APPENDIX TABLE 1.-Admissions to the California Youth Authority, 1950 and 1951-Age at admission and highest grade completed Source: California State Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Statistics, Mar. 22, 1956. TABLE 2.-Inmates of California adult prisons as of Dec. 31, 1955-Present age and grade achievement test rating at time of admission Source: California State Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Statistics, March 22, 1956. CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY WARDS AGE AND GRADE PLACEMENT, BASED ON CALIFORNIA PROGRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT TESTS Ninety percent are 14 years of age and over; should be in 9th grade and above. Ten percent are 13 years of age and under; should be in 8th grade and below. Reading: 80 percent place in 8th grade and below; 20 percent place in 9th grade and above. Arithmetic: 83 percent place in 8th grade and below; 17 percent place in 9th grade and above. Total grade placement: 90 percent place in 8th grade and below; 10 percent place in 9th grade and above. Mental potential: 21 percent place in a range from 50 to 79; 66 percent place in a range from 80 to 110; 13 percent place in a range from 111 to 140. These test results indicate that as a whole the youth authority wards have an average mental ability just slightly below that found in the normal, similar, public age group. Thus these young people are definitely educable. The reading, arithmetic, and total grade placements indicate that at least 80 percent of the wards are retarded educationally. The average age of a normal ninth grader is 14 years. Thus, while 11.8 percent of youth authority wards are 14 years of age, only 5.6 percent place in the 9th grade; 24 percent should be in the 10th grade and 3 percent are; 25 percent should place in the 11th grade and 0.57 percent are. Thus it is quite evident that the educational problem is a remedial one. Evidence shows that nearly all youth authority wards are retarded from 2 to 3 grade levels in reading. It is an accepted fact that reading is a skill basic to all educational development. Therefore, much emphasis must be given to the remedial program. Any remedial development of a necessity must devote a great amount of time to individual instruction. Therefore, it is most impractical to attempt to have one teacher responsible for a large number of students in such a remedial class. It is recognized by all education authorities. that a remedial class should not contain more than 10 to 15 students. Tabulation of California achievement test on California Youth Authority wards Source: Department of the Youth Authority, Sacramento, Calif., May 19, 1954. Ages. 13 to 20 21 to 25 26 to 30 Felons that were committed to custody of the Georgia State Board of Corrections during fiscal year 1954-55 showing degree of education Source: Annual report, State Board of Corrections, Atlanta, Ga. Age of inmates admitted to the Louisiana State Penitentiary from July 1, 1955, through Feb. 29, 1956 Educational attainment of inmates admitted to Louisiana State Penitentiary from July 1, 1955, through Feb. 29, 1956 Literacy of inmates admitted to the Louisiana State Penitentiary from July 1, 1955, through Feb. 29, 1956 Source: Division of Research, Department of Institutions, Baton Rouge, La. |