NCJ Number
129620
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: special issue (April 1991) Pages: 165-185
Date Published
1991
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The history of the Illinois State Reformatory -- a combined juvenile reformatory and reformatory for young adults -- is traced to provide an overview of the social and justice related forces that led to the creation of the institution; the institution's purpose, programs, and problems from its opening in 1891 to the end of the 19th century; and changes in organizational structure, goals, and practices during the Progressive Era.
Abstract
A unique institution which offered an alternative to traditional congregate and family models, the efforts of the Illinois State Reformatory to combine a juvenile reformatory and a reformatory for young adults under a single roof proved to be ill-advised and unfeasible. The Illinois reformers meant well, but failed to provide benevolent care in accordance with the legal doctrine of parens patriae. Forces undermining the effectiveness of pioneering reformers at work in Illinois included underfunding, overcrowding, inadequate staffing, structural defects, security concerns, uncooperative inmates, problems with specific "treatment" programs, difficulties inherent in applying the scientific method and new penology, and a covert class-control agenda. The history of the Illinois State Reformatory serves as a reminder to exercise caution in attempting to mix diverse inmate populations and reform approaches which are based upon inconsistent assumptions and/or conflicting goals. 41 references (Author abstract modified)