of the

motor. Use a thermod"t"* "lt

in ." it efty doubt about a. s-afe operating tem-perature, take thc t"*p""tul"t.-of ifte-wl"Aiti*s and confer with the nearest office.6i th. .o*pu"y. Giv6 complete details'

OPERATION

Certainprecautionsalenecessarybefore'startingthemotorfor.thefirstt ime'- iii-S"i, t-[ut the voltage on the name plate coriesponds wil,h.the line voltage'(2) Make su.e tnaT-t?tri;il";i"c.;-tigtrt ana'that tbe oil wells are filied'"

1;;h;';;A;;";;"; liihi'mioeiai"olt to the top of the overflows at the

,o u.fil"rlt h""11?ff; ""d

if possible and turn the rotor by hand to see thatit rotates freelY.

(4) Before putung'iie motor in service it-is desirable to run it without ioadfor a short t#;i" a;t.;i"" tirut there is no unusual heating in bear-ings or windings.

startino._wh.o -oto.% started without a. compensator, simply close the line

"#iJr'l''"tr'i. ;;lh"d dpplies to tvpe AA and AAH motors'

.W.hen starting with hirid-operat'eil compensatots, move the compensator switch

lever to the starting p";;fr;";;;. Tb;-t[g motor.'comes up to speed (in about 5

i;';b ;;.;;d;i ;h.;?il" levdr quicklv to the rulning po'i,tig'',-,--,-- ̂ *.Sloppins._Motor. *iii,iui c6mpensators can be st"opped simPl{ by opening the

,t;#fr6;iiii.ri. "

M*"dj.r'i"iii'"r,"i"f:"i"iai"a "o*pen.-ators should be stopped bv

nressinq the no-voltag"'i"i.ut"l"u". down and th6 compensator lever will return

to "offt position' SU''LIES

Whenorde r i ngpa r t s ,g i vedesc r i p t i onands ta tequan t i t yo fpa r t sdes i red 'tosether with the name plate ratlng and t"ttai tt'*6er of t!ol'oi' This serial

i""%iji,r iJ'.T"-p,iA-Uoth ,jn the nam6 plate and end of shaft of the motor' Addi-

tir-f-i"pfl,'.. J-iN. io.t.uction care or further in{ormation wiII be furnished on

.;ppli;tli;" to the company's ne&rest office'


Appendix C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS[Original size oI each f^rm approximately g by 11 incbes]

PREINSTITUTIONAL TNVESTIGATIONSNEW JERSEY STATE HOME !'OB BOYS, JAMESBURG

Invest igatecl b\-S e n t t o - - - - - - - - - - - D a t e - - - _ - _ _ _ D u e R e c ' d

NAI\{E

Born

Rec'd

Place

Offense

No. Age Col.

Nat'1.

County

Religion

Judge

MnMsnns or, FAMrrJy Address Age Nat'1. Occupation

Subject:

Father:

Mother:

Guardian:

Siblings:

School last attended Address Principal

Church Name and address of pastor Religious denomination

WORK RECORD

Occupation Employer

Spncrar, REMARKS:

Age began Reason

Duration Wages Reason leftAddress

Inveetigators must follow instructions furnished by central office and makereport on reverse side of this sheet,.using additional shedts of .u*" sir" it "u."rru.y.fffi"".tip" report on uppe. pait oi iererse-siae of this ,ii"ii,

""a-* ir*airig

302

ii!

!'


APPENDIX C.-SAMPI,E RECORD FOR,MS 303

PREINSTITUTIONAL INVESTIGATIONS, page 2

In making preinstitutional investigations, investigator will use the follorvingoufline as giie^n below. Investigationls to be signed and dated by the investigator.

Pnnvrous couRT REcoRD

Character of offenses Date Place

Judgment Sentence

Orrrcrer, AccouNT oF pRESENT oFFENSE

Feurr , r AccouNT oF PREsENT oFFENSE

Eloun cowortroNs and ENVTRoNMENT (physical)

Feurr,v REr,ATroNsErps: Financial status of the family; type of training andsupervisionl religicus and moral training, etc.

