The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
THE PREVENTION OF CRIME.

the greatest living sculptor.
THE PREVENTION OF CRIME
A noticeable feature of modern reform
atory movements is the growing interest
in the prevention Of crime as against it's
punishment. AS long as crime exists. and
that will be always. it must be punished,
but the tendency of punishment is more
and more towards reformation of the Grim
inal. Out Of this have grown movements
for the prevention OF crime, especially by
reforming juvenile delinquents and prevent
ing them from entering permanently on
criminal ways. The old adage that pre-
vention is better than cure applies in this
as in many other cases. 1t is much easier
to prevent the formation of criminal habits
than 1t is to cure them after they are
formed-so much easier that the efforts of
society should be directed more to saving
children than to furnishing or reforming
adults. Much has been done in this direc-
ton, but a great deal more remains to be
done. for the ranks Of crime. already full
10 overlooking, are being constantly re-
cruited from those of youthful delinquents.
How TO arrest or minimize the process is
one OF the most difficult problems of the
age.
One feature of juvenile refom work which
is having excellent results is what is known
as the probation system. This involves
either in terms or in effect a suspension of
sentence in the case of juvenile offenders,
the child being permitted to return to his
own home, there to remain under the over
sight Of a probation officer, and subject to
further court proceedings in the case of
misconduct. The probation officer is ex-
pected TO keep informed of the child's con-
duct, TO aid him, if necessary. in securing
and keeping employment and to act in gen.
eral as adviser, friend and protector. Pro-
baton thus combines the giving of lone
more chance" to the boy who has faced the
prospect of being deprived of his liberty,
the holding over him of the continuing pos
sibility of punishment for deeds already
done if his conduct fails to be exemplary.
and the advice, encouragement and assist
ance of a competent friend. 1t is a modif-
cation of the parole system. 1t is in force
- $500 1880 1870 - o@NCC-A -
the largest cities of the country, including
New York. Brooklyn, Chicago. Philadel-
phia, Boston, st. Louis, Washington, Buff
falo and others. In Massachusetts, the law
is compulsory and in New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Rhode Island it is permissive.
Illinois was the first State to establish a
court devoted exclusively to children's
80 -.
dealing with adults. This court was estab-
lished in Chicago under the provisions of
the Juvenile court law of 1890. The expert
ence of the court has INDICATED the utility
of the probation system. OF 2,37S children
tried before the court during the year end
parents under probation officers. OF this
number less than 10 per cent. were returned
to the court for further proceedings during
the year. The presumption is that a very
large majority were saved without the dis
grace of being sent to a reform school. A
similar law was enacted in PENNSYLVANIA in
1901 and a Juvenile court was opened in
Philadelphia in July of that year. The re-
vised charter of New York city, which took
effect Jan. 1, 1902. provides a separate court
for children. The enactment of the law in
Pennsylvania was experimental. The cur
rent number OF the Annals of the American
Academy OF Political and Social Science
has an article by Judge A. NJ. Better. of
Philadelphia, in which he gives his un-
qualified approval to the operation of the
law. He thinks a much larger proportion
of youthful delinquents are saved under the
probation system than were under the old
system when they were either sent TO Jail
or the house of refuge or released without
any supervision. AS to the probation off,
Ger feature he says:
1t is just here that the juvenile court act,
in my judgment, offers its greatest good
and opens up a new chance to deal intelli-
gently with the case OF a delinquent. In
stead of making the child promise TO be
good and sending him home. the court
places him in charge of a probation officer
and then let's him go home. Sometimes the
result is that for the first time a boy is
given a fair chance in the battle of life to
make something of himself. Many CT the
cases of delinQuents brought into court ex-
hibit weakness, incapacity and sometimes a
worse condition on the part of the parents,
Their offending is sometimes passive, some
times active. The probation officer becomes
the boys Waterman and his friend. guard
ing him against himself, and, in some
cases. against his parents. A few months
practical working of the act has shown
what a wonderful agency for good the pro-
baton officer is.
The judge who writes this is evidently in
sympathy with the law. and his testimony
as to its operation is valuable. The law is
based on the correct ~theory-that OF saving
children from becoming criminals by taking
them at the very threshold of a criminal
career and bringing them under the watch.
full oversight of an officer OF the court who
knows how TO guide and restrain them, and
who has the backing Of a suspended sen.
tence TO aid him. Every large city in the
country should have a separate juvenile
court and the probation system.
THE STAY-AT-HOMEs.
The majority of people ought TO be able
to congratulate themselves that they arr
not obliged. or rather are not so situated