The evening times., 1899-10-27
SAVING BOYS AND GIRLS.
The Work of the National Prisoners
Aid Society.

hiu SOcleIy.
The National Prisoners Aid Society will
hold its first public meeting in the First
Congregational Church Sunday evening
October 29. at s O'Clock. Reports of the
society's labors for the past six months
will be submitted, and letters from people
who have been benefited will be read.
The plan of the society will be fully ex-
planned.
prominent worker for this excellent
project said today in regard to il: THE
| appalling disclosures in regard TO the in
crease CT Qime and criminals especially
among the youth have forced all thinking
| people TO look most earnestly elsewhere
| than to the old methods for a remedy. Ac-
| cording to the best authority there are at
| least 100000 o. tie youth of the United
! States arrestei each year and sentenced
! to the jails, warehouses;. or reform schools.
! But few of these ever return to the better
walks of life. They go to swell the ever
| increasing army OF tramps and criminals.
| The few who have the courage to try to
| gain a foothold in the world again. find
| everywhere the same answer: There is not
work enough for the honest men; there is
/ no room for you
Punishment has signally failed both as
a cure and preventive of crime. Our
jails. workhouses. prisons, and reform
! schools have been increasing their capacity
year by year. and yet they are constantly
so crowded with our boys and girls that
the usual verdict is there is not room for
one more.
THE darkest hour in ones life is when
he comes out of these institutions and finds
every avenue leading toward an honorable
life closed to him. and perhaps the thought
that helps most to make him desperate
is that if he had money he could have
condoned all minor offenses, If not escape
the penalty for the more serious crimes.
I'm 1892 in eleven of our largest cities
were employed $4,000 policemen. who ar
rested $50. goo persons at an expense OF
$50. 600 600. Many are beginning to believe
that it need not cost much TO save our boys
and girls. and in this thought radical meas
ures are being adopted in the line of pre-
ventives.
THE National Prisoners Aid Society has
been doing very quiet work of prevention
and rescue for about six months. Its first
thought is to prevent all, especially the
young. from receiving their first sentence
and to rescue them as soon as possible
sfterward if they must serve their sentence.
The work of the society is done by the
usual corps of officers with an agent. gen.
eral field secretary and committee of Wis
itors.
THE agent attends the police courts and
by the very kind cooperation of the judges
has been able to save hundreds from re-
ceivng their sentence, to send many to
their homes or to friends in other cities,
who are willing to become responsible for
them, and to return many to their pa
rents or homes in Washington, who must
otherwise have been sentenced to the work
house or jail. as there is no provision for
defence for the accused in the lower courts.
nd oir ri hay n
their homes or found temporary homes
until they could get work. or the many
who have been sent away to homes or
friends, not one has returned, to my knOwl-
edge.
Zone prominent lawyer said: The work
Of this society Is second to none Another
one said: L have been around the courts
for twenty years; for the past two weeks
have been watching the agent of this So
ciety and have seen more practical work
done than for the twenty years before.
Another said: This society has saved the
District $500 in the past two weeks.
speaking of the very few or none in the
workhouse instead of from seventy-five to
100 minors who were habitually there.
There is none in the society receiving any
remuneration. The agent and field secre-
tary devote all their time, and, so far, the
money received from membership fees and
subscriptions have not been sufficient to |
pay the necessary expenses Of the work.
while the society is determined to
stand closely by its motto. Definite efforts |
for definite results yet it grows wonder |
fully. 1t broadens out every day. and |
there is no limit to its usefulness, but the |
money necessary to accomplish the work |
that is so important to everyone in this |
and every other city.
For practical, definite. economical work. !
with most valuable results, we challenge |
the world. All who have the interest of |
the youth Of our city at heart should hear
the reports and are most earnestly urged !
to be present at the first public meeting"