State

Page Eight THE STATE August 25, 1934 WHAT NORTH CAROLINA IS DOING FOR HER DELINQUENTS ★ THERE are five institutions in various sections ★ of this state which ore endeavoring to make law-abiding men ond women out of woyword boys ond girls. Comparatively few people realize the magnitude of the work which is be¬ ing done. By MAJEL IVEY SEAY FEW North Carolin¬ ians have tin- slightest conception of tin* re¬ markable work the State is performing for it < delin¬ quents through its five cor¬ rectional institution» ■ the Eastern Carolina I mliist rial Training School for Hoys hi Kooky Mount, the Stone¬ wall Jackson Manual and Industrial School at Concord, the State Home and Industrial School for Girls at Samnr- cand, the Morrison Training School for Negro Hoys at Hoffman and the North Carolina School for Negro Girls at Efland. The services these institutions are rendering in curbing criminality through taking the social, moral and often phys eal delin<|uents from the streets or from lax. broken homes; placing them in normal, healthful sur¬ roundings both in work and play, and restoring them to society as law-abiding citizens, are of inestimable value to the state. Low Offenders Are Incrcosing When we consider that the number of young law offenders is yearly in- rrensing with alarming rapidity, we no longer look upon the eare and train¬ ing of these children as a needless ex¬ pense hut as one of the most vital prob¬ lems the state has to meet. The Eastern Carolina Industrial School for Hoys has been operated since January. 1926. As it is a school for delinquent boys, they are received only from . . . The large num¬ ber are under 1C. coining from the juvenile court, though boy» up to 18 are admitted. These usually come from the superior courts of the state under a suspended sentence. If this sentence is violated while in the training school, they arc returned to the county from which they came, to serve the imposed sentence. Practically every boy sent to the school i> guilty >>f stealing though there are IS major offenses represented. Stealing is usually caused directly by the parents, who either send the boys out to steal or willingly or knowingly receive stolen goods from them. Few of the parents can read or write and few of the Im.vs have been above the seventh grade. The task of the training school is to take boys whose delinquency has prob¬ ably lasted for several years, undo what has been done at home and then build a new something worth-while in the boys’ lives by wholesale associations. Upon entering, each boy is given a bath and clean clothes. :i clean lied to sleep in. and substantial meals at all times. All temptations encountered at home are removed, if possible. He is kept busy with school, work and play. The fact that many of them ask for the privilege of returning after l«eing pa¬ roled. testifies to the happy life led there. Wholesome Rccrcotion Practically every wholesome game known to a boy is played at the Eastern • ’arolina Training School. Every spare moment is taken up with a game of some kind, on the principle that "Idle¬ ness is the devil’s workshop.” Active Sunday School work, prayer meetings, preaching services and pri¬ vate devotions at Inal time make up the religious life of the school. Every boy is given a Bible upon entering and most of them create the habit of daily Bible reading. The Stoncwoll Jackson School The Stonewall Jackson Training School for Boys, at Concord, with its Hi cottages and approximate popula¬ tion of 1.000, is a little city within itself. Each of the cottages of approxi¬ mately .10 Imivs is operated individual¬ ly. with surprising order and regulari¬ ty. The regular activities of eating, cooking, scrubbing, mending, etc., are carried on in each home alike. There is u central store room where supplies are given daily. A bakery, ice plant, accounting department, laundry, shoe shop, printing office, farm, dairy, wood working plant, poultry farm. sewerage plant and plumb¬ ing and water systems are maintained by the hove themselves. Each cottage is under the supervision of a cottage father, who also serves as director of some depart¬ ment. The school system, made up of seven teachers, operate» for twelve months in the year, maintain¬ ing an eight-grade course of study. An unusual feature is that each boy attends only half a «lay during the six-dav week, devoting the remainder of the day to some useful activity. Each boy at the school is engaged in the activity in which he is especially gifted or interested. The success of the school is largely based on the fact that those who were formerly interested in crime now have their time and interest centered in some pleasant line of work. A wrong slant on life is converted into a desire to provide for the comfort and necessities of others. An outlaw soon becomes a different character — polite, indii.'trious and eager to please. Only hoys under 1<; can 1m- admitted N. Jackson Training School. Mental defectives or cripples are not admitted; ..lily the intellectually normal boy com¬ mitted by some officer of the law for violation of some criminal law. The school is not a prison nor a penal institution. When a l»oy enters, he is пт punished for his past wrongs. His past is left behind him and he is en¬ couraged to lead a clean mental, moral and physical life. The discipline is semi-military, strict and mildly firm. The incorrigible and unmanageable attitude which some of the boys display on entering the school soon Incomes one of rcs)>cct and obedi¬ ence. No idleness is allowed. Regular habit' of eating, sleeping and cleanli¬ ness are followed from the start and interesting instruction work in some useful line makes discipline much easier than one would suspect. Somorcond Manor The State Home and Industrial School for Girls, known :is Snmareand Manor, has been efficiently operating since 1918. This institution has a nor- (Continucd on page twenty-two)