If the environment in which the young criminals have lived is the cause of their fall, a considerable portion of them ought to return to the right way as a result of the education given in the schools in question. If this is not the case with all, this proves nothing against the influence of environment, for the impressions received by the child in the surroundings in which he has lived before his conviction are too strong to be effaced by a comparatively brief stay in an educational institution (even if these reform-schools were perfect). Finally, after they are set at liberty environment may once more contribute to recidivism. The following figures show the facts in the case:[229]

Years.To Each 100 Released there were:
Boys.Girls.
Good Conduct.Doubtful Conduct.Recidivists.Conduct Unknown.Good Conduct.Doubtful Conduct.Recidivists.Conduct Unknown.
a. Reformatory Schools.
1882 76 3 14 7 72 7 6 15
1883 76 3 14 7 69 9 8 14
1884 78 2 14 6 70 9 6 15
1885 79 2 14 5 72 9 6 13
1886 77 3 14 6 73 11 5 11
1887 78 2 14 6 75 10 5 10
1888 76 1 17 6 75 9 6 10
1889 74 2 18 6 76 9 6 9
1890 78 2 14 6 73 10 7 10
1891 78 2 14 6 76 8 5 11[[493]]
b. Industrial Schools.
1882 81 4 5 10 79 7 1 13
1883 80 4 5 11 79 7 2 12
1884 81 4 5 10 80 7 2 11
1885 81 3 5 11 81 7 2 10
1886 82.5 3 4.5 10 83 8 1 8
1887 83.3 3 5 9 84 7 1 8
1888 83 3 5 9 81 8 1 10
1889 83 3 5 9 82 8 1 9
1890 84 2 5 9 83 7 1 8
1891 85.5 2 4.5 8 84 7 1 8

The percentage of those who conduct themselves well is considerable, therefore, and indicates how great the influence of an unfavorable environment upon these children has been.[230]

France, 1890–1895.[231]

The following important data concern the children in the “établissements d’éducation correctionnelle”:

Condition as to Family.1890.1891.1892.1893.1894.1895.1890–1895 Average Percentage.
B. G.B. G.B. G.B. G.B. G.B. G.B. G.
Illegitimate 693 236 669 238 654 277 635 295 589 289 535 395 2.1 25.1
Half orphans 1,676 4321,641 4191,753 4181,634 4101,690 4281,492 452 1.7 37.1
Full orphans 384 152 310 172 323 203 333 212 324 236 271 225 6.2 17.4
Parents: Convicted one or more times 977 412 875 443 864 570 922 566 853 481 801 488 7.0 43.0
Mendicants, vagabonds, or prostitutes 391 201 434 224 423 287 444 294 403 286 333 300 7.8 43.0
Unknown or disappeared 364 91 342 135 347 136 374 129 325 95 263 106 6.5 10.0
Total of juvenile delinquents 5,1511,1865,1551,1355,2251,1015,2351,1765,2001,1315,0371,152

[[494]]

Out of 100 children born living 8.41 were illegitimate (1887–1891),[232] while the mortality in the first year of life rose to 28.8% of the illegitimate children, and only to 16.7% of the legitimate.[233]

The figures given above constitute a crushing accusation against present conditions. If we suppose that the number of persons born of illegitimate unions who have attained the age at which it is physically possible to commit a crime are 6% of the whole population (a figure which is certainly rather too low than too high), it follows that a natural son runs twice as much danger of becoming a criminal as he would if legitimate, and that this danger is even four times as great in the case of a natural daughter. The other data are striking, especially those which deal with girls. There were 54% who were orphans or half-orphans; 43% had criminal parents; 33% had parents who were vagabonds or prostitutes, or who had deserted their children![234]

As the official statistics furnish no other data, we will pass on to some of those given by private individuals. In the work already more than once quoted, Raux gives the following table, based upon careful researches and dealing with 385 juvenile prisoners received in the “Quartier correctionnel” at Lyons, to which the juvenile delinquents guilty of grave crimes are sent:[235]