New-York tribune., 1912-04-28
URGES CRIMINALS CAUSE
Judge FawCett Prepares BIlI 10
Restore Citizenship.

Judge Lewis l. Fawcett. of tho county
Court in BROOKLYN. has drawn UP a bill, 10
Ne introduced at the next session ~ ih"
LEGISLATURE whereby ex-coHNlct~ may re-
gain their citizenship. judge Frw""tt Is
the man who a few days ago gav" q '"rty-
year sentence 10 A confirmed criminal 'nt
hc is absolutely In favor of giving iirs; ANA
second offenders chanc" 10 max" good
and 10 redeem themselves In their own
eyes and those of tho community at large.
The plan of Judge Fawcetts bill IS rather
probatlonary-tha Is. any man w" has '"d
an upright llfe for a certain number II
Years after serving not more than ton
years in prison may apply 10 the courts 10
have his full rights of citizenship restored
70 him. The length OF probation Will. =
course. depend on the nature of the crime
committed and the time served IN prison.
In speaking of the h!ll. Judge Favc"U
said.
The tendency N modern p"nolosy is
toward the moral reform Of rho prisoner.
W. have already learned 70 separate the
young onender from tho old. We have IN
st!tut-d system Of ind"termina's SEN
tenccs FOR fret offenders: "" hav" q board
Of parole by which prisoner may hc lot
ont FOR good behavior. 10 have probation
orrcer, IN our courts. and IN" Judges haye
power To- suspend sentence, which means
that while tho prisoner keeps faith with
the Judge nothing viii happen to him, nut
II he docs anything wrong he may be sent
awny FOR a term without n new trial or
any other delay.
II think that We ought to 90 one stop
further and orcr some inducomcut 20 men
who havo come out of jail 70 make good
and rchablltato themselves II man has
the strength of Will 10 lead decent lIfc
for certain number Of years after getting
out he ought TO have the right 20 regain
his citizenship. The law ought to give him
n chance"
Judge Fawcctt said that in the last i've
years less than l Ter cent 0f the men on
! whom he had suspended sentence bad
come back, and vet 42 per cent Of the per
sons convicted of fclonles I'm Kings County
during that time had been boys between
the ages Of sixteen and tWenty-onc. In
other words. not one Of those boys was an
attendant a. Sunday schools. and although
some OF them used TO 20 hey confessed
tl4ttt lH'N Ildil h'S'Iltu 'H'II IOI Ilt DbOl
parlors the saloon and the gang on tho
corner. The Judge feels that II the young
men are TO be saved the Church will have
to compete with the other diversions and
offer the boys something In place OF the
evil pleasures they arc now seeking.
In speaking Of the Bush law for the
sterilization OF criminals. which Governor
Dix signed recently. Judge Fawcett said.
"The placing on our statute books OF the
law providing for the sterilization OF ho-
bitunl criminals. the incurably insane and
those convicted Of certain vicious crimes
denotng degenorncy and base immortality
is decided advance along lines which
may be calculated 10 check, stamp out and
prevent crime. Cne Of the chief needs "
the times is tho prevention ~ crime"
The Judge quoted several instances where
parents had been convicted and sentenced
for certain crimes. and when their chill
dren came Of age they committed the samo
misdeeds.
Is upward of 800 o0o.O Oo0 annually" he said,
"or approximately s. for every man,
woman and child In the country. An ex-
cellent way To reduce this tremendous tax
and cost on our people. make our streets
and parks safe and protect the lives and
property Of the people is made available
in this bill"