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Curing Crime's avatar

HI Angela,

Thank you for sharing this story. One of the pleasures of working with archives is unexpected finds, stories, and leads. Having the time to pursue them is another matter.

This is a splendid post. It is moving, in some ways so recognizable, and in others so foreign.

Really interesting to see that process were still followed even when these may not make much sense. Bertillion measurements for adults seem more logical as one would expect greater consistency bar any significant changes in weight/age, but measrue a teen seems like it would invite misindentification (in the future).

This case also reveals interesting parts of their worldview. The kind of physical punishment used -- assumed that deterrance is effective at preventing criminals from reoffending. It also betrays a belief in negative reinforcement. Perhaps more interestingly, it suggests an belief, whether articulated or not, that young children commit crimes because they choose to, that they can weigh outcomes and possible consquences, and make such decisions.

I have written about the troubled teen industry before. I can sense conncetions with reformatotries. All these kinds of institutions also remind me of the kind of high modernism that James Scott discusses and betray a deep seated ideas about the role of the state, and the power to change people through environmental interventions. This is especially confusing/intriguing in light of strong waves of biological determinism that coincide with many such interventions.

Best,

C

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