The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-02
JUVENILE COURT BENEFITS.


After an examination OF the bill
which has been introduced in the House
for the purpose of changing the juvc-
nile court system Of the State, wa have
no hesitancy in saying that it should
be- killed by that body. The movement
for children S courts is practically uni
versal. Communications from Ger
many. Japan, England, ireland. Scot
land and other foreign countries have
been received by those interested in .u-
venilc courts here, asking for iuforma-
tion rs TO our methods of dealing with
delinquent and dependent and neglected
children, showing that the good work
being done here is attracting wide at
tention. The fact that ours is a state
system and reaches out TO every boy
and girl and every man and woman in
the State, is very much in its favor.
Originally these courts were established
only in large. populous centers, but have
been gradually extended until nearly
all States pretending TO have juvenile
courts at all have made them State wide.
IF IL is good thing TO take the city
boy away from The criminal courts,
with the iais and steel cages, and bane-
full atmosphere, and help them TO be.
come good citizens by kind, patient,
loving Treatments: administered by men
and women who understand children,
why is it not equally good for the boy
in the rural districts7 Besides, the
State is the natural and proper guar
dian for all her children, and why
should il not assume the care and su-
pervision of its delinquent boys and
girls7 In doing this. should it not
choose among its citizens, those who
are best equipped mentally and morally
for the most sacred duty Of caring for
future citizens to do the needed work?
One OF the most commcndable things
about our Juvenile court system is
that il separates entirely the delin-
quent boy from the criminal man, In
deed. this is one of the basic principles
OF all modern Juvenile methods.
For the criminal JUDGE with his mind
filled with guilt and punishment it
las substituted a judge with mind
full of patience, and love. and whose
single idea is to help the boy; for the
sheriff with his time chiefly occupied
in handling burglars, robbers. and mur
ders. 1t has substituted the kindly pro
alton officer. For jails, prisons, and
penitentiaries, il has substituted good
family homes, and detention and other
schools.
The bill before the Legislature pro-
probation officers. Just think Of that,
will youG The sheriff, representing
the very essence of the criminal law
constantly handling the vilest and most
depraved men and women In the State,
to have charge for their delinquencies
and trespasses, Of our boys and girls!
Every justice of the peace in the State
Is made Juvenile court The court
where originates every criminal pro-
ceeding, q criminal court pure and SIM
pie, and calling it a "Juvenile court
or any other refined name cannot make
| it anything else than criminal court.
To be precise, this bill, if it becomes
law, will destroy every vestige Of the
| Juvenile court idea in this State. The
excellent beginning which has been
made to uplift and save our children
will be brought to naught, and the
whole scheme be destroyed and the
wheels of progress along these lines
be turned backward twenty-five years,
and the conditions for the care of our
youth be made even worse than they
were before we had a juvenile court
1t has been suggested that the hand
ling Of the Juvenile cases in the south
ern part Of the State by the regular
district judges, who are e1officio juve-
nile courts, has been slow and unsatis-
factory. There is doubtless some
ground for this complaint, These dis
trict Judges are good men, but their
| time and attention are necessarily taken
up with their regular court work. And
besides, the fact that they, too, are
criminal courts, makes it desirable that
some other method be adopted for car
ing for children. Would it not be
far better to develop and strengthen
our present system rather than revert
to old conditions7 Why not amend the
present law so as to appoint one or
more juvenile iudges-circuit judges
to preside over the southern districts,
So that all business could be promptly
handled?
Increase the salaries OF the proba-
tion officers so that they can devote
the time necessary for the care of juve.
niles Place the whole system on q
good sound basis, and there can be no
doubt that the difficulties complained
of will be overcome. and Utah will have
a Juvenile court system which will
stand for something. and of which all
her citizens may be proud,
We believe that the juvenile court
system in the State OF Utah is doing
excellent work, and If given proper sup
port by the State Legislature will dem
- . r..