New York City House of Refuge:the first juvenile reformatory in the nation.

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 …

…Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents in New York City dissolved and the institution on Randalls Island closed its doors. References Pickett, Robert S. (1969). House of Refuge: Origins of Juvenile Reform in New York State, 1815-1857. Syracuse University Press Documents Relative to the New York City House of Refuge. (1987). Garland Publishing, Inc. New York & London 1987 Timeline of Juvenile Detention in New York City. [On-line]. Available: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/djj/html/timeline.html