The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-11
SAVING BOYS FROM CRIME
New York Judges on the Results
of a Probation System.
Youthful Offenders Kept From Asso-
cintion with Hardened Criminals
The Co-operation of the Courts
necessary to Effect a Reform.

cintfon with Hardened Crirninn II
| The Cooperation of the Courts
Necessary to Effect Reform.
| NEW YORK, March 10-For the last
two months the judges of the Court OF
Special Sessions have adopted what is
| known as the probation system In deal
ing with juvenile offenders who have been
| convicted of petty offences. These judges
| declare that 1t settles effectually the diff
Guilty hitherto experienced in treating the
| cases of young men convicted of minor
| offence, without sentencing them to the
| degradation of a city prison or peniten-
| tiary with its accompanying dangers.
The probationary system as adopted
| by the judges of this court is to parole
| all offenders between the ages of sixteen
| and twenty-one, for one month in the
| custody of David Willard, a young man
| who is devoting himself to settlement
| work among poor boys in the lower East
| Side. MIR. Willard is a teacher in the
| Tombs prison, and in various ways his
! work has been brought to the attention
| of the judges, who rely upon his judg-
| ment in the cases of boys and young Inen.
| While the prisoners are on parole Mr..
| Willard enquiries into the antecedents and
| environments in each case, and submits
a report Of his findings to the judges
| When the date of the boys parole expires,
| MIR. Willard appears in court. If he thinks
| that the boy is not inherently bad, or that
he can be reclaimed. he so reports. and
| asks that the prisoner be released under
suspended sentence.
The chances are that Mr.. Willard may
be able to report that he has secured en-
| ployment for the offender: at all events
| the judge knows that careful watch will
| he Kept on the boy in future. and he
| almost invariably releases the prisoner as
| requested.
| Before the prisoner is released on parole
| the judge informs him that the ultimate
decision in his case rests entirely with the
result of Mr.. Wizards Investigation. ana
| instructs him to report to Mr. Willard
| once a week, or as often as he may di-
| rect.
Mr.. Willard said yesterday that he very
seldom had any difficulty in keeping track
OF the boys. They understand that the
judges sentence will depend largely on
my report, he explained, land lose no
opportunity in letting me know that they
are keeping straight and are not getting
into mischief. One boy who seemed espe-
cially anxious to impress upon me his in
tention to reform nearly pestered me to
death. He kept coming to report at all
hours of the day and night. three or four
times each day. He became such nui-
saHce at last that literally had to chase
him off to work. He is doing well now
and will prove a useful citizen.
Il have investigated between seventy
five and one hundred cases so far, and in
vast majority have recommended that
the boys be given a chance to reform.
Most of them were convicted of small
offences, such as stealing brass or lead
pipe. They hardly realized the gravity of
their offences until they We're convicted
If some Of them were sent to prison or
the penitentiary, the consequences p1ight
be disastrous for them. Association with
hardened criminals is almost always fatal
10 the character and future OF the class
OF boys that come into my charge"
Even when the boys are sent to prison
on Mr. Wizards report, they seldom bear
MN any grudge. In their vernacular, they
recognize that they have had "a square
deal When they return to the CITY Mr.
Willard looks for them, and tries to get
them employment in some business where
they VIII be subject to no temptation. Il
never recommended a boy who has once
been convicted to position of any trust
he said. They must take a low place
at first, and earn their EMPLOYERS con-
fidence by their own work and efforts"
Mr.. Willard was in Chicago last fall.
and while there investigated the proba-
ton system which is employed by the
courts in the case of children under six
teen years old, cases that would be treat
ed by the Gerry Society in New York Il
thought the-system could be worked with |
was right
Judge Holbrook expressed his approval
OF the probation system and of Mr. VIII
lard S work in the highest terms today |
There is every prospect that this system |
Is going to accomplish a vast amount of |
Bood, ne SAID In month or two. |
when we get over the experimental stage
We can speak with more authority on the |
promises great results. The most i'm |
portant thing about the system is that we |
need not send youthful offenders at an |
Impressions BILE age to associate with |
hardened criminals in our prisons and |
pcnitentiaries. TO the utter ruin of their |
characters. Mr. Willard makes very care |
full Investigations We can rely upon his |
judgment. and so far the results are most |
encourag ging.
"One batch of reports showed that |
forty-tve prisoners had been paroled. OF |
these forty-two were reported upon favor |
ably and released on suspended sentence. |
The three who had no favorable reports |
We're sent to the city prisons or peni- |
tentiaries. That record speaks for itself |
In many of the cases reported favora bly, |
we can safely look for complete reforrna- |
tion without the individual having been |
subjected to the degrading influence of |
contact with hardened criminals. The !
prospects | consider most encouraging"
Mr.. Wizards work is done without |
salary. Besides his investigating work he |
has a little house on Chrystie Street |
which he has fitted up with eight small |
bedrooms where he houses eight friend !
less orphan boys. As soon as he can find |
work for one Of his family he calls |
them and the boy is sef-supporting he
must hustle" for himself and make
room for another boy.
When he has room Mr.. Willard some
times takes some of his paroled prisoners
into his house. but he does not often have
room The house is supported by volun-
tary subscriptions. Sometimes the sub
script.ons do not come as numerousy or
as largely as are necessary, and then, as
Mr. Willard expresses IL. we have to
hook some of our goods at the near
by pawnshop until things look brighter
We have dark days as well bright ones
in my family"
1t is regretted by those interested in the
project for a special "Children's Court |
that the Charter Revision Commission. |
when il recommended the establishment of |
such a court, did not at the me time
recommend some provision for a probs-
ton system in connection with IT, The
city magistrate presiding over the Child |
ren's Court will have the right 20 sus-
pend sentence on juvenile offenders and
designate any citizen If he desires to |
watch over the children so released re-
porting what their progress has been to-
ward better department. In case the for |
kSsr prisoner does not improve he can !
unsught back on a bench warrant and |
a lGnipstitution. This would
iii|li| ! !, !. !. J: