The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-10-24
THE GRAND JURY
Special Report to the Honorable
Aleck Boarman, Judge OF the
United States Circuit and DIS
trict Courts. Western District OF
Louisiana.

ed States Courts now IN session,
heartily approve of and endorse IN
cur personal and official capacity,
all his Honor. Judge Boarman, has
so frequently outlined in his charge
and talk to the Grand Jurors on be-
half Of the public interest in es-
tabhshng and providing IN our
State additional training schools
and reformatory public lnsu-
tutions. for the betterment OF the
youths of the State as we'll as other
persons of all classes and races who
are sentenced to Imprisonment by
the courts for violations OF the
| criminal statutes.
We sincerely hope that the men
who officially, or otherwise, repres-
ent the constituency of the State,
Especially our representatives in the
| Legislature will. when the State
Legislature meets again. give their
earnest and best efforts in passing
such legislation as will provide for.
establish and maintain in our State
such much needed public instltu-
lttons as Training Schools and Re-
fornatory Institutions, so thai vio-
lators of the law,-especially young
er persons in The formative period
of life-undergoing punishment in
the prisons of the State, may have
fair and humane opportunities for
becoming better men and women in
| a civic as we'll as a moral sense.
than such persons now have when
held in our jails and prisons.
The State in the exercise of its
law forces has no right to impose
conditions on men undergoing SEN
tenee--though guilty of violating
the laws of the State-which, in the
mature Of things, will destroy their
better natures and cause such per-
sons to become more degraded and
hopeless than they We're when they
were condemned to Incarceration.
Ii is known to all men, who con-
slider such things. that The hurtful.
brutal conditions, we now speak of.
| are too generally found in our jails,
and cruel methods of punishment
inflicted on unfortunate fellow men.
In addition TO giving our approx
| al TO what was said to us by the
Court in relation to such institu-
tons, we want in these suggestions
to urge our representative author
tiles, local as we'll as State, to make
provisions as speedily as practical
lble, for more and better accomoda-
ton for the unfortunate insane per-
sons of our State, so that such af-
flicted persons will not have to wait
las is now frequently the case. for a
Iplaee Of refuge in or for the care
Iof humane institutions, sometimes
fas long as year, and during this
waiting period, have 10 be placed in
jail among criminals, instead of be-
ing cared for as sick person ur-
gently needing immediate public
kindness.
To our minds, our officials and
representative in charge of the af-
fairs of the State have no greater
responsibility to the public than is
| involved in the duty of looking af-
ter and providing for,especially for
| the youths who violate our laws
the proper reform schools where
education and moral, civic and in
dustrial training can be given these
unfortunates, and make them better
men, instead of placing them among
lother or older criminals. when in the
mature of things, such associations
will brutalize them and crush out
Eof them all possibilities of better
ment in after life. As we see it. it
lis inexcusable, If not criminal neg
leet. for such, matters to be longer
neglected by the officials who re-
present us in The Legislature. When
such reforms are urged by the bet
ter men OF their constituency, they
tOo bltfiI SdN THAT Tile lSldlt is 100
poor and is without funds TO carry
out such purposes. The failure to
provide such institutions as we.
speak of can not be rightfullyI
charged or attributed to the power
ty OF our State On examining the
resources, population and wealth of
other States i'll the Union it will be
found that states not possessing the
population or wealth of Louisiana
have established and provided
maintenance at public expense for
a number of valuable Training
Schools and Reformatory Institu-
tons. There is no reasonable excuse
IN the nature of things, why the
Legislature of the State of Louis
lana should not provide at an early
day for such Institutions. certainly
IL her Legislature can provide laws
to tax the people Of the State to the
extent OF several million dollars for