Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-03-14
URGE THE JUVENILE
Court LEGISLATION
Friends Of Bill Say System
Will Pay for
Itself
SAVING SHOWN IN
COST OF TRIALS

In regard TO the bills now before
the Legislature providing amendments
to the present Juvenile Court law
copies OF the following letter have
been sent to each member OF the
House OF Representatives:
Dear Sir: House bills 202 and 20S
will shortly come before you, the
same being amendments to the pres
ent Juvenile Court law.
II has been urged by a number OF
people that the maintenance OF the
Juvenile Court Is already a heavy eX-
pense TO the community.
earnestly ask you to examine the
enclosed figures, which prove that in
stead OF being an expense. the court,
/ in the last year alone, has actually
saved the city and county some thou
sand of dollars.
Even though you grant. in full, all
that our bill 202 asks, Ga salary for
/ the Judge an increased salary for the
| chief probation officer, and three as
| sistant probate on officers at a salary
| OF $3.50 EACH there will still be a
considerable balance Of saving LETT.
The position of Judge is at pres
ent unsalaried. The chief probation
officer receives "A salary OF thousand
dollars a yeah.
We can hardly hope. with any JUS
tlce. to retain their services indeh-
nltely on these terms. nor, If they
| resign TO secure others in their
places on the same terms.
Unless there Is a somewhat ade-
quate number OF assistant probation
officers Gin Philadelphia one district
the size of Wilmington has nine) the
work cannot be properly carried on
The needs OF the children cannot be
met. Il Is impossible for one or
even two probation officers to cope
with all the cases OF incipent crimi-
nality in one city. Each case that
goes unchecked is a present menace
and future loss TO the community
Bill 2O3 deals with the technicali-
ties of the court work and needs nc
comment or explanation.
Very truly yours.
Katherine Pyle.
o Chairman Of Finance Committee o
Juvenile Court Association.
The following has been contributes
i by one interested in the work of tn
d Juvenile Court Association:
/. ECONOMY OF MAINTAINING
A JUVENILE COURT
p Two hundred and ninety-ive case
/. lof larceny have come before the il
|, venile Court this pas. year.
4 Costs OF every case tried before
A adult court land this cost based I
n a conservative estimate) are as fC
A lows.
a. one hour grand Jury time, tweni
*, four men on jury, $l2.
m, Two hours OF twelve members
m petit jury S12
M One witness Coftcn there are q
or three and the cost often runs
high as 81 or more). 80; total, S2I
Two hundred and ninety-iive cas-
at S27, S7gG5.
These 2g5 cases were cases thl
would necessarily have been held Il
grand jury had there not been u
n venile Court.
The actual cost OF the Juvenil
Court for the same year was 81 OI
1 from the city. 1888 from the count
$3.50 from the pockets of private col
tributors. Total, S4.l63.
= Saving to the city and count
s3sO2.
This estimate OF the cost of tryir
cases before the Court Of Generi
Sessions does not include any pa
i OF the salary of judges. clerks, ba
ifs. nor OF heating, light stationar
lprinting, etc
All of these things have been inolu
n ed in the cast of supporting the Juy
| nile Court; also the rent OF the d
tention house and the expense of &C
ing for the children detained there.