Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-06
Juvenile Courts for Maine?

court procedure in reference to chill
dren, was under the curse the piper
pronounced to Hamelin. He said that
whether the offenders were adults or
children the practice had been 70 deal
primarily with the offence rather than
with the offender. If boy stole fruit
from cart, or picked a pocket, or hit
q passerby with a stone, the court
asked only two questions: did the
boy commit the crime?" What shall
we do to ayengc the injured party to
protect society,"" President Hyde
said that within the last ten years.
the principle {for which Judge Lind
say stands emincntly as the head has
spread by leaps and bounds. Twenty
.wo states have adopted it, and the
British parliament, profiting by the
American example, has passed an act
known as The Children's Charter"
President Hyde goes on to explain
what the juvenile court is and how it
differs from the criminal court. In
the latter, the child stands beside the
judge rather than before the forbid
ding beuch. The child's eyes are on q
level with those Of the court. and the
judge can, if he wishes, lay his hand
upon the shoulder Of the boy, and thus
extend and express sympathy and
fellowship which could be conveyed in
no word Of mouth. The room is small
and the idly curious are excluded.
Tie proceedings are not published.
The effort is not to establish the gull:
OF the child, Du, to ascertain a con-
ditioE. When the trial Is concluded,
the child is not found guilty. but de-
linquent, and is not sentenced to pun
ishment. but committed to the care Of
a suitable institution for training and
or to the care of some suit
able individual. Or, the judge may
take it upon himself, after suitable
edmonton, to return the child to his
own home under the friendly oversight
OF a probation officer.
President Hyde points out that the
function OF the juvenile court is not
primarily punitive hut remedial. and
the judge and the probation officer are
,lnt; ,.L, ,;1;n
The juvenile court rests, he says, upon
two pri lciplcs; First. the child under
criminal, and the court in dealing with
shall not attempt the absurd
crime b! sentence to a penal msti-
tuition.
With President Hyde, VIC agree as to
the need OF the establishment Of iuy.-
nile courts in Maine. however little
The Necessity may be. The avoidance
Of sending even one young transgres-
cor to q longer or shorter imprison-
Tent with older and hardened crimis
nails would seem to Justify tho insti-
tuition of such 4 court. To treat q
Boys first offence as the act of a crirni-
nal. IS to force him into becoming one.
Many times the judge of such court
knows wen whether the home of the
transsressor is the sort in which he
would be better off in an institution
where he could learn TO work If the
parents are upright, and eager and
willing to train their children, and the
act MAS the result of momentary i'm
pulse rather than habits OF lawless-
less, the best thing for the boy is to
pe admoniahed by the Judge who could
rfttilnes give wholesome advice and
perhaps admonishment to the parents
also Then such a boy under ,hr
natchtul eye of the probation officer,
and understanding we'll that he has
not been disgraced. has chance To
escape the punishment of his first act.
is strongly urged to resist temptation
and inclined to make good before the
court. If both boy and his home are
bad. then the best thing for the for
mer is 10 be committed. for an in
definite period. to some institution.
not as Il penalty for his crime, but as
u means of affording him systematic
and to make mxzunder-
stand the necessity for acquiring
habits Of industry and responsibility.
to develop him morally.
President Hyde says that the juve-
rile court is not a cure-all for every
fern of delinquency, but depends
mainly upon the personality OF judges
ana probation officers. The judge
should be shrewd man. yet kindly;
firm. yet sympathetic; 4 trained law
yer. but q friend OF boys; and the pro-
baton officer should be competent to
settle outside of even the Juvenile
court many cases that come 10 his
III Cleveland, in 1909, 24oO
cases Of complaint out OF 1000 We're
disposed OF without the intervention
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