Children in our prisons.

• Author: Sellin, Thorsten

We in the United States are proud of our work for the welfare of our children. At its best our child welfare legislation is second to none. In the case of the delinquent child, we have created juvenile courts and some model institutions; and we have accepted the principle that the child offender should be clearly distinguished in law from the adult or near-adult, and should be treated as a socially neglected child to be provided with opportunities for wholesome educational and corrective influences. In spite of these professed beliefs, we constantly fall short of our ideals. Most of our "juvenile courts" are travesties of that ideal and we still confine some children in our jails to await trial and send them to prisons or reformatories designed for older offenders.

According to information supplied by the state and federal prisons and reformatories for adults to the United States Bureau of the Census, there were in 1929 and 1930 at least 50 children under 15 years of age committed on sentence to these institutions. The appended table gives some data regarding these children. The information was not specially verified. The age requested was that of the last birthday prior to the admission to the institution. Data were lacking both years from. Alabama and Georgia; in 1929 from Mississippi; and in 1930 from Idaho. All of the children were born in the United States.

CHILDREN UNDER 15 COMMITTED IN 1929 AND 1930 ON SENTENCE TO STATE AND FEDERAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS FOR ADULTS (1930 commitments are starred) Jurisdiction Age Sex Race Offense Federal 13 M White Violation Prohibition Act Federal 13 M White Viol. Nat. Motor Veh. Act Federal 14 M White Viol. Nat. Motor Veh. Act Federal * 14 M White Sodomy Arkansas 14 M White Burglary and Grand Larceny Arkansas 14 M Negro Grand Larceny Arkansas 13 M Negro Grand Larceny Arkansas 14 M White Forgery Arkansas 12 M Negro Rape Arkansas * 13 M Negro Forgery and Uttering Arkansas * 14 M Negro Burglary and Grand Larceny Florida 13 M Negro Manslaughter Florida 14 M Negro Breaking and Entering Florida * 12 F White Breaking and Entering Florida * 14 M Negro Murder, 1st Degree Illinois * 14 M White Murder Indiana 14 M White Taking Vehicle Indiana 14 M White Taking Vehicle Indiana 14 M White Grand Larceny Iowa * 14 M White Murder, 2nd Degree Kentucky * 14 F Negro Manslaughter Louisiana 13 M Negro Murder Maryland * 14 M Negro Murder, 1st Degree Michigan 14 M White Unlawful...