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Class C—those against whom the charges of delinquency are of a more serious
nature. A sub-division of this class is made of girls under observation as the result
of suspected immorality. The average length of stay in the shelter is 9 days, the
minimum in the case of a lost child may be but a few hours, and the maximum
sometimes runs into several months ; as, for example, in the case of those of material
witnesses in criminal charges against adults, or where the children have to be returned
to distant countries. The matron-in-charge is a registered nurse, and has a staff
of 24 nurses in attendance. Medical attention is given to the children by a visiting
physician, and there is an infirmary for cases of illness or suspicion of venereal disease.
Children who require hospital treatment are at once transferred to one or other of
the City hospitals. Children remanded for mental examination are for the most
part placed in this shelter.
The psychiatric centre is housed partly in the building of the Children's Court,
which is close by in the same street, and partly in an adjacent city hospital. The
staff of the centre consists of the chief of the clinic, who is also psychiatrist to the
post-graduate hospitals ; 3 assistant psychiatrists or medical practitioners ; 3 psychologists
and a staff of stenographers. The social investigations are chiefly made by
the probation officer of the staff.
In Detroit the detention home is of an elaborate character, providing for the
separation of various classes of inmate, and for complete investigation of the cases.
The premises comprise general offices for the staff, court rooms, interviewing rooms,
record rooms, mental and medical examination rooms, hospital, schoolrooms, diet
kitchens, recreation rooms, as well as dormitories ; and special arrangements for
the confinement of difficult problem cases. The school-rooms are staffed from the
local education system, and elaborate arrangements are made for manual occupation,
so that the officer concerned in reporting on the mentality and aptitudes of the
children may have opportunities of ascertaining what occupations the children will
be likely to take up with a reasonable interest, as well as testing any statement
the children may make as to their capacities. The superintendent of the home is a
medical officer who spends his whole time in investigating the children chiefly from
a psychiatric standpoint, while the attached psychological clinic is conducted
by full-time psychologists under the direction of the Professor at Ann Arbor
University, who acts as a part-time officer. The reports are drawn up in conjunction
with the superintendent of the home, and, if necessary, after consultation with
visiting psychiatrists. Several social workers are attached to this centre.
In Chicago, New Jersey and San Francisco the arrangements at the Place of
Detention are of an elaborate character. In the latter, owing to difficulties in
obtaining hospital treatment, much of the treatment of venereal disease in adolescent
delinquents is carried out in the detention home itself.
In Philadelphia the detention home is used only for the care of delinquents, although
the Juvenile Court handles all types of cases. The municipal court provides a separate
health and psychiatric service, which is used in connection with all juvenile court
cases, as well as for adults passing through the other divisions of the court.
At Buffalo the detention home forms part of the court buildings. It provides
the usual facilities for rest, separation of cases, and is visited by part-time medical
officers, who make the physical examinations. Mental examinations are carried
out by a medical officer, who belongs to the Public Health Department, and who
also conducts mental examinations in connection with the public schools system.
Under such circumstances, they are usually detained in the home for about a week
for the purposes of report, but where medical or psychiatric treatment is required,
they may remain for longer periods of time.
In the smaller cities the places of detention are generally attached to the buildings
of the Juvenile Court under the charge of a male superintendent and matron for the
male and female sides respectively. There is usually a visiting medical officer,