TABLE J.-Whole number of persons convicted at the court of special sessions of the first division of the city of New York, children's court; also the number of persons so convicted who were committed to reformatory or other institutions, the number thereof upon whom sentence was suspended, and the number thereof still pendiny on parole, during the year ending December 31, 1903. Male. Female. Total. Number of persons convicted 4,360 430 4,790 Number of persons whose cases are still pending on parole. Number of persons committed to reformatory and other institutions. Number of persons convicted and discharged on payment of fine TABLE K.-Whole number of persons for whose arrest bench warrants were issued because of violation of parole conditions or conditions under which sentence was suspended, during the year ending December 31, 1903. A juvenile-court law was passed by the legislature in 1903, but on account of an opinion of the attorney-general in regard to certain features of the law it was vetoed by the governor. The friends of the law expect to have it amended when the legislature meets again in 1905. NORTH CAROLINA. The secretary of the board of public charities, Miss Daisy Denson, writes: “I regret to say that North Carolina has no separate court for children. I am confident that such courts will be established in the wake of the industrial school or reformatory which will almost certainly be organized at the next general assembly. There is such a strong influence against incarcerating youthful offenders with criminals that frequently they are not punished at all. I believe that our State is on the eve of adding many reforms to her penal system, especially in regard to the children." OHIO. A letter from H. H. Shirer, secretary of the State board of charities, dated February 12, 1904, says: "In reply to yours of February 10, in regard to courts for separate trial of children, I desire to state that we have no law in that regard with the exception of the city of Cleveland. Two years ago the general assembly of Ohio provided that the judge of the insolvency court should try juvenile offenders according to the methods of juvenile courts. There is before the present general assembly a bill to establish juvenile courts throughout the State. There is a likelihood of this bill becoming a law." PENNSYLVANIA. [Opinions of judges of the juvenile court of Philadelphia.] After sitting in the juvenile court for three months Judge G. Harry Davis, of Philadelphia, said: "The prevention of crime is more economical than either its suppression or punishment. The association of children with crime in the dock, in the van, or in cells can not fail to develop a class of men and women detrimental to citizenship and an expense to the treasury of the county. To make good men and women out of these children they must be separated from this environment, and this is precisely the duty of the juvenile court, assisted by its probation officers, who are women of most noble and unselfish type, and who are doing in their quiet and unpretentious way a great work for the future in the reclaiming of bad children and the directing of wayward ones." In summarizing the work of the court Judge Davis produced records showing that from June, 1901, to and including October, 1902, the court had disposed of 1,793 cases. Of these, 1,112 were delinquents and 681 dependents, and only 27 of the youngsters were returned to court again, 24 appearing twice and 3 three times. The ages of the youthful offenders ranged from 10 to 14 years, and twothirds of their number were arraigned for petty larceny. One hundred and four were sent to the house of refuge, while the remainder were either sent home, under the supervision of probation officers, or to charitable institutions conducted in accordance with their respective religious beliefs. [Opinions of some other judges of the court.] "The juvenile court is its own best excuse for being, and great good must result to the children and the community from the work of the probation officers." Pennsylvania would retrogress fifty years if it should give up the juvenilecourt law." 66 66 'Only ignorance of what it really is could make one oppose the juvenile court." 'Never have I had such service before as has been given by the probation officers, and I hope I shall never have to get along without them." LETTERS. : DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I have your letter of the 26th, and in reply thereto would say that to my mind the establishment of a juvenile court and appointment of probation officers has been the greatest advance in the administration of our criminal law in the past century. The chances of reclaiming children under 16 years of age from a life of crime are manifestly greater under the juvenile-court system judiciously and judicially administered than they are under the old system of treating children in the same way as adults, which in many cases would make a confirmed criminal of a child that might otherwise be taken care of by the proper parties and put in the right direction to go on and become a useful citizen. The need for a court to take special cognizance of juvenile cases and for probation officers to investigate cases of children charged with crime was long felt in Philadelphia, and any legislation that serves to perpetuate this court and this system of administering our criminal jurisprudence where juveniles are involved would be of great benefit to the community. Yours, very truly, JOHN WEAVER, District Attorney. [A letter from Hon. J. Willis Martin, president judge court No. 5, first judge presiding in the juvenile court in Philadelphia.] My experience in administering the law in the juvenile court leads me to the firm conviction that the establishment of this tribunal is of inestimable value as a civilizing factor in the community. The entire separate treatment of children without permitting them to be brought in contact with older criminals, and the supervision exercised by judicious probation officers over children and parents, are great factors in reducing the recruits for crime. TA letter from Judge Beitler, court No. 1.] "The juvenile court supplies the rational method of dealing with juvenile delinquencies-the method adopted in the family-correction and oversight. It is the ounce of prevention. It gives the boy another, a new, and a better chance. It gives him, often, the first chance he has ever had to get into the straight path. It supplements the parents' efforts, often doing what the parent would like to do, but through ignorance fails to do. It is society's effort to do for children what society has long done for the public health and the State does for animals and animal industries. The State of Pennsylvania ought not to let go the juvenile court, in my judgment. TENNESSEE. Mrs. G. W. Williams, State superintendent of prison work, writes, March 7' 1904: Our State has passed no law providing any separate trial for children, nor has it established a court for youthful criminals. Children are tried just as if they were matured men and women. Sometimes through the kindness of the judge these children are given a good lecture and are sent home. This, however, occurs very seldom. However, our governors as a rule pardon all youthful criminals under the age of 12." |