Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1902-09-12

The rrpoTs Of Judge benjamin u.
Lindsey Of the Juvenile Division OF the
Arapahoc County Court for :::r period
included between January :. 1901 and
July I. 100. has attracted much a''cn.
lion. no, only In Denver. but In other
cities and states. Ills treatment OF
delinquent children has h~cn generally
commented on and generally commcni'
-.i. What lie any. Ia f-,islion tn tho
Colorado Industrial School will there.
foF- L. Rad with inirn-st. Aft~r CON-
m-niinE on the provision made in the
laws of 1901 for y tsaIvnini school.
which was not established. hc says:
"in our opinion an Industrial school
such a. that conducted at .ulsirn. Col
Grade. at lansing. Michigan. AMI In
s-'t-spi other states. presents no Fras'
anahi- disadvantages as compared with
Parental schools. Tie SEPARATION Of
rlIlaiErn af this character can not br
regulated by any Fii- ~ In the form Of
dcliu1u-uCy 81 which they may 10
guilty. our experience shows that "
dors not furnish y safe ~ satisfactory
test. at least in our county. srItlFa'
ton according 10 aErs. II this H. posi-.
hlc land II separation H. u-ccssaryt APP
tcais 10 us as furnishing the aniy pEac.
tirabic Tul- IL h. guided by. Such sep.
aratinn il. as far ~ possible. maifs'
tanned a, our Industrial school. Many
boys convicted in this court Of burg.
larry have shown morc gratifying ~.
suits under the probation system than
boys convicted pf hahligai trusncy.
out Of over 9-1 cas-s in this court
where burglary or larvruy was the
form Of iciin', ,u-nCy 1many Of them
prosecuted for dispS'i'Tly conduct oniyl
ihrFr wcrr seventeen commitments q"
the Industrial school: aui out Of Ia
cases for trHancy. all originally prose.
cut-j as surh. their have tsrcn com.
mi,;rti twenty .anr irays. hut as hereto.
fore paiutr,i atit h-rtiu. all excepting
81. were guilty nf other and morc s-ri.
otis crimes: Or Just airout double the
number af commitments for truanry in
proportion IL charges for that ofr-nsc
as there were commitments for the
maFr seriously regarded ofTcnscs of
burglary OF larccny. The truth is. all
arc thc result. morc or less. Of ire
sppnsibility. thouEhtlcssncss. misEtiids
81 and misslirrric,i energy. Why is the
idea of separating delinquent tpys int.
classes because II vicious effects of as.
sociations nearly always directed az
Industrial schools and not at parental
nr public schpolsI II il admitted that
there are always dangers FROM tho cf.
f.cts ~ such association. Hut this dan.
ger exists equally in every parental
school and in n more or less extent
every public school
In most cases the condition Of y tru.
ant hoy taken from the public school
aud placed in the Industrial school. in
81 far ~ the dangers from association
with older or worse boys is concerned.
ts to no serious extent altcr~i. Such
dangers necessarily exist in the life Of
cvcTy boy. no matter how situated. Tho
name of our Industrial school might iuc
very properly changed to Parental
school No doubt. at the cni. however.
that Inflated name Reform School
would ovCrtakc It and il wuuld H. hs-
spciatc,i In the minds Of The people AZ
such. 4 change Of namc would not cn.
tircly remedy the evil here referred 10.
1hcrr must IT, a change in public i'm.
preston and sentiment. The iudustri.
al school is just as much a part Of the
public school educational system ne The
State School Of Agriculture or the state
School Of Mines. No more serious in.
Justice is committed by the public than
that impression so commonly accepted
that II is a penal Institution. The law
ot the state specifically FIXES It's status
as an educational institution. II should
of itself bc no disgrace or handicap TO
any child Of the juvenile court or the
Industrial school to have been tried for
disDrIleIly conduct in the one or to have
received part Of its education in the
other. n is refreshing to note that
such impression is being gradually
eliminated in the face Of more eHllglit-
pnpd and charitable public sentiment.
and tho officers Of this court are under
lasting Obligation IN the heads and
management Of some Of the largest
business institutions in the city of Den
yer for the employment. aid and on
given such boys II has
been appreciated and responded 10 In
n more satisfactory aud gratifying
manner than Is generally met with
among boys not so situated"