The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-15
DEFENDS PROBATION MOVEMENT
Dominion Law Aids in Upllft Of
Neglected Children
PRISON ASSOCIATION IN SESSION

indianapolis, Ind, Oct. l5.-Youthful
criminals should not he confined in
prisons. where contact with the vic-
ious will impel them TO life of
crime, but should be given work in
the open. work of the kind To which
they are naturally inclined. is the
opinion of X. Il. Chadwick. superin-
tendent of dependent and neglected
children for Alberta, Canada.
MIR Chadwicks views were voiced
before the American Prison associa-
ton. az its annual meeting here, in an
address today entitled, Outside Work
as Preventive Measure and as Re.
lormatory Method" The growth of
outside work in prisons. Mr.. Chadwick
asserted, is productive of justice to-
ward boys and men which cannot be
overcstimatcd. The basis of such n
system, he continued, should be COM
mon sense. on the one hand, ne said,
system founded purely on sentiment
will prove unsatisfactory and incc-
fectual; on the other hand, practical.
sound administration has brought OUT
mat too close incarceration has often
fostered spirit of rebellion. In part,
Mr.. Chadwick said:
Probation has done more work as
preventative agent in dealing with
young offenders than any other
scheme yet devised Probe ton In
dealing with the hardened type OF
criminal Is futile and useless. a.
through the probation system the
criminal succeeds in getting lcnicnt
treatment without proper supervision
Of his surroundings.
Reformatory for Juveniles.
There is group of offenders who
are not hardened criminals, but who
have TO be taken care Of. This group
forms the largest Of any of the vari-
ous classes that have to be dealt with
under criminal law. They are not suf-
hciently hardened to be considered rs
criminals, but they have gone beyond
the stage where they can be consid-
cred as possible of correction under
the system of probation. When n boy
or young man has fallen down under
probation, and has become an occas-
!onal offender, and II has been deemed
advisable to deal with him by some
more rigid form OF correction than
probation offers. the reformatory
method has been used with great
success.
No hn.- 10 oil, hafnrn In
yonlle of district court in Canada, and
handed over To the department of neg
lected children, as a neglected child,
and placed out to work under the SUI
pervision of an agent or inspector of
the department. His earning capacity
must be guarded. as he is liable to be
exploited by unprincipled employers of
child labor, unless an agreement is
entered into and arrangements made
as To the particular amount Of money
he Is to receive in addition to board
and clothing. The money is placed TO
tho account of the officer who has
charge of the boy, and receipt given
for each sum deposited or expended, in
order tha; tho amount may he justly
accounted for in the final scttlemenJ
with the lad"
Common Sense as Basis.
Mr.. Chadwick outlined the work in
Alberta which is being done under his
he said. to lind the particular sort of
work for which a youthful criminal is
naturally fitted as il was To find work
at ALL The farm had solved the ques-
tion in many instances. but not In all
The work at tho prison farm, he add
I'd. was watched by the provincial au-
thoritlcs and undoubtedly would bo
copied by the provincial jails in the
near future. In conclusion. he said;
The basis OF such a system should
be common sense. a theory which
takes only sentiment as a basis Will
fall down and prove unsatisfactory
and most ineffectual; on the other
has often proved that too close incar-
ceratioh has brought out certain
spirit of rebellion. and outside work
has developed the principles which
30 20 make n right man, and results
In the recognition of the sense of hu-
man weakness, in many instances
dormant, hut In the case Of almost all
boys easily get-at-able. To help the
boy or the man IL is as necessary to
know his weakness as 1t is to know his
strength.
The cost Of such a scheme Is COM
small, as both boys and /,
l.,I ho,