Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 86.djvu/583

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THE STUDY OF DELINQUENCY
579

production of misfits, at its sources. We need a social survey of large bodies of our population, so as to map out the tainted stocks. Such, a thoroughgoing study of kakogenics in the territory of a given state would enable that state to develop principles to guide in the practise of breeding out these bad strains. All agree they are just as dangerous and expensive as smallpox, typhoid or tuberculosis, and that we should proceed by equally radical measures for the extermination of such strains as are used to rid communities of these diseases.

This view of the problems involved in delinquency, through the insight and persistency of Dr. E. J. Emerick, superintendent of the Ohio Institution for Feeble-Minded, and of Dr. A, F. Shepard, member of the Ohio Board of Administration, secured legislation during the winter of 1913-1913, providing for the establishment of a Bureau of Juvenile Research, July 1, 1914. The provisions of the statute are as follows:

Section 1841—1.—All minors, who in the judgment of the juvenile court require state institutional care and guardianship, shall be wards of the state and shall be committed to the care and custody of the "The Ohio Board of Administration," which board thereupon becomes vested with the sole and exclusive guardianship of such minors.

Section 1841—2.—"The Ohio Board of Administration" shall provide and maintain a "Bureau of Juvenile Research" and shall employ competent persons to have charge of such bureau and to conduct investigations.

Section 1841—3.—"The Ohio Board of Administration" may assign the children committed to its guardianship to the "Bureau of Juvenile Research" for the purpose of mental, physical and other examination, inquiry or treatment for such period of time as such board may deem necessary. Such board may cause any minor in its custody to be removed thereto for observation and a complete report of every such observation shall be made in writing, and shall include a record of observation, treatment, medical history, and a recommendation for future treatment, custody, and maintainence. "The Ohio Board of Administration" or its duly authorized representatives shall then assign the child to a suitable state institution or place it in a family under such rules and regulations as may be adopted.

Section 1841—4.—Any minor having been committed to any state institution may be transferred by such "The Ohio Board of Administration," to any other state institution, whenever it shall appear that such minor by reason of its delinquency, neglect, insanity, dependency, epilepsy, feeble-mindedness, or crippled condition or deformity, ought to be in another institution. Such board before making transfer shall make a minute of the order for such transfer and the reason therefore, upon its record, and shall send a certified copy at least seven days prior to such transfer, to the person shown by its records to have had the care or custody of such minor immediately prior to its commitment, provided that, except as otherwise provided by law, no person shall be transferred from a benevolent to a penal instution.

Section 1841—5.—"The Ohio Board of Administration" may receive any minor for observation from any public institution, other than a state institution, or from any private charitable institution, or person having legal custody thereof, upon such terms as such board may deem proper.