The sun., 1900-12-30
HOPE FOR BAD CHILDREN,
PROBATION SYSTEN NOW IN Use ~ A
VIEW YORK COURT.
justices Of the General sesssons Determined
to Give II . Trial. and the Eject So Far In
Reforming Youthful wronsdesrs Has been
Most Gratifying Pen olosis warmly Ad-
vecate the Piaa Its Theory and How II Il
Put In Practice Hare

vecste the Pisa Its Theory and How II Il
Put In Practice Here.
While section 1899 OF the report OF the
Charter Revision Committee. providing for
the establishment OF a chlldren's court. can
not become law until II has passed the Legis
lature. and even may not be enforced for
some time after that, II Ia satisfactory TO
know that the probation plan, a cardinal
feature Of the children's court iac-: = already
In operation in this city,
Persons in the Court Of Special Sessions on
recent Monday mornings have noticed that
the presiding Justice has prefaced several OF
his decisions with the remark: We have de-
cided upon new plan, or. we have adopted
new system The defendant in every one
OF these cases has been youthful. In all such
cases. moreover. the same person has been
the chief witness. and the defendant has been
paroled with orders to report 10 this witness.
who Is young man known to philanthropc
workers as a friend to unfortunate boys.
Unfortunate. certainly. any boy seems who
Is pushed before the bar Of justice by the
unsympathetic hand Of Q court officer. there
to meet the accusing eye and voice OF busy,
erRetic representative OF the District At
torney's once Yet. under the new system
referred to by the Justice. this experience is
lately the practice was either 10 send such
boy to reformatory institution or to suspend
sentence The first measure, in most cases.
was ineffective in reforming him: the second
practically set him free TO do as he pleased.
To unde rstand how arrest and arraignment
may now start boy on the upward track.
instead Of. as hitherto, sending him on the
downward one. We have but to watch the dis
posal OF a typical case.
A stunted shock haired fellow. who looks
about IA. although his age is given AS io Is
brought to the bar. His stubby fingered
hand shakes as he lays it on the rail lie
turns his eyes upon the Assistant District
Attorney. but as that official states the charge
against him he lets them fall. then lifts them
anxiously 10 one and another OF the three
Justices on the bench. As the justices turn
from the prosecuting officer to listen to the
witness already referred to. the boys gaze
follows theirs and a look, hardly bright
enough to be called hopeful. but full of con-
ldent trust, comes into his dull black eyes.
This boy. says the witness. has been a
good boy until lately Since last summer
he has been out Of work. and his uncle. with
whom he lives. has neglected to look after him.
He got into the way Of hanging about pool
rooms and saloons Some other boys induced
him to pawn these stolen goods for them. he
are respectable. His uncle promises to get
him work In the factory where he himself is
employed, and to look after him If he is re-
leased
few more words pass between the Justice
and the witnesses; then the presiding justice
agddr.ste,s the boy Joe. he says says MI WI,
before Now, We want you and boys like YOU
TO have every chance TO prove that you mean
sS according col TO a new plan. You are released
20 You 'H must report to Nj Wizard once a week
must come back here. and i ,Mr. Willard say.
YOU have done az you should we will suspend
1 Mr. or y1p ta TO
you understand? viii you go with MIR.
illard now. and will you report to him every
Yes sir: yes. sir. The response is eager.
Chances OF mutual satisfaction and under
witness chair and the lad before the bar. and
the latter turns 10 leave the court room The
rrk calls after him. for Mr i Willard
nd the next case is called.
In similar fashion half a. doyen cases are
ing nothing of them but what he hears in the
hustled sii Ion ofi the docket This is far from beng
possible in probation cases by the searching
investigation which Is an essential feature Of
the probation system
usually means for him much searching for
persons who change their address often
neirhbors nu DO where they have gone, mnch %
climbing OF tenement house stairs and many
interviews with The accused rerson and with
bors II is often \ weary and difiCult task
20 get down to a bedrock Of fact below the
mas, Of conflicting stories and lies he has liz
tenet 10. But to get at this bedrock Of fact
the history Of the person who's.
case he is investigating is of tie utmost i'm
p's % Tp"n on pohes G"a ~ uP%n
cised the court will base its decision.
Justice Jerome, who has had much to do
operation here. says "f il; The advantages
of probation for minors are that II treats the
Cllprit a, child. not as criminal It gives
good man or woman; II supplies the lack Of
parental government, and admits Of a iudE-
men, based on a. stHdy & ] ni me pas' ana rresent
relating merely 10 the crime The moral
effect Of court supervision gives it a great |
advantage over a decree Of suspended SEN
tence and a further advantage is that il may /
continue until the defendant il 81 age, whereas |
Q suspended sentence terminates in one year.
looks to reformation, but while IL nomi- !
nally holds threatened punishment over |
the Offenders head i IS rarely nsls TO
that probation cannot do better, ! consider |
the provisions for Children's Court as !
drafted by the Charter Revision Committee |
entirely inadequate, inasmrch "a they do not |
include any system OF probation, /
Tn Chicago. where the thldren's Court 4
has been in successful operation for n year |
and a half. the representatives ~ the various |
charitable organizations act as probation |
officers. serving without salary from the city. /
! favor this plan. Mr.. Willard, who al the /
request Of my associates and myself. acts /
as probation Officer to the Court Of special /
Sessions, spent several days in chicago /
recently studying the Children's Court there.
This court, which IL presided over by Judge |
Tuthl deals with cases OF dependent, as .
" ell AZ Of delinquent. children. OF the 2,?Co /
children brought before the court during
ia first year. however. i,450 are classified I
rs delinquent. These include cases of /
riancv. 4 Children's Court for the city
" New York should. Of course. be adapted
10 local conditions but probation should he
"a cornerstone.
The probation work in the court Of Spe-
rial Sessions ia an outgrowth Of the Tombs
school enterprise. now three or four years
Did We got into the way of asking Mr.
willard. the teacher Of this school, 10 look
IN cases OF boys whom he came 20 know in
he Tombs. and occasionally We discharged
h ON in his custody. Last summer the court
paroled a large number ~ boys in his care.
and out of the whole number only one boy
while on parole He was ar
-ested aud Immediately sentenced on the
I'D charge against him, A none Of the other
BOYS has come before the court since their
errns Of probation ended the presumption
: that they are ding we'll Some OF them
,e know are doing we'll Sometime OF
'ourse Mr. Willsrd's report 10 unfavorablc
"a, hat ba hn, ia aad H., nj,