The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-30
The JuueniLe Court LalU;
 Letter from Judge ~. s. Feagin.

oneration of the juvenile court law no discreet judge who looks 10 tne pese interest of the child ano or .e .ne S,a.o nnnn any community in the State" hItie article further claims defect m the law by the negro thief perJurins himself or his friends doing likewise as to The child's age "so that almost All negroes under twenty-one years VII VII claim to be. under fourteen ana ,u the ne overrun by this class of negro law breakers" do not think 1t IS saying too much to state that no Juoge III the State of Alabama a can ,,tnasses 2r as 10 the age of any child under fourteen years of age. There are too many decisions rendered by our own su- ages of minors before trial courts to make this objection to the law Of se- rious concern. l am of opinion, how ever. that the penalties or tns taw srs and leaving greater discretion to the judge and jury in such cases:
 Eighth. It has been r,I elslmed siSbty 9y per cent. of our criminal population comes from the neglected and delin- quent children, that the prisons. tne fails and the penitentiaries tsome as sert that badly conducted reformato- ries) cause more vice and crime than they cure. These institutions cannot narU ha done away with, put tn1l hdihi faa Trance ee by the suspension of sem tence for first offender misdemean- determinate dete sentence for the ineorri- glble till a reformation in character as Is now of force at Elmira, New
 Ninth. The purpose and aim of the juvenile court law Is to saye & tne nee life of crime. The court might De aptlv styled a child saving court. IL has been seen that the chiid In the formation period of life Is most sus- csptible of good or evil influences the most effective work Tor gooo for the State. Alabama has and IS expendng large sums Of money Tn retaining her children from ilntera, cy Why should she not extend helping hand to the thoughtless, ig- norant and neglected child. through the juvenile court. aided by discreet and loving pro6atlS6In ol,eer are ia fSli ace cord with the law in it's eforts to up- lift the child and its home.
 The juvenile court law is no ex- 1898 by the Legislature of Illinois and marked nGr m res resuits for good. Three fourths of the States in America Amer sor have Congresses of the great world powers have given days at their meetings to reports of its beneficial effect upon the youth of the country where Tn operation Austria-Hungary, Eng land, France and Australia have sent experts to the United States to 1nVes- tigate its beneficial effects and some have enacted similar statutes so fa- yorable have been the reports: These experts realize that to place the child in jail, novice in crime. Is to turn him out an expert in crime; that its only teachers are the hardened crim- inals. that such daily wicked com- panions will exploit their criminal methods in the child's willing ears. de- basing and demoralizing it. Hence the effort thus to save the. youth, the most precious and priceless products of the State. and will serve to bring the thinking neople of each community to the way ward child, and cause them to reach out a helping hand to reclaim 1t. and convert 1t into a good citizen.
 Did time permit l could touch your | heart with the sad recital of many cases; yes, bring tears to your sym | pathetic eyes.
 close having written in great haste under the pressure of official
 Your friend and well wisher.
 N. B. Feagin.