OBJECTS OF THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD The object of the JUVENILE COURT RECORD is to disseminate the principles of the Juvenile Court throughout the United States, and, in fact, the entire world. When the Juvenile Court was first established the sociologists of the entire country stood by watching anxiously the outcome of this new departure in child-saving methods. It was realized that a medium was needed whereby the results accomplished by the Juvenile Court might be set forth in an intelligent manner. The JUVENILE COURT RECORD stepped into the breach and has devoted its pages exclusively to news of the various juvenile courts. As a result of the publicity thus given to the foundation principles and routine work of the Cook County Juvenile Court other States have passed juvenile court laws, and bills are being prepared in nearly every State in the Union to be presented at the next sessions of the Legislatures of the various States providing for similar legislation. The foundation thought and idea of the Juvenile Court law is that children should be kept in the home to the greatest extent possible. The child's own home is preferred by the Court, but in lieu of that it is intended that any good home where proper care and training will be given shall be provided for the child. The State, in assuming its relationship as the guardian of the rights of the child, assumes a serious responsibility. Every child has a right to education and physical care. Primarily, this duty lies with the parents. This obligation should be enforced wherever possible. The family is the unit of society, and most of the evils of society arise from demoralized homes. It is the duty of the State to co-operate with the family as long as possible and help hold it up. If, however, for any reason the family fails, then a new home is necessary until such time as the family may again be brought together. If the family proves recreant and abdicates its functions altogether, it is the duty of the State to secure as nearly normal conditions for the children under its care and custody as may be in its power. The home is the normal place for a child's education and training. The fact that children are to be placed in homes presupposes the idea that some agency will be at hand to find a childless home for a homeless child. To the limit of its resources the JUVENILE COURT RECORD assists in finding homes for the homeless, helpless little waifs drifting about the country. These little unfortunates need an advocate, and the JUVENILE COURT RECORD acts in this capacity, standing side by side with them, pointing the way to a brighter, happier life, where the weeds of evil will be choked out of existence and the flowers of hope will bloom in their place. In little faces pinched with cold and hunger, Even in the likeness of an outcast child, O wise men, own your King! Before this cradle bring Your gold to raise and bless, Your myrrh of tenderness! For "As ye do it unto these," said He, "Ye do it unto Me." "They are such little hands, Be kind. Things are so new and life but stands Such tempting things to shine upon, and so "The crimes of men have their origin commonly in the vagrancy of childhood."' OHIO JUVENILE COURT LAW. The juvenile court bill has passed both houses of the Legislature, and when the same has been signed by the Governor will be a law. It gives to every county in Ohio the right to establish a court for the trial of juvenile offenders exclusively. The question as to whether such a court is needed is left entirely to the judges of the probate and common pleas courts. In cases where they are established either the probate or common pleas judge will preside. The greatest peril to life and property is to be found in the neglected youth of our large cities. "The cost of saving a child is only five per cent. of the cost of arresting and punishing a criminal." JUVENILE IMMIGRANTS. Toronto, Canada. Superintendent Kelso, of neglected children, has been kept busy of late inspecting the juvenile immigrants which have commenced to arrive from England. During one week about 150 boys have arrived, and before the season is over it is expected that in the neighborhood of 1,800 will have been sent over. The Fegan receiving home, on George Street, received fifty-two boys ranging in age from 12 to 17 years. Every one of them has been given a position, in fact there were places waiting for them long before they arrived. The Marchmont Home, at Belleville, has received forty boys from Manchester. They were brought over by Rev. Robt. Wallace, and have also been placed in suitable homes. Another batch of forty also arrived at the Stephenson Home, Hamilton, and within a very few days they were all placed on farms. Officers of the Neglected Children's Department visited the new arrivals and reported that they were an unusually healthy and altogther desirable lot. JUVENILE COURT EFFICIENT. From a statistical report of the Indiana Reform School for Boys, recently completed by Supt. York for the Governor, it appears that Marion County, during the last ten years, has sent 370 boys to the school. Within the last year fewer boys have been committed by reason of having no homes than ever before. This, Mr. York reports, has been due to the work of the Marion County Juvenile Court. While formerly 60 per cent were sent to Plainfield as incorrigible from this county, and 40 per cent for crime, this ratio was exactly reversed last year. THE FIRST CHILDREN'S COURT IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK. A step in advance in civilization was evidenced yesterday by the first children's court ever held in Onondaga county. The new law which requires juvenile courts to be separated from contamination with the courts in which older criminals are tried presents a feature of modern legislation which meets with the commendation of all citizens. The budding mind of the erring child is now protected, where before it was injured by being thrown into the company of hardened "rounders' who would seek to corrupt where others might assist. The fact that there is now no prison in Onondaga county where juvenile prisoners can be confined is a lamentable one. This lack of accommodation will, without doubt, be remedied. OMAHA, NEB., SHOULD SAVE THE BOYS. Arguments in favor of a juvenile court in Omaha accumulate with the passing months, when boys are arraigned at the police court bar and thrown into jail to associate with hardened criminals. The little chaps who were arrested as incendiaries, surrounded and jeered at by prison associates, will not surprise observers if they commit more serious crime in order to win the praise of the veterans in vice who will perhaps point them to more profitable ways of law-breaking. The small boy who commits a misdemeanor and goes to jail is apt to come out feeling that he has done something smart, an idea which would naturally come from association with men whose desperate careers have a certain fascination. PUEBLO JUVENILE COURT. For the first time since the establishment of the juvenile court in this city Judge Gibson yesterday had the satisfaction of feeling that he had in all respects been a wise and good father and guardian to the fifty or more children who had come on parole to make their report to him. All the youngsters had at one time appeared before the court as incorrigible or as truants and had been sentenced. His honor, however, had hesitated to send them to the places where the law consigns them, and, as permitted according to the late law, gave them another chance, assigning them to carefully chosen guardians. All those who appeared yesterday in company with these guardians made an excellent report. Instead of torn and tattered clothes, besmirched faces, hardened looks, there beamed upon him clean washed and happy looking smiles and every child properly cared for. The truants were now going regularly to school instead of playing "hookey;" the night wandering boys had been trained to go to bed at 9 o'clock, and the girls in their 'teens had been broken of their dangerous practice of going to public dances. The juvenile court has found that the practice of giving paroles freely has worked well. In many cases the parole has been broken, and it has finally become necssary to send the youthful criminals to the reform school or the industrial school. The overwhelming majority have kept their word to become better and the work of reformation under the supervision of the court has been well started. A PRACTICAL LESSON IN JUVENILE COURT WORK. In the police court at Milwaukee, Wis., with the prospect of being sentenced to a term among criminals, and being subjected to influences which mighty leave their evil taint upon for life; today freed from the company of a tough boy "gang" and happy among the budding life of a big farm. youngster This is what the juvenile court has done for one whose name shall not be made known, whose character is as good as that of the average boy, and whose spirits, led in the right direction, promise to make him a strong and vigorous citizen. He was placed in charge of a probation officer. The first suggestion of the officer, after talking to the boy, who had been found guilty of playing the part of "fence" for other bad boys, was that he be sent to a farm, where the influences would be more wholesome. This suggestion was adopted by his father, and the boy instructed to report every Saturday. His first letter has just been received. He writes: May 1, 1904: I feel good. I must clean all the barns and feed the lambs. I must bed the horses. And I hunt the eggs. I hunt hunt about 50 eggs in one day. We have three dogs. One dog dog goes for woodchucks. I have all day fun with the pigs. We have 40 cows a 320 sheep, 20 horses and about 500 chikens. We got a colt on Sunday. And I must clean the oats. This is but one of the practical and satisfying lessons of the juvenile court. CLEVELAND JUVENILE COURT EMPLOYMENT AGENCY. The latest up-to-date and business-like idea which the juvenile court has appropriated to its use, is that embodied in the most modern type of advertising. The court uses only the most modern and the newest branch of that art, the liner advertising columns. For some days this advertisement has appeared: "If you need boys for any kind of work, telephone the juvenile court, Main 1754; Central 5027." The advertisement is published in the interests of the employment bureau for boys who come under the observation of the court. Many scores of lads have secured good positions this way and are working their way up. "Do we get any replies from the advertisements?" said Probation Officer Greenlund, yesterday. "I should say we do. We get answers from all parts of the state, and from all sections of the city. Some of the applications for boys come from Grafton, Massillon, Medina, and towns further south. A quantity come from farmers who offer to take a boy on their farm. Some letters bear the entire address, Juvenile court, Main 1754, Central 5027,' the writers having tried to obey the letter of the instructions contained in the want advertisement."' The approach of spring is responsible for the brightening up of the juvenile court's bureau. Boys there are who expect to get