The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-24

Their Views ora the Subject.
AT parlor conference held by the AS
soclated Charities last night, at the Com
mercial club, presided over by DR.. s. G.
Smith, the probation system was dis
cussed. The club parlors were well filed,
and the addresses were listened to with
interest
The probation system In vogue in Mas
sachusetts, by which certain prisoners
are sentenced, the sentence suspended
and the persons placed in charge of pro-
patton officers, was taken as an example.
The object of the conference was to Gre
ate favor for the bill now before the Min
nesota legislature for a probation sys-
tenn for juveniles in this state
Judge James O. Pierce, of Minneapolis,
spoke on the system in its relation to the
state.
THE state said he, lis interested in
the probation system, because there is
a new change of sentiment in the method
OF dealing with crime Formerly crime
was met only with punishment Now the
| reformation Of the criminal. is sought.
This change began about 125 years ago in
England. AT that time there were 100
capital offenses in that country This
century has eliminated the barbarities
of punishment but has not gone quite
far enough. There are about forty diff
ferent regulations concerning crime in
the different states, and nearly 800 judges
suit is a muddle.
The reform began about twenty-five
years ago. when something was sougth to
take the place of punishment for crime
In some places crime is taken as a dis
ease, and criminals are treated as in
sane. The object now is to prevent crime
Dependent children are sent to the state
schools, and fncorrigible children are
cared for in other ways and kept away
from crime. Crime can be prevented
like yellow fever, and to this end some
thing like the probation system is nee
essary.
The good accomplished by the proba-
ton system in Massachusetts, warrants
its adoption in every other state. It be-
gan there in 1878, and now every town in
the state may have probation officer
IL is the duty OF this officer to keep the
court Informed of how the person under
sentence Is doing. The sentence is gener-
ally suspended for a short time at first
and then If Improvement in conduct is
SHOWN 1t Is suspended altogether. III Bos-
ton In one year 1000 persons were given
.,
these 90 per cent returned to a good life
Statistics show that many criminals
could have been saved. At Blackwell's
island go per cent of the persons are re-
covered. If the probation and preventive
systems were in vogue many Of these
would never have been sent to the island
In the first place In Minneapolis. In 1888
1888 minors were arraigned in the courts
and seventy-n1ne boys were sent to the
state school. Once in prison little can be
zone Tor the reclamation of young Offend
ers They become hardened and shame
less by their associations. Under the
probation system they would not be sent
TO prison, and tests could be applied
which would enable the courts to make
up their minds what to do with them"
"The interests Of society,"" said Father
Ambrose McNulty land the welfare Of
criminals are not Incompatible The pro-
patton system protects society and helps
the unfortunate. The probation system
Is based on the recuperative powers of
moral nature. The old system punished.
the new system reforms. The old sys-
tenn exacted vengeance on the guilty, the
new system prevents the fall of the
weak; 1t saves the boy. One-third of the
Juvenile offenders have been reformed by
1T. But it must be understood that a
great deal depends on the character of
the probation officers.
81 believe In the system. II Is best for
the state: it is best for the citizen: it is
right, and it is cheap"
State Agent Whittier said that the en-
vironment of children in their homes and
out of their homes led to crime Many
fell into crime through acquaintance
they made on the street.
Boys he continued, ."are seldom ar
rested for their first offenses. When they
are brought into court it is generally
found that they have been guilty of
crimes before. That is where the proba-
| ton system would do good It would get
close to the first offense and would shut
off the supply of criminals. great deal
| of the crime of the world-more than
most people carbohydrates in the coun-
| try. A boy gets into disgrace in the coun-
| try and becomes an outcast. Then he
| goes to the city and commits more
crimes. 1t is easier to catch him there
on account of the better detectives and
policemen, and he is credited to the city,
while his criminality really originated in
the country. Then, too, I think the
saloon influence in the city is overesti-
mated The saloon is bad, I admit that
but the seat Of crime Is found elsewhere
I believe in the probation system, but I
appreciate the necessity of good officers.
1t all depends on that"
Nothing has been said about women
said Mrs. DR.. Bessell, who was called
ing about women more than sixteen
years in the bill before the legislature,
and yet, Mr.. Chairman, women are half
of creation, are they not?'
More than half" replied DR.. Smith
with a bow and a smile.
WELL" continued DR.. Bissell, Sin Mas
sachusetts dependent women who are
criminals get an industrial education.
They are taught to do house work, take
care of hives and chickens and all such
things as that After this education is
finished they can go out in the country
and get work with farmers families Out
Of $50 women being cared for in Massa-
chusetts in this way in short time 2Ol
were able to go out to work. only one
returned.
Brother Emery, of the Cretin high
school said he wanted to help the boys
baton system. Boys needed ethical and
religious training and this they would get
from the probation officers.
1--WE had good deal of experience
with boys" said Prof. Bryant, Of the
Central high school. "One of them Is
apropos of the subject under discussion.
A boy under my instructio was guilty
of stealing from his scnool mates. I
talked to him about the matter and he
confessed to more thefts than I knew
about He promised to reform and re-
turned the property. For long time he
did well. Finally one day shopkeeper
came to me and said the boy had stolen
box Of knives from his store. I called
the lad up and he burst into tears. II
didn't want the knives" said he. IT only
took them to give TO my friends. I'll give
'em back" The boy left school and l
CO in the neWspapers afterwards that