Rnr,rcrow: Church attendance prior to commitmentl ofrender's and family'sattitude toward religious duties.

Susrncr's cEARAoTER: Habits; reputationl companionsl church attendancelcause for delinquencies; health record.

EoucerroN: Name and address of school last attended; age started schoollage left; rea6on; highest grade reached; grades repeatedl conductl mental ageletc.

Occupatronel ourr,ETs: What are occupational outlets in home district?

Spncrar, REMARKS: Are home conditions and family relationships such that thissubject would have a reasonable chance of succeeding if paroled home?


304 FIvE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

PREPAROLE REPORT

NEW JERSEY STATE IIOME FOR BOYS. JAMESBURG

( - - - - - - - - - - - D a t e r e q u e s t e d - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,

Principal informations( Date due

\ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - : - D a t e r e c e i v e d

I n v e s t i g a t e d b : ' - - - - - - - - : D a t e - - - - - - -

Fui i name No. -------- Years in Nerv Jersev

County cornlnit ted from --

Date of birth ------- How verif ied - Age

N a t . - - - - - - - - - - - - - C o l o r - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Birt lr place Address

R e c ' d - - - - - - - - - - - - C h a r g e R e l i g i o n

Number of times on parole

Houo rNvnsrIGATIoN made b1' Date -------

Do you recommend that this subject be paroled to home?

T o p l a c e m e n t ? - - - - - - - - - - -

ii


APPENDIX C.-SAMPI,E RECORD FORMS 305

IPreperole report-Reverse]

Ixsr:rrurrorger, REcoRD or. Sustnct --

Trade knon ' ledge - - - - - Months - - - - - Good - - - - - Fa i r - - - - - Poor - - - - -

Industrial training

School accomplishment

Type of s,chool to attend if paroled

Kind of work wanted if paroled

Working papers needed

Special information desired

S c o u t t r a i n i n g - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ileight Weight

Special physical defects

I fsub jec t isparo ledareparentsab leandwi l l ing topay for ra i l roadfare? - - - - - - - -

Supply clothes?

Explain

Will some one call for subject if paroled? TVho? - - - - - -

Name and address of pastor

Type o f work secured Wages - - - - - - - - Hours - - - - - - -

Name and address of employer

Name of sponsor or person interested

Describe school faci l i t ies ----- --- --

Is there a Scout troop nearby Name --------

Give amount of family's weekly income

Norn: All comments should be put on this report and not on communications;


306 F'IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT BOYS

NEW JEBSDY DDPARTMENT INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES

DIVISION OF PAROLE

In making preparole investigations investigator will use the following ou'tlineas given bel"ow.

^Investigationi to be signed ind dated by the investigalor.

I loun CoxnrrroN:

Nnrcnnonsooo:

Feurr,v:

Tvpn or Sgponvrsrox:

Pr,eNs ron Weno:

Sppcrar, Rnuanrs:

4'_ _ i

UniversityProvided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown

APPENDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS 307

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND CASE HISTOAY

STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, INDUSTRY' NEW YORK

------, Superintendont

------, Assistant Superintendent, Director ol Parole

Namo-with alias if any Lilos with

Date of birth Religion of Scout orclub

Church attondanee orSundav school

M , I B .

t----

IiIt---

Insanity, defective,crimes, epilepsy, alcohol-

ism, T.8., etc.

Sanitary condition ofhome

Type ofdwelling

No. lodgers

Pres€nt casg Complaint Date beaxd Disposition

PREVIOUS COURT RECORD

AGENCIES INTERESTED IN FAMILY

I Nato teo f ass is tanceandto I e t t i tudeof fami lvandofch i ld toYatcs usrPtsu I whom I tho aid

SPECIAL AGENCY NOTES which might be helpful to our clinic.


