Miriam Van Waters Papers. Male Prisoner Correspondence, 1927-1971. Correspondence: S, 1929-1933. A-71, folder 604. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Box 100, Charlestown, Mass. December 23, 1929.

My dear Miss Holzschuh;

Thank you very much for your courtesy in writing to me, and for your good wishes. It is always pleasant to get a letter, especially an unexpected one, for in so dull a place as this, letters, next to visits, are our greatest sources of enjoyment. You are very good to have been so thoughtful.

I'm glad you found my brief article not entirely devoid of interest, and I wish that I could think how best to make my experiences of some use to you in the work you are doing. The day you were here I am sorry to say that I gathered only a hazy idea of your purpose in talking to us. This was not because of anything you failed to make clear, however, for I remember your telling me that you were from Harvard (I wondered later if that meant Radcliffe) and that you wanted to know what the what the juvenile courts could have done, but failed to do, to keep me in the straight path. Unprepared as I was, I must have sounded fearfully vague and uncertain in what I brought forth on the spur of the moment. And even now, much as I desire to be of some use, I find it difficult to analyze and interpret my experiences in terms which would have meaning for anyone but myself. But if you were to tell me whether you are, let us say, preparing a college thesis, or whether your angle of approach is from the sociologic, economic, religious or some other angle, perhaps I could help you. To me, of course, it is all justso much of life, of personal experience, so that unless I knew from what attitude you were looking at the subject, I should find it very hard to write anything useful about it. This is the point on which I was, and am now, uncertain. If you will enlighten me, I shall be glad to write out my ideas on juvenile courts; and I can write better than I can talk about them, since in writing one has more time for careful thinking and accurate language. Lest you think me vain of my powers I hasten to add that I do not for an instant suppose that my ideas are likely to cause a revolution in juvenile court methods - much as that may seem desirable - but I do feel that they may be of some use, in the way that a patient's account of his illness may be of use to a physician. Such as they are, though, you are very welcome to any use you can find for them.

Nelson thanks you for remembering him and joins me in wishing you, not only the usual holiday greetings, but every good thing you could possibly wish yourself. Are we to have the pleasure of seeing you again? We certainly hope so, and that it may be soon.

Yours sincerely,

Harold Smith.

Box 100, Charlestown, Mass. January 7, 1930

My dear Miss Holzschuh:

Here very briefly are a few remarks on the subject we have been discussing, I hope they may be of some use to you.

As I recall now, I was twice before the juvenile court. In each instance I was committed to an institution for juvenile delinquents. Other men whom I know, were similarly by juvenile courts. All of us agree that this is the worst possible solution of the problem. In my own case, and it is typical in many ways, here is what happened: associations formed at Lyman school led directly to my being sent to Concord; associations formed at Concord led directly to my being sent to State Prison. Those with whom I have discussed the matter agree that the rule, the ideal in the minds of juvenile court judges should be: never commit delinquents to institutions except as a last resort.

Institutions for juvenile delinquents are simply training schools for criminals, as my own experience proves, and as statistics, I believe, also prove. And the reason why they fail of their purpose is this ( and I have never heard this point made before ) : the inamtes of reformatories are too much of the same mind. This is a very important thing. What I mean is, if juvenile delinquents could be sent to schools where, say 80% of the inmates were decent, well-bred honest boys, who had been taught to frown on dishonesty and anticocial conduct, the "bad" boys who were sent there would straighten themselves out as a matter of course, for all normal boys like to be on even terms with their fellows. But in a reformatory at least 80% are of the opposite type, so that the mere weight of numbers is against the boy whose normal instincts are sound. He now strives to outdo his fellows in dishonest ways - still in an effort to be on even terms with them.

What, then, is the solution of problems ( since institutions are ruled out of the discussion)? At the present time, boys are paroled to farmers, merchants, and the like, after a term in an institution. I make the suggestion that boys be paroled to these people before a term at Lyman or some such institution has taught them all the crookedness and perversion with which these places are saturated. This with a qualification I shall now make, would be ideal treatment, since it would prove to the boy that mere punishment is not the chief motive of the courts in commiting him, and that the idea is to give him a chance to improve himself.

But, and here is my qualification - make it a real chance. I mean don t send the boy to a family who want him merely as a cheap substitute for a hired man, as a good many of them.do. Send him to a family with a real social conscience; a family whose purpose is to help the boy make a man of himself and who will treat him like one of themselves, instead of patronizing him and making him feel that he is an outcast. The reason so many state wards are unsatisfied with their guardians and run away from them is exactly this; they are made to feel too keenly that they don't matter very much. If social workers would spend most of their time interesting decent, intelligent, socially-

[7 January 1930]

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minded families in some boy who never had a chance, and if the courts before committing them or instead of oommitting them to institutions, would parole them to families of the high type, I have described, I think there would be a decided change for the better in the situation.

Thank you for your letter. Nelson joins me in wishing you a Happy New Year, and that we may have the pleasure of seeing you again soon. Meanwhile I hope what I have written may be of some service to you. It has at least the merits of being sincere. I am sorry it is not better.

Very sincerely yours,

Harold Smith.

Post Office Box 100, Charlestown, Mass.

January 29, 1930.

My dear Miss Holzschuh:

Thank you very much for the lovely calendar, and for the letter which accompanied it. I am very sorry even to seem tardy in acknowledging your courtesy and friendliness in thus remembering me. But, strange as it may appear, I too have been rather busy with new books to read, lessons to do, and earlier-received letter to answer. But if I am a trifle late I am none the less grateful. Here, where days are so carefully watched and so eagerly counted, any calendar is quite an important thing; therefore, a beautiful one, such as you sent me is really priceless.

It is gratifying to learn that my ideas about juvenile delinquency and the proper treatment for it are in harmony with the findings of trained workers in this field. Since one can usually feel fairly confident about the things one had learnt from personal experience, and direct observation, I was, of course, fairly confident, that I was on the right track. On the other hand, since close proximity to things often blurs one's perspective, there was the possibility that I might be merely reactionary in my ideas, and so doubly wrong. But since it seems that we all agree, I am very glad the social workers are working in the direction indicated. so that more boys may be given the chance in sympathetic foster families to straighten themselves out before they get too badly bent.

It is kind of you to speak so generously of my little essay, and I shall certainly follow your advice about making the best of what chances there are of acquiring a good education. In fact, I have been doing it ever since I came here! Just now, aside from my regular studies in the prison school, I am reading the "Rise of American Civilization" by the Beards, and find it a most interesting and thought-stimulating book. And each month I read some fine magazines, such as "Harper's" "Scribner's", "The Forum", and the "American Mercury". In this way I try to keep abreast of the best thinking that is being done in the outside world, and I find a very good antitode to the onesidedness of the inside world. I realize that it is up to me to improve my mind now, while I have plenty of time; because when I get out I shall be pretty busy earning a living, and may not have much time for studying.

Your letters are very encouraging to me. So I hope you can and will find time now and then to send me more of them. They make me feel that I am not entirely forgotten by the busy world outside, and that I have friends to whom it really matters that I am making a real effort to redeem myself. You are very good to be so friendly as to write to me. I appreciate it, believe me.

Sincerely yours,

Harold Smith.

Nelson joins me in sending best wishes.