The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-23
n INACCURATE
JUVENILE COURTS
Under Cox Bill Separate Trials
for Children viii
Be Held
/ PLANS ARE SOON
TO BE DEVELOPED
State Board of Charities and Cor
rections VIII Close Proba-
ton Oficers--Provisions
of Statute.

Richmond Wall nave "A juvenile
court In everything except aame.
within the next few weeks.
In the Cox bill passed ea-ly in the
last session of the Legislature pro-
vision was made FOR the iet2nuoI
or commitment Of minors under sew
enteen years of age for certain Oh
senses notesuA Jaiis or penTtentlaries,
ptac3ng them lu suitable hoai IS ana
Institutions under certain circum-
y stances; when they can an cannot
be rent to Jail; allowing then, 90 he
released on PROBATION, the approval
OF The State Board Of Charities ana
Corrections under certain cohunErh-
cies: penalties for removing any child
committed 10 these homes, allowing
Jury trials and appeals and appoint
mens Of probation officers ana out
lining their duties"
Next week the Board II Charities
and Corrections will meet To, carry
nut the pEaXisiaaS-sAt 4.44+r 1s4ttss~
will be adopted to put into practical
operation the intent OF the measure,
and within "a short time few. II amy
children will be tried m the same
open court with adult offenders,
What Bill Authorizes.
The Cox bills empower the police
vA,urt Justices of the state 10 com
init to the care and >nstody of any
society association or reformG tory
Rpreved by the State Board of Char
ities and Corrections and charte 'cd
under the laws of this state for thu
care and maintenance, protection, dis
Cipl!ne or betterment of children, any
child under seventeen years of Ase
charged with felony and not convict
nd before.
Except In aggravated cases, the po-
lice court justices are prohibited from
AS MfhN 4fsHT a. IA
years old to Jail. workhouse or po-
ice station The Juvenile offenders
must be committed to the care Of
Erobafion officers in cases of slight
offences against the law and to IN
gtitut.s ms of correction In more serl-
ot.s Instances
Under the law the societies Tor the
care aud protection of children must
annoipt q probation officer whose
duty 1t shall be to keep close watch
over the children sentenced to their
care. and to have the parents Of the
youths report on the latter's conduct
every month or at closer intervals.
The police court justices shatf appoint
! one or more policemen as probation
officers to keep tab on the conouct OF
the children probated, and TO report
10 the Judges repetitfetis 81 the OF
lenses for which the children were
srled or other cases OF misd2meanors
AT present the children arrested ioI
instantaneous and felonies are uiet
4 IN the open police court with aaoi
s# urisof,ers The environs are un"hoie
sosne. and ii is contenied by student
Of children problems that these sur
ronndings and the notoiHetF or nav
fnr been In court with criminals ha
n most deleterious, ana Vicious Tih"'
upon the youths.
Provision Is made in the Cox bill
7s FOR clearing the courtroom when emu
-s,4-t--t,tf tfiF47ftftf t4+-tft7t-fe
Han faf- the Judge far trials IN Ia
justices offices, where the ilttle on
Tenders may be talked To- as fathe
ya,fld counsel his child rather ina
l.eing convicted n open court ara ie
hack ~ n pen to remain until trans
r.rtea to the jaii te serse n ser
tence.
Many Children in Jaii~.
pecnrdg on file TT the state boar
~ charities show that there are II"
% children under sixteen Years
are In the jailS in the State. ! mes
children are confined IN p''ee 80
.nt 4alis Eleven of them are locke
IN IN the Richmond jail, and hNe
~nrfnsk Last years report or N
hoard contained the Information th'
6G children were confined IN tne Sta
saf,s This information showed eiea
II that prospects were bright ior u
making of 90 flrst-class cfiihihais
on April the Board OF t"rrecioi
.rd Charities will meet TO interpret u
Ls,,s aryactiny charity and Correctit
.ssed nv the recent Legislature. IT
IA, which virtually created jnveni
courts hut does not give them IN
r.nae will be the first TO claim II
boards attention, as IT Is desired
80 the Law into operation at the ga
1isst time so as to prevent thr ma
NV ing OF Offenders. II Is believed IN
tf.ts 10 step tn the right olr'cL.
.ra that the creation of 1uVeni
~.,,,t xnrn as have been found TO
~ anestinable benefit 20 the Tart
r,,tes In solving the problem of Il
child Of to-day. is not far distant.
Miss Florence l.. L-attmer, of u
chifdrens department OF the RUSS
Eage Foundation. ard who wrote q
famous "Pittsburg survey deaii
with conditions among Juveniles IN u
Snaoky City, Win visit the INST .utlo
Ear the care of children IN Virgin
800. Monday. This is considered
commitment 10 the institutions MI
k s 1affi,ner will be shown through I
sn.situtinus by the superintehden
and will lee accompanied by an ONE
81 " the Board of Charities and Core
IN stons. During her stay In Virgin
Miss I.attinier VIII be consulted abo
1ueenile court procedure. aiG hu
rafuable information tending TO ma
ing the semi juvenile courts Great
- m the Cox bib pronounced suceess
ID expected from her.
on April 5 and 8. J, n. Glenn, seer
tary of the Russell Sage Foundatic
viii attend the sstate conference OF I
charity and correction institutions
Virginia. To be held al Charlotteshii
Mr.. Glenn. who has taken a deep !
terest in these Institutions in Virgin
also win be consulted about the sen
Juvenile courts