308 FIvD STATE INSTITUTIoNS FoR DEI,INQUENT BoYS

IPreliminary investigation and case history-Reverse]

SCHOOL RECORD

Public or prlvat-e 9ity - _ _ _ _ _ _P--revious schools present grade: - - - : - - - . - . Grades repeated - -_ - - - - - E f fec ts o f nonpromot ion ______________specral rnterests Speeial dislikesPlease note.any special behavior problems'and what you have found successfulrn solvrng. them; -e.g., re- eo_operation, interest, attention, initiative, Ieadership,participation in class and play, persistence (any outstanding features and thoi6only).\elrB or Pnrwcrpar,- - - - - - -- Ansnwcts last 12 months

. Please g,.r.rswer (on the follo^wing pages) the following questions in the ordergiven-, _writing the corresponding nrimber before each iniwer. Be eoneise butgi-ve fully a_n-y_essential details. omit numbers where there is nothing outstandingwhich would help our clinic.

l. fnstitutional record. Name and location of. Why sent. Record there.Dates.

2. Clinical (psychiatric) record.contents of,

W'hen and by whom made. Nature and

9. WFV or why not the boy should be paroled to his own home.4. Why or why not the boy should be iaroled to same neishborhood.5. What disposition should be made of^bov on narole?9. Ftru! ghanges should be made before pirole'and who will care for this?J. Sneciat inteiests of Foy; e.g., mechanic'al, drawing, athtetic..

- B.pfririiully.I. Dpecrar rnreresrs or ooy; e.9., mechenlc&l, drawing, athletics. Explain fully.

. 8. Associates: age and sex of, large or small g.oupl, caliber of, rep'utation dt,lnnuence on bov.

9. Tff dershifi andinitiative of boy-in what respectl retains friends?10, I low control led at home. Tvoes of nrrnishmpnf, irscd Pqrpntc c

repressive, interfere with eachpunishment used. Parents strict, lax,at_home- T-ypes of pu-nishm-ent used. Parents strict, lax,

rith each other, punishment certain? What punishirenfappeals to bov?,

- it.. Medicai history of boy, such as T.8., meningitis convulsions, other diseases

leaving permanent results.-12. .Stealing-how long, nature and amount of theft, reaction when caught,

what is done with articles stolen, why he steals?13. Lying-protective, for synirpatiry, reactiorlq. lyinC protective, for synirpatiry, reactions when found out.14. Sex habits.15. Truancy, from home or school, frequency of, how long, reactions when

caught?16. T,19. I"-pg. displays, nature.of,.how manifested and why, reactions afterward?: : . : , , * r : _ u s w s r v v r , \ l u J , r E a u u r u r

17. Sleep habits, such as night terrors, sr indins of leei l i in sleeo?18. Peculiar habits such as biting naiisl r.hictimieht be indicdti18. Peculiar habits such as-bitine nai ich might be indicative of mental

disturbances.19. Eupr,oylrsNl Rpcono: Mention pre'ious employers, kincl of employment,

wages received, re&sons for leaving.


APPENDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS

STATE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, INDUSTBY, N' Y.

.---, Suporintendont Parole Department

AssistBnt Superintsndent, Director of Parols

AGENT'S HOMD INYESTIGATION-PRELIMINARY

309

assistance did you receive fromcourt during this investigation?

Bovts nameDale o f b i r th - - - - - - -I lome address - - --------Date of admissionWhv commi t ted - - - - - - - - -

Whatthe

1. Information concerning parents. Report separately for fatler and motherincluding each of the following points in each case: real or qtep-relation, address,relationJhip with each other, o*n or rent property, number of rooms'. rent paid,condition of home, weekly income, number in home, reasons for or-agains_t recom-mending home of iather br mother. In case home of parents unfit and holds nopromise-of improvement report also similar information regarding relatives whomight care for boy.

f. Wnat are thb present prospects for the boy's employment when paroled?3. What prospectt has he of ibining the scouti, the '' Y, ', the K. of e ., or some

other club?4, What type of home reconstruction is advisable and possible?


310 I.IVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

*^*l:.i:.::::::".:,il:""i,il::ll^.1?ll;.^__::""*Assistant Suporintsndent, Dtector of Parole

AGENT'S HOME INVESTIGATION PENDING PAROLE

Boy's nameD a l e o f r i t t n - - - - - - - - - - : : : - - - : : - : - :Home address - - - - - - - - -_Date of admissionWhy commi t ted - - - - - - -__

Date for parole considerationTo attend school?----- -Trade hereReligion?--- -Scout

1. Will the judge forward his recommendations on tiilre?2. what assistance did you receive from the court d.uring tbis investigation?

. 3. Information concer_ning parents. Report separately for father and motherilsJy,{irc each.,of the.followi-n! points in ea6h casei neai 6r si"pilTiii"r,,ladress,relatlonship- with eech other, own or relt property, number oi rooms, ient paidjcondition-of home, _wegkly income, number in home, reasons for or Galns[ recom-mendrng home of father or mother. This report should be a condparison or agg"tr&$ with report gent when boy was committed, iocrudingEfrelFges inresidence or of home conditions.

[AgeDt's homo inyestigation-Roverse]

4' rn case home of either parent-is unsatisfactory, report here the same informa-tion concerning anv relativ6 satisfactory to judgd6nd'i;r;L;-.;;r"a *itt .u."for the bov fre6.- 5. rr uoy is under i6"ana'cailnot re ieeommina;d f; a returnto home e1 1sl.etives, what-arralgem_ents will the judge a"a vou-orate-f&Li. .a."au exp,ense oI nls clty or county? r'his must be done and this question answered*..9T$119-ly.

'I'he type,of ,home- may. await your rgcgption bf the summary.o. woar prosDects nas tne boy.of employ-ment, especially in trade studied here?7. What irosfects has he of :"oininginJ"Seouii ,- t f ie V.ff t .b., i . , th;I{. ; f C.;-; ;some other club?


APPENDIX C.-SAMPI,E RECORD FORMS 311

[srern suar,] Starn on Nnw Yonr

STATD AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, INDUSTRY, NDW YORK

. . . . -;;;;;;;.:::::i"1,;Tec,.r.ipar.,.

SUMMARY AND FINAL REPORT

Name - -

Date o f b i r th - - - - - - -

Admitted

Committedfrom --- Countv

Religion-----

R B , c e - - - - - - -

Norr,-These summaries aro most strictly con-fidential. They aro for the guidanco of our fieldagents, judges and by those social agents olr?adgfa miliar w ilh the familyand social back ground of theboy. They are also open to scbool superintendeDts.They are not intended consequently to include acomplete social bistory of the boys. Clinic, school,and sbop records are attached.

Rplerrvps-Wrrg Aoonpsg aND Colrupwts

Father

Mother

Other relat ives who might care for boy --------

List of agenctes i,nterested-


3T2 FIVE STATE

COLONY REPORT

MEDICAL REPORT

INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQU.ENT BOYS

[Su:nmary and Final Report, Pags 2l

RUcorrrrENDATroNs &s gathered from case Nstory,.judge's report, supervisor'sreport, and clinic's report


APPENDIX C.-SAMPLE R,ECORD FORMS 313

RDPORT OF RECDIYING.COTTAGE OFFICER

BOYS' VOCATIONAL SCEOOL, LANSING, MiCHIGAN

Number

City - -

INronuer rox RE - - - - - - - - - En tered(Last name) (tr'irst name)

B o r n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I n - - - : - - - - O f - - - - - - - - P a r e n t a e e(Date) (State) (County)

- (Race)

General appearance:

Famil5' history as related by the boy:

Previous personal habits as stated by the boy:

Likes to read

Habitr.ral delinquencies as acknowledged by the boy:

Spent his evenings until

Associated with a gang kno'wn as

Has been in a detention home -------- times for reasons ascribed herein leadingto present commitment:

Has been before a judge -------- t imes.


314 FrvE grATrl rNSTrrurIoNS FoR DEr,rNeuENT Bovs

REPORT OF RECEMNG-COTTAGE OFFICER-Revorse

DEGREES OF RESPONSE TO TRAINING THE FIRST MONTII

To rules of conduct:

To methods of correction:

To rules of courtesy:

To request to study:

His personal a,ppearance bespeaks:

IIis attitude toward offcials of the school invites:

His attitude toward other members of the group invites:

His abilitv to retain corrective instruction is:

In applying this instruction, he is:

His mental status as compared with other members of this group appears to be:

Ele performs the tasks assigned to him:

Other prominent eharacteristics are:

IIis previous musical training consists of:

llis musica,l desires incline toward:

His vocational experience includes:

His choice of a vocation would be:

The reason advanced for this choice is:

Possible hindrances to assignment of his choice:

Physical condition:

Enuresis: Stage of genital development:

Height Age Weight Grade Comprehension

Former associates in misdemeanor, now inmates of this school are:

Conduct mark for the month thus far is:

Other exceptional conditions or behavior not covered by the above:

It


APPAfiDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORI{g 315

PSYCHOMETRIC REPORT

NBW YOBK STATE AGBICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCEOOL

Ind.:School:

Physical disabilities --- - - :

D a t e - - - - - - -Racial extract ion - - -------- --Language spoken in home-----Lan[uage spoken in[school ----

Chronological age:Menta l age (abs t r . ) I .Q. - - - - - - - -Menta l age (per fonn. ) - - - - - - - - I .Q. - - - - - - - -Mental age (compos.) I .Q. (compos.) --------

I .Q, Abstraetintelligence

IengU6gOabilitis

Psychological profile

Nonlan.t€sc IIealy

P.C, I I

TESTS INCI ,UDED

Test ( ianguage) M.A.

Test (nonlangLrage) \'I.A.

M.A.

Formboard

Mechanicasptitude

Educa-tional

;140_ --

130--_

120, _

110_--

00---

90__ _

60---

70-- -

60---

ou_--

40.

30-- .

Date llsarniner r .Q. %iIe

r .Q. Voile

r.Q. '/oileDate Examine,r Test (speeial abilities)7.887O-35-2L


316 FIVE srATE rNsrrrurloNs x'on DET,TNQUENT BoYS

PSYCHOMETRIC REPORT, Page 2Name

EDUCATIONAI, TEgTg

Date Examiner Test (form) E.A.

ReadingSpeIlingLanguage usageLiteratureHistory and civicsGeographyPhysiology and hygieneArithmetic reasoningArithmetio computation

Dete Examinor

FORIIER TESIA

Clinic Test

Ind.:School:

E.Q. Gr. Equiv-

M.A. r.Q.

8I]UUARI OF PEYCEOUEIBIC 8!UDT

4'


APPENDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS 3L7

REPORT FOR RESEARCH DEPARTMDNT

WIIITTIER STATE SCHOO" Dut"

N a m e - - - - - - - A g e - - - , _ _ D a t e b o y r e c ' d _ _ _ _ _ _

Transfer recommended

Please underline items ajte-r each heading that describe the boy, Eaplain or add,other i tems alter the word." Remarks."

Averagecorrductrat ing: 1 2 3 4 5

Conduct toward, superaisor: Willing, obedient, friendly, easily handled, respectful,responds to prqise,-overanxious to win favor, unwilling, disobedient, disrespeet-ful, defiant, difficult to control.

Remarks:

Attitud.e towarcl other boys: Friendl.v-, good rnixer, leader, kind, is a good influence,_ unfriendly, quarrelsorne, sh1', seclusive, bully-, cmel, incites otheis to do wrong.Remarhs:

Afuify4ootdfur boys towqr.cl h.in: Friendll', thel'look up to hirn, seek his com-panionship, he is popular, they are indilfererrt to him, avoid him, tease him,consider him queer or goofl-, irnpose on him.

Remarlcs:

Perso_nality: Cheerfui, _cahn, frauk, irrtelligerrt, has initiative, takes responsibility\yell, dependable, industriotrs, honest, rnelanchol.v-, excitable, worries, deceptivd,drrll, stupid, lazy, cannot be trusted, lics, steals, immoral, cowardly, cries, is asissy, us-es indecent language, s\\-ears, has temper outbreaks, daydreams, hasnoticeable mannerisms.

Rernarks:

Habits: Cleau, dirt-v, rreat, rrrrtid.v, u'ets becl, rnasturbates, other habits:Renarks:

Takes part in sports: Not at all, very little, average, much, exceosively.

Reads.' Not at all, verl' little, excessivell-.Remarks:

Has he planned to run awoy? \-es N<rRemarks:

Do you think he is likely to try to run away? Yes NoHis school spirit is: Excellent, good, fair, inferior, poor.Rernarks:

lVhat ilo gou cortsider his worst trait?What do gou consider his best trait?n[ enti on d.e sir able f r i erul s hi p s antl co m.p anio n s hi p s :

M ention undesi ruble associations or comp anionsldp s :

Other commenls: (Please note here any further information rvhich may be of usein understanding the bo1-. lise back of page if necessary.)

(s igned) - - co t ios" r , , y , r i ; ; r ; ; - - - - - - .


318 FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUEN'I BOYS

COUNSDLOR'S REPORT

\YHITTIER STATE SCHOOL

N a r n e o f b o 1 ' - - - - C o t t r t s e l o r D a t e - - - - -

Co t t age - - - - - - T rade

List contacts rvith boy:

Date Conference sougltt ChieJ problem discussetlI3y boy By cou,nselor

Physical condition: (Please underline) Good Fair Poor

Has bo1, been in hospital? Np &t -lIow J97o?^Does he complain of-ailments? No Yes WhatT ---- --Does he feel irr ferior phlsical lv? No Yes Why? -Does hc need glassesleilaced, orthopedic shoes, etc.?

Social adjustmeut:

, To boys in eottage:

To supervisor: PoorRecomnrcnd t rans fer :

To tradesman: PoorRccourmend transfcr:

To teachers: Poor

Recreation:

Do vou consider his recreational activities adequate? Yes NoDocs the boy consider them so? Yes AroRecommendations:

Farnily reiationship:

Horv oiten does boy have visi ts? Do they disturb.him? -----Do the i :cor re .ponr l regu la r ly? - - - - - - : - - . - ^ - - - - Does he wor ry about cond i -

tioni at home? ---------"-- Anl' significant changes at home, such asdivorce, death, births, marriage, ihange ofaddress, etc.? -------

(underline) Poor Fair Good

Fair Good,Aro Yes ll'hy? -

Fair GoodNo Yes l l ' hy? - - - - - -

Fair Good

Il r: l;,:l;l';; f. :H ?.?-T3t:?3 sfi?:"J,:,*i" I - - - - - - - - - - wh r ? -

Suggestions and rernarks as to possible ways to improve boy's adjustment:

(Ptease fiI1 out and return to research office)

&.{


319APPENDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS

r r , l lll

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FIVE STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR DEI,INQUENT BOYS

B ;

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32LAPPENDIX C.-SAMPLE RECORD FORMS

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IBehavior card-Reverse]

DISCIPLINARIAN WILL NOTE BELOW:1. Unusual or characteristic behavior^reactiolrs'i. Wtt"t is the boy's general attitude?5: O;ili"; oibov"*t 5" he is to appear before parole committee'

ALL ENTRIES TO HAVE DATES AND SIGNATURES


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