'Saved from a life of vice and crime' : reformatory and industrial schools for girls, c.1854-c.1901
Reformatory and industrial schools were semi-penal Victorian institutions designed, firstly, to reclaim juveniles from a nascent criminal career and, secondly, to prevent neglected children from slipping into criminality. Most existing studies of these schools have been principally concerned with the campaigning philanthropists, such as Mary Carpenter, central government activity, and institutions for boys. This thesis utilises hitherto unused archival sources relating to individual institutions for girls in order to look at various aspects of reformatory life from the perspective of those by whom it was daily experienced. In addition to a consideration of the lives of the inmates, there are discussions of the motivations of the voluntary managers and the pay and conditions of the staff. A data base of industrial school cases from the Children's Society is analysed, in conjunction with other committal records, to ascertain which children were most likely to find themselves incarcerated. The importance of the respectability of a child's mother is particularly highlighted. The role of sexuality is discussed, in relation to attitudes towards girl delinquents, the selection of girls for committal, and the prevention
Cale, Michelle
History
'Saved from a life of vice and crime' : reformatory and industrial schools for girls, c.1854-c.1901. Reformatory and industrial schools were semi-penal Victorian institutions designed, firstly, to reclaim juveniles from a nascent criminal career and, secondly, to prevent neglected children from slipping into criminality. Most existing studies of these schools have been principally concerned with the campaigning philanthropists, such as Mary Carpenter, central government activity, and institutions for boys. This thesis utilises hitherto unused archival sources relating to individual institutions for girls in order to look at various aspects of reformatory life from the perspective of those by whom it was daily experienced. In addition to a consideration of the lives of the inmates, there are discussions of the motivations of the voluntary managers and the pay and conditions of the staff. A data base of industrial school cases from the Children's Society is analysed, in conjunction with other committal records, to ascertain which children were most likely to find themselves incarcerated. The importance of the respectability of a child's mother is particularly highlighted. The role of sexuality is discussed, in relation to attitudes towards girl delinquents, the selection of girls for committal, and the prevention
life vice crime reformatory industrial school girl reformatory industrial school semi penal victorian institution design firstly reclaim juvenile nascent criminal career secondly prevent neglect child slip criminality exist study school principally concern campaign philanthropist mary central_government activity institution boy utilises hitherto unused archival_source relate individual_institution girl order look_various aspect reformatory life perspective daily_experience addition consideration live discussion motivation voluntary manager pay condition staff data base industrial school case children society analyse conjunction record ascertain child likely importance respectability child mother particularly highlight role sexuality discuss_relation attitude_towards girl selection girl prevention