Evening journal., 1921-05-02
KIDS COURTS
Criticised
Judge Thinks Mistake is
Made When Children
Are Whipped
CHOSE OFFICERS
FOR CITY SOCIETY

Speaking al the annual meeting
Of the Juvenile Court Association in
the Mun'c.Yal Court room on sat
urday night. Judge Charles W. Hon-
men Of the Juvenile Court OF Gