Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/598

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

584 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

or written sentences ; -ulating one's habits so as to prove

an ability to associate \vhith others and enjoy liberties without endangering our social fabric. Those who fulfill these conditions are released; those who do not must be more earnestly labored with.

The superintendent selects these irresponsive, disordered members of our reformatory society for specific treatment in the manual training department, making groupings as follows :

Group I \b~)<miithemcitic(il defectives (100 pupils), is composed of those who habitually fail in arithmetic. When these pupils are

ied. a division into sections of twenty-five men is made, upon

the basis of " mathematical " deficiency, that is, those in corre- lated sets in department of letters. For these subjects are selected into which mathematical propositions especially enter, both in tool proi id mental training, and these are taught with the

object of aiding these men to know the combinations and use of numbers.

The subjects are :

First term, 17 weeks, 35 hours per week: mechanical drawing, sloyd, athletics and calisthenics, clay modeling, and mental arithmetic. Second term, 17 weeks, 35 hours per week: mechanical drawing, sloyd, athletics and calisthenics, cardboard construction, and mental arithmetic. Third term, 17 weeks, 35 hours per week: mechanical drawing, sloyd, athletics, calis- thenics, wood turning, and mental arithmetic.

Group II ( 200 pupils) , assigned for development of self-control, is composed of those who for the most part are devoid of moral tone, those who fight, swear, assault officers, are licentious, and generally irresponsive to the usual reformatory measures selected for their reclamation. To this class belong some of the most intellectual in the reformatory, but this intellectuality, as a result of weak character, runs riot. They are like a steam engine with full steam on and no governing apparatus, with energy uncontrolled, a destructive force instead of construct- ive. These are divided into sections of twenty-five each, according to their mental capabilities, with subjects as follows :

First term, 17 weeks, 35 hours per week: athletics and calisthenics, geometric construction, involving intersections of solids, etc.; wood turning,