New York City House of Refuge

The New York House of Refuge was the first juvenile reformatory in the nation. It began as a product of a humanitarian association. Organized in 1815, it was originally called the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism. The Reverend John Stanford founded this Society. During the year 1820 and continuing through the middle of 1821, the Society completed a survey of the United States prisons. Upon completion, the Society then appointed a committee to study the findings.
The report the committee put out criticized the treatment and the handling of prisoners.…