House of Refuge

In 1825, during the early stages of what will become known as the child-saving movement, the first custodial institution for juveniles opens in New York City. The New York House of Refuge and other institutions like it are part of a burgeoning wave of philanthropic activity and public policy focusing specifically on children. In 1857, a national convention of refuge superintendents is held in New York, and it is estimated that the country's 17 juvenile institutions house over 20,000 youths.

The enthusiasm and philosophical approach that fuel the prison are equally associated with these new child-centered facilities. Unlike prisons, the houses of refuge are not places of punishment‹although the internal workings can be remarkably similar, with military exercises, severe discipline, and long hours of labor. The wards include juvenile offenders, the poor, vagrants, and disobedient children turned over by parents. Separate institutions, laws, and strategies will transform the response to juveniles and youth crime throughout the rest of the century, culminating in 1899 when the first juvenile court is established.

Rescue of Starving Children From the "Shepard's Fold" by the police and Officers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1880