_Boys._--8909 were placed out, of whom 118 had since died, leaving
8791 to be reported on; of these it was found that 7547 (or about 86%)
were in regular employment; 415 (or about 4.7%) were in casual
employment; 419 (or about 4.7%) convicted or re-committed; and 410 (or
about 4.6%) unknown.
_Girls._--2505 placed out, of whom 50 had died, leaving 2455; of these
2180 (or about 89%) were in regular employment; 112 (or about 4%) were
in casual employment; 21 (or about 1%) convicted or re-committed; and
142 (or about 6%) unknown.
These results are of course wholly independent of those achieved by
the juvenile-adult prison reformatory at Borstal instituted in October
1902. The record of the first year's work of this excellent system
showed that 50% of cases placed out had done well, thanks to the
system and philanthropic labours of the Borstal Association.
An interesting point in regard to the reclamation of these criminally
inclined juveniles is the nature of the employments to which they have
been recommended, and in which, as shown, they have done so well. In
1904, 1905 and 1906, the total number of boys discharged and placed
was 12,482. By far the largest number of these, nearly a sixth, joined
the army, 679 of them entering the bands; 292 joined the navy; 961 the
mercantile marine; 1567 went to farm service; 414 worked in factories
or mills as skilled hands; but others joined as labourers, a general
class the total of which was 1096. Other jobs found included miners
(629), carters (352), iron or steel workers (214), mechanics (301),
shoemakers (181), tailors (161), shop assistants (228), carpenters
(178), bakers (131), messengers and porters, including 112 errand boys
(315). The balance found employment in smaller numbers at other
trades. The fate of 585 was unknown, 858 had been re-convicted, and
the balance were in unrecorded or casual employment.
The outlets found by the girls from these various schools naturally
follow lines appropriate to their sex and the instruction received.
Out of a total of 2985 discharged in the three years mentioned, 1235
became general servants, 268 housemaids, 203 laundry-maids, 52 cooks,
98 nursemaids, 65 dressmakers, 221 were engaged in factories and
mills, and the balance was made up by marriage, death or casual
employment.
In Ireland the reformatory and industrial school system conforms to
that of Great Britain. There were in 1905 six reformatory and 70
industrial schools in Ireland, mostly under Roman Catholic management.
A short account of the reformatory methods of dealing with juvenile
offenders in certain other countries will fitly find a place here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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