out of school soon, and they file their application for summer work with the court. On the other hand numerous requests for help are sent from big business houses and firms whose business increases in summer. A conscientious effort is made in each case to select the boy who, in the judgment of the officer in charge of the work, is best fitted to fill the positions in question. RELIEF AND AID SOCIETY SUPERINDENTENT. Sherman C. Kingsley, former general secretary of the Boston Children's Friend Society, has arrived from the East to take up his new duties as superintendent of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society. Mr. Kingsley succeeds Charles G. Truesdell, who died a year ago. Besides having had active experience in charitable work, the new superintendent is well fitted by education for his work in the Chicago field. He is a graduate of Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., class of '92, and did post-graduate work in Harvard University along sociological, economic and historical lines. His name was presented to the directors of the Chicago society by President Eliot of Harvard. The Chicago society with which Mr. Kingsley has become connected has been in existence since 1857. Edward M. Teall, president of the Chicago Board of Underwriters, is president of the society. NEW ORLEANS JUVENILE COURT. Boys' Reformatory, New Orleans, shows a marked decrease in the number of boys received at this institution during the year, being 160 against last year, 307; a decrease of 147. This marked decrease is due to the establishment of the juvenile courts in the city, where youthful offenders are tried separately from adults and other criminals; and the parole system has been established, largely through the efforts of the Prison Reform Association, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Era Club. This system provides that the judge, through a probation officer, who in this instance is the superintendent of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, shall parole boys who have only committed misdemeanors or petty offenses, requiring that they should report weekly to him until such time as upon his recommendation the court shall discharge the offender. Of the twenty-five boys paroled from the Indiana Reform School for Boys during the first year of the Juvenile Court for whom positions were found, only one was returned to the school. INDIANAPOLIS JUVENILE COURT In the year just closed 740 cases have been before the court, 607 boys and 133 girls. The incorrigibles and worst criminals among the boys, numbering fifty-nine, have been sent to the Indiana School for Boys at Philadelphia, and fifty-four have been sent to Julia E. Work's School, in Marshall county, to White's Manual Labor Institute in Wabash county, and to other private schools and institutions in the State. Seventeen girls were sent to the Indiana Industrial School for Girls, and sixteen were placed in other schools and institutions for girls. No greater problem presents itself to police authorities and to promoters of educational and reform movements among unguarded youth than that involving the handling of wayward and incorrigible children. Something must be done with them and for them, but the question is as to the wisest course. Mistakes may be so easily made, and a child that is by no means a hardened sinner may be confirmed in his evil practices by harsh treatment and so develop into a dangerous member of society. A boy who is guilty of lawless, even criminal, conduct is not necessarily inherently vicious. He may not understand the nature of his offense, he may have lacked proper parental training and restraint and be a victim of bad associates; his outbreak may be merely an expression of the exuberant energy of thoughtless youth. Even the most carefully bred boys, as everyone knows, often engage in destructively mischievous pranks. It should not be assumed that the boy of the street is more guilty of evil intent in his mischief than are the lads whose social standing excuses them from blame or causes the public to look leniently upon them. Appearances should not govern in matters of this kind. Every case should be examined on an independent basis. Each boy's natural traits, his training and environment, his associations, his tendencies, should be carefully investigated, and the method of dealing with him governed accordingly. It is this work that the Juvenile Court has undertaken to do, and those who have watched its proceedings cannot doubt its effectiveness. Judge Stubbs' report speaks for itself. A certain number of boys and girls are found to be not amenable to ordinary influences for good, or their propensities are such that it is better to put them under restraint than to leave them free to contaminate other children. They need stern discipline, and to get it have been sent to reform schools. But out of the total number of cases brought before the court the proportion classed as incorrigible and vicious, and so dealt with, is small. Of the 740 offenders 594 were disposed of without sending them to institutions. Some were discharged on suspended sentences, some allowed to return to their homes without further supervision, but the majority were placed under the care of volunteer probation officers. These so-called officers are men and women willing to take upon themselves the responsibility of one or more boys each, of securing them employment perhaps, of seeing that they attend school, of establishing friendly relations with and securing the confidence of the lads, of being ready to advise and guide-in short, of taking, in a sense, the part of parent or guardian to Iwaifs who have been treated with little wisdom or kindness in their earlier career. No reform work can be more effective than this; in no way can the child be brought so directly under good influences. The certainty of having a friend, the acquaintance with a man or woman of standing in whom he has confidence and who shows an interest in him, must be an incentive to any boy not thoroughly bad to so conduct himself as to win that friend's approval. That it is such an incentive and inspiration is being proved in many instances in this city. Volunteers who are giving their services in this direction report willing co-operation on the part of their young charges when once the confidence of the latter is gained and an understanding reached. Direct personal influence thus exerted can accomplish far more than the enforced rules of an institution or the general moral instruction given by its authorities. The Juvenile Court in its first year of existence has more than justified its establishment. It has made itself an element for good in the community and is an indispensable institution. SYSTEM AS PRACTICED THE JUVENILE OR PAROLE IN PORTLAND, OREGON By W. T. Gardner, Superintendent Boys' and Girls' Aid Society. On January the 1st, 1895, as Superintendent of the Boys' and Girls' Aid Society of Oregon, I organized a parole system for boys and girls under the age of sixteen years. An explanation of the workings of this system may be interesting to the readers of the Juvenile Court Record. 66 The Boys' and Girls' Aid Society of Oregon is an institution that rescues homeless, neglected or abused children of Oregon; receives Juvenile Offenders" (by legal commitment or otherwise), who are in danger of being imprisoned; provides for such until suitable homes or employment and oversight are found for them, and continues a systematic attention to their condition and treatment. The work of receiving Juvenile Offenders committed to the Society by the Courts in place of being sent to the Reform School, was a great problem to me on taking charge of the work, and for the first year the matter was studied in all its phases. The law in Oregon under which such juvenile offenders are committed to the Society reads in part as follows: "Section 1. That final judgment against any minor under sixteen years of age, may be suspended on any conviction, charge or prosecution for misdemeanor or felony, where, in the opinion of the court in which such proceeding is pending there is a reasonable ground to believe that such minor may be reformed, and that a commitment to prison would work manifest injury in the premises. Such suspension may be for as long a period as the circumstances of the case may seem to warrant, and subject to the following further provisions: During the period of such suspension, or any extension thereof, the court or judge may, under such limitations as may seem advisable, commit such minor to the custody of the officers or managers of any strictly non-sectarian charitable corporation conducted for the purpose of reclaiming criminal minors. Such corporation, by its officers or managers, may accept the custody of such minor for the period of two months (to be further extended by the court or judge should it be deemed advisable), and should said minor be found incor rigible and incapable of reformation, he may be returned before the court for final judgment for his misdemeanor or felony. Such charitable corporation shall accept custody of said minor as aforesaid, upon the distinct agreement that it and its officers shall use all reasonable means to effect the reformation of such minor, and provide him with a home and instruction. No application for guardianship of such minor by any person, parent or friend, shall be entertained by any court during the period of such suspension and custody save upon recommendation of the court before which the criminal proceedings are pending first obtained.' The minors committed to the Boys' and Girls' Aid Society are in most cases first offenders, and sometimes of very tender age, but in no case will the Court send a boy to the Reform School unless he has consulted this Society as to his former record. Finding that in many cases the parents were willing to cooperate with us in our efforts to reform these delinquents, a parole system was organized, and after the boy committed had by good behavior, shown himself worthy, inquiry was then made as to his home surroundings, and if they were of a character to warrant it, the boy was allowed to go home on parole, reporting to me at my office on Saturday afternoons between the hours of 3 and 5 p. m. The boy so paroled was furnished with a parole card on the back of which was printed the rules that it was necessary for him to keep while on parole, also the following information: "Boys allowed home on parole must report at least once a week on the day designated by the superintendent, and must earn twelve grades to entitle him to be placed on the monthly parole list. A perfect week's record is marked 100; his standing must not be less than 85 to secure grades 1 to 8; not less than 90 to secure grades 9 to 12-falling below the required standing for any week, the boy starts in the same grade at the beginning of the following week. If a boy fails to report promptly when ordered, he forfeits all grades earned and will be returned for sentence." Our system is being improved as time goes on, and we now have a paid officer provided us by the city to help look after these delinquents, and there are also a few public spirited citizens who are acting as voluntary probation officers and doing very good work. By the aid of these able assistants the Society is enabled to keep better track of these minors in their home life. Judge Lindsay of the Denver Juvenile Court when in Portland complimented the management on what he considered the best Suspension Law he had ever seen. But there is one thing Oregon needs to make their efforts more effective, and that is that part of the law as enacted in Colorado where parents are made a party and must account for the delinquency of their children. With such a law added to the one now already in force, Portland, Oregon, believes that it will be able to boast of as good a Juvenile Court Law as any in the Union, especially so as the Municipal Judge and Chief of Police refers all such matters to the Society. There are six rules which it is necessary for a boy to keep in order to make his grades. Among them are the prohibition of the use of tobacco, the using of obscene language, being home before 9 o'clock in the evening, attending day school regular and also Sabbath School and church. In order to verify the boy's statement on reporting, it is requisite for him to bring a note from his school teacher and also from his parents, stating thoroughly his conduct during the week. The commitment is renewed every 60 days for the period of six months; three months of this time the boy reports weekly and the last three months, monthly, after which if his behavior has been good he is discharged. This system which it will be seen was in vogue years before a Juvenile Court was thought of works admirably, and it is very rare that a boy has to be returned to the Court for sentence. Of course there are cases when it becomes necessary to send a boy to the Reform School, but there is nothing speaks better for the work than its record in the year 1903, when the County of Multnomah in which the City of Portland is situated, although the largest County in the state and by a large majority, sent but one boy to the Reform School during the entire year. About 350 boys have been cared for in this manner during the existence of this system. The crimes for which they are committed are varied, and are from the larceny of doughnuts from a street vender to burglary. Of course this last crime to the uninitiated sounds badly, but it must be remembered that our juvenile delinquents commit such crimes many times in utter ignorance of the enormity of what they are doing. ATLANTA JUVENILE COURT The ordinance providing for the establishment of a probation court in Atlanta, Ga., for the trial of juvenile offenders was signed by Mayor Howell April 5 and has therefore become a law. The first session of the recorder's probation court was held April 19 immediately after the regular court adjourned, and two boys were tried and put on probation, that is, they were released on good behavoir. The first two offenders who opened up the probation court were Robert McCowan, ten years old, and Henry Holmes, eight years old. The boys are "partners" and they committed their indiscretions together. The The cases were made by Probation Officer Jim Gloer. fathers of both boys were in court and testified. The officer stated that the boys had made themselves a terror in their neighborhood by rocking houses, cursing people on the street and fighting other children. One of their favorite tricks was to throw water on persons who passed by their houses. The Holmes family blamed the McCowan boy for the trouble, and said Robert led Henry into mischief. The McCowan family were equally sure that Henry was to blame for all the devilment Robert did. The fathers stated that they obliged to admit they were unable longer to control the youngsters. TWO BOYS ON PROBATION. Recorder Broyles, who had the court room cleared so that no outsiders could witness the trials, stated that under the new city law establishing the probation court it was his duty to give the boys a chance to reform. "I will, therefore, let these boys go," he said, "and I expect them to quit their badness. Will you do it, boys?" "Yes, we will," was the reply, in chorus. "Well, I only hope you will," the recorder continued. "If you come here again, I will send you both to the stockade, where you will have to work hard for many days. You have a chance to reform, and I want you both to go home and be good boys."' It was agreed that the parents of the boys should write to Officer Gloer every Monday morning, for several weeks, stating how the boys were behaving. If the lads did well the letters would then be written once a month. PARENTS MUST CO-OPERATE. "I can do a great deal of good in this court," stated Officer Gloer, after the probation court had adjourned, "but I cannot do it alone. I must have the co-operation of the parents of the children who are brought here. I believe the fathers and mothers of children who are incorrigible will take a deep interest in the probation court, and that they will see in it means to get their wayward sons to reform before it is too late. I want it understood that children who commit slight indiscretions will not be brought here for trial. It is only the real bad youngsters, those who cannot be controlled at home, that I wish arrested."' Chief Ball was present during the first session of the probation court, and he believes the court will work a great good among the reckless boys. He says he has provided three cells in a separate part of the city prison for the children arrested for trial in the probation court, one cell for white boys, one for negro boys and a third for negro girls. The white girls will be placed in the custody of the police matron. |