Evening journal., 1912-12-23


report for the year ending July 1,
1912. which he sent TO Governor 5. 5.
Pennewill. The report is being dis
tributed in printed form. along with
the report of Chief Probation Officer
r. Ross Farra for the same period.
Judge Lattomus in his report. COW
ering the first year of his administra-
ton over the Juvenile Court, points
out his appointment as the first judge
OF the court. on June %, 1911. Con-
tinuing, he says:
Before that time the delinquent
child was tried in the same Court as
the adult criminal and while greater
leniency was always shown him on
account of his age. the main purpose
of his trial was to mete out to him
punishment for his wrongful acts. At
the police station the juvenile delin-
quent often came I'm contact with
those hardened I'm crime and who did
not hesitate to impart TO him the de-
vious ways of the criminal world, aud
in addition 10 this. he was allowed TO
sit in Court and hear testimony
sometimes unfit for adults to hear
much less children, so that the net
result Of his trial was a lesson in
crime and a weakening of his moral
nature.
"The establishment of the Juvenile
Court has changed all this The hear
/ ings are informal and made as phi
vate as possible, so that the child
may not be embarrassed by the pres
ence of a crowd of idle and curious
on-lookers. The Judge considers
that the child is brought before him
not for punishment. but for correc-
| ton, and the first thing he tries to
do is to put the child at his ease and
gain his confidence. then he leads
him on to make a clean breast of his
delinquency When the child does
not do this, he is tried in the regular
way. and is given a fair and impair
| tial hearing. In the disposition Of
the cases some are dismissed some
are held up during good behavior
and in extreme cases where It appears
that we VIII not be able to help the
children by placing them on proba-
ton or where they have frequently
broken their probation, they are com.
mitted to the Industrial Schools, bur
the great majority of cases are plac-
ed on probation.
During the year. two hundred and
the Juvenile Court, but this repre-
/ sents only about one-third OF the
complaints that have been filed
Where the ofenses are not serious,
have instructed the probation officer
to give the children and their parents
a warning and not to bring them in
to Court. This saves the children and
their parents the humiliation. of COM
ing into Court. and we have found il
usually very effective.
Among those tried, 63-were Amer.
leans, 81 Irish, 20 Italians, l6 Polish
10 Germans. 46 Colored and Jewish
Among the offenses we're rs cases o
larceny. 27 cases of breaking and en-
tering. 2S of assault and battery 80 o
disorderly conduct, IA Of playing Graz
and 40 of malicious mischief.
"Of the 226 cases tried, So were dis
missed. % were held up during gooI
behaviour. 115 placed on probation
several placed in private homes an'
charitable institutions and 16 commit
. ted to the Ferris Industrial School
OF those committed to the Ferris In
dustrial School, the majority were be
fore the Court for the second or thir
time
Parental neglect and inefficienc
are frequently the causes of much o
the juvenile delinquency and the UNI
environment is some lines the decid
ing factor in causing the Judge &
commit the child
The Juvenile Court has alread
been the means of saving a great dea
OF expense to the County. The Count
has been put to very lit0le cost Outsid
Of the six hundred dollars it pays to
ward the salary and expenses OF tn
Probation Officer In cases where th
children are employed, they are re
quired to pay the costs out OF thei
, earnings and whore they are schoC
children, the parents are required 2
, pay the costs, except in cases Of eN
treme poverty.
"a large number OF the cases trie
, in the Juvenile Court otherwise pre-
, badly would have reached the gran
! jury and thus this expense was save
! to the County, but more than thii
that which cannot be reckoned in do
, lars and cents, the children were nc
only saved from coming into cOntaC
with those more hardened in Grim
and perhaps from a criminal caree
but we're started on the road to max
of them good and useful citizens {
the State.
I'VE have found that the probatio
plan has worked very satisfactoril.
for only very small percentage {
those placed on probation are eve
arrested for a second odense, an
S when they are, it is generally becaus
It of the lax discipline at home or b'
Il cause they are either physically {
It mentally defective. Nearly all the d.
e linquency of children may be trace
d either to defective home life or
It mental or physical defects. Sewers
l. of the physicians have generousl
r donated their services to the Cou
70 and have greatly assisted the Court
its work"
Il provision should be made in Il
e law for paid assistant probation o
d ficer for at present the probation o
s., ficer is so hard worked that we fiji
" il necessary to discharge the prob
TONERS before they should be. "
believe that the probationers shou
be kept on probation not only uni
IS they have reformed, but until the
! characters are formed. In this W;
q our work would have a more peImai
! ent and lasting effect. The child-hel
ing agencies of the city have work'
" in harmony with the court in tryiI
) to reform and form the characters
/ the children who have come befo
IF it,"
It Officer Farra's Report.
S. In the course of his report. Chi
r Probation Officer Farra says