The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-02

a noble woman. But herein, is the cri-
ticism. wish to make. Many a girl
unable to Withstand the sting of re-
proach from those who were formerly
her associates, has taken the first step
toward delinquency and herein our So
cial conditions. our churches and our
civilization. are keenly at fault.
Need Detention Homes.
Elm the larger counties of this state
we are in need of detention homes. No
child should be placed in the city or
county prison, or any department of a
prison, under the usual circumstances
attending cases in the Juvenile courts.
Detention homes properly conducted
can be made a temporary abode for
delinquent and dependent children,
and many a child saved from the un-
favorable environments of his home,
and also saved from the industrial
schools and orphan Institutions. In
the absence of such a home, in our
country. We have been nobly assisted
in the work of caring for children by
the Provident association, the Orphans
Home and the Foster Humane society
81 believe a resume of the work of
the Juvenile court of Shawnee county
wherein is located the capital city
a university city-a city of homes and
Churches city of mixed population
featuring city-would be of general
interest and of some value to those
who are making the subject of depend
ent and delinquent children a study.
Reform in Shawnee.
1.-THE first six months, I was engaged
in Juvenile work, there was brought
into court ffty-four delinquent child
rem and thirty-two dependent children,
total of eighty-Six cases, as compared
With sixteen delinquent and two de-
pendents brought in the six months
previously. This is not fair COM
parison for the reason that my prede-
cessor was sick during the last year of
his term, and absent most of the time
from his office. [ found some hostility
toward the court at first, but gradually
this has disappeared. The parent is
becoming educated to the value of the
Juvenile court, and the cooperation
OF the parent has done much to Danish
the former feeling of hostility. OF the
ffty-four delinquents three were sent
to the industrial school for boys and
one to the industrial school for girls.
OF the thirty-two dependents, fourteen
We're placed in orphan Institutions and
eighteen were awarded to the custody
of individuals.
For the year ending July 1, 1910, as
shown by the report submitted to the
governor, 1872 children were brought
into court OF this number 1913 were
delinquent and fOrty-two dependents
OF the delinquents, ninety were parol-
ed. 10 were sent to the boys industrial
school and three to the girls industrial
school OF the forty-two dependents,
"A were placed in orphans institutions
and 8 awarded to individuals. Seven
of the 1852 cases were dismissed. In
the same period of time, seventeen de-
Inquent fathers were arrested and
tried for contributing to the delinquent
and dependent condition of their child
ZEN
For the year ending July 1, 1911,
IFS children were brought before the
court. Six cases were undisposed of
at the time of making the report and
two dismissed. OF this number 80
were delinduents, IS of whom were
paroled and four were sent to the Boys
Industrial School and five to the Girls
Industrial School. OF the % depend |
ents, Is were awarded to orphans
Homes and seven given to individuals. |
In the same period of time 27 delin- /
quent fathers were tried charged with |
contributing to the delinquent and de- |
pendent condition of their children. Up |
to this time, no mother has been
brought into court charged with this
offenSe.
For the year ending as stated
above. the Juvenile Judge received in
fees $677.63 and paid out of that
amount 1875 for clerk hire. leaving |
$302.63 for his services; $500 per day |
was paid to the probation officer; |
SS4.45 paid out in witness fees. The |
expense of the probation officer was
$500 for the year, and for the police |
matron for taking girls to the indus
trial school, $21.95.
Parents Bring Children.
1.-THE figures given above do not in
-lude another feature of Juvenile court !
work which is increasing to a large ex-
tent in many of the counties. There |
were at least one hundred of such |
cases in our county in the last year. |
refer to the instances where parents |
bring their children into court volun-
tarily for the judge to talk to and
assist the parent in dealing with and
his delinquent offspring. |
The age limit does not stop at sixteen
years in this kind of work. Seventeen,
eighteen, and even nineteen year olds
are frequent visitors. and in one in |
stance a mother had me send for her |
thirty-two year old son to see if I could |
not turn him from his hayward and |
Indolent life. This boy is now in the
county Jail.
"It is the sixteen year old girl in this |
that causes no end of trouble |