Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-08
VOLUME XIX
Chicago 1 GttGT

west Chicago poll court End will
establish IN mat famous place his pro
baton system; z method which has
utlrac.eo the attention Of jurists, re-
formers, students and sycioluglsts
taruaut the would.
Iais system means revolution N
the treatment Cf prisoners i1 a crime
csntsr; for Chief Justice Olsen Of the
municipal c0ur5 has deaiaad 80 permit
JGoge Cleland to carry out hJs novel
dlas; and the experiment u BE- made
il one Of the greatest criminal courts
in the wo1Id VIII BE- etched by thou
sands who have become interested IN
the probation ystem.
When the Chic @ munic pa court
was established two years ago, Judge
CIalaud. a new judge aud unfamiliar
with criminal courts, was assigned to
the Maxwell street police court. He
had been there but few days when
he saw what led MIN to believe that
the customary methods Of reating law
breakers Is TuInous to the victim, a
menace to society, and lays an expense
Of millions upon the tax payers Of
Chicago and all other cities.
lie saw that from the residents OF
congested aud unhappy Maxwell street
puiice district, embracing 300. 600
human beings, scores of men have
been sent time and again to the bride
well, most Of them coming nut to So
ciety W rse han they went in. The
punishment had little or no raf0rma-
tory effect, compelled large expense
for maintenance of courts and police
stations, aud moreover, inflicted the
most terrible punishment on wives and
children and others depending upon the
prisGnEr.
Within few months Judge Cleland
changed all Of this in bis dist let.
Hundreds Of men and women, appor-
emily lost TO all h.pe. were working,
saving their mOneg and taking care Cf
their children. Wrecked hUa1es were
restored, and even youthful burglars,
who had been in prison time and
again, were placed on their feet and
became Prospecting men, helpful to
their parents ard brothers and sisters.
Such q revolution IN criminal court
methods raised storm amoHg saloon
keepers, petty politicians and attract
ed the support of thousands who desire
that human conditions should improve
and are desirous of helping the weak
and erriug brother.
Judge Clelsnd's methods were sim
pie tie took the position that the
law should be the friend Of the poor
and the weak, the drunkard and the
poor men and women, who, facing
hard conditions. drop lower and finally
commit felonies. He claims that at
present the Ilw appears to the prison
er to be the enemy OF the weak.
Criminals are freed from prison after
serving sentence with hatred for or
ganized society, branded as criminals
without hope, and soon are breaking
the law again.
"You cannot reform a man by
force" is one of his ideas. "Reform
must come from within The wrong
doer must first determine in his own
heart and mind to reform and then a
change Of life is possible -
1t was his plan to attract the atten-
tion of the prisoner and convince him
that the laws and the courts and the
pulice and all the powers of govern
ment are on his side. Next. he gave
him a strong ason to 1ecide in his
own mind to reform. After the friend
" talk, this naw type of Judge frank
~ told the drunkaId that, as drunk
ard, he vas Of no value to himself or
his family. and a menace to social
ordsr. Then he pointed out the road
TO self-respsct, to hope, to home
with happy wife and children This.
coming from judge, never failed to
cause Frightening of the eyes and
the first glimmer of hope.
This was followed by the maximum
sentence for the violation Commonly
a disorderly charged which is 8 year
in the city prison. This sentence was
suspended, upon the promise Of the
prisoner Ia make an attempt to re-
fraiu from all intoxicating liquor,
ger a job and stick to it. He was
required to repolt to the court at reg
ular intervals He was absolutely
certain that just one more drink would
msan. not thirty days, hut year st
hard labor.
This parole system was suppovter
by several JUnjred business men, law
ve-s, doctoss and dentists in the
neighborhood. A prisoner would bc
pa ed to on. Of these volunteers who
wa to keen trace Of him and assist
bin 10 his good intentions. In ordel
t3at the refyrmed men might not havt
TO lesve their work to make rhe regn-
air reports to the court, night session:
were held every two weeks. These
according tn many students of con6i
items who visited hem, ere the m s
remarl ale court sessions ever held
NJ who had bsen habilual drunk
n Il, f,~ wars lOn fars s,d ,xC,sbIes,