Reformatories and Reform Schools

New York House of Refuge

The opening of the nation's first juvenile reformatory—the New York House of Refuge (NYHR)—on January 1, 1825, was a pivotal event in the history of the American justice system. This institution is historically significant for three reasons. First, the opening of the NYHR marked the birth of the juvenile reformatory movement. Second, this institution laid the foundation for the rise of a separate juvenile justice system in the United States. Third, many 19th-century child savers believed that the keepers of the NYHR had discovered the cure for juvenile misbehavior and delinquency. Consequently, the goals, structure, and programs of the NYHR served as the undisputed model for new juvenile reformatories.

The NYHR was founded by an organization known as the Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents (SRJD). The members of the SRJD—prominent upper-class, white, male reformers—were concerned about perceived increases in crime, delinquency, and social disorder. They were also concerned with reports that juvenile offenders sentenced to adult correctional facilities were being mistreated and abused. The SRJD successfully lobbied state legislators to appropriate funds to open a reformatory in New York City. The new institution had two key aims: remove juveniles from adult correctional institutions and introduce an innovative program of reform aimed at helping and treating troublesome children.

The NYHR was carefully designed to achieve this rehabilitative end. The commitment criteria were broad. Delinquent, dependent, neglected, and incorrigible children were eligible for admission. Female offenders could be committed and incarcerated to the age of 18; males could be committed and incarcerated to the age of 21. The regimen of reform was designed to instill moral values and prepare the inmates, who were largely from the lower class, to assume their “proper place” in society. Academic education was [Page 318]introduced to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. Inmates worked in shops where, in theory, they learned the habits of order, discipline, and self-control, as well as skills that would prepare them to find jobs after release. A carefully structured classification and mark system (an early form of behavior modification) was designed to reward good behavior and measure fitness for release. Religious instruction instilled moral values and provided the word of God. After exhibiting contrition and working their way through the mark and classification system, inmates were indentured. Boys were placed in a variety of occupations—typically, farming, blacksmithing, and painting. Females were usually indentured as domestic servants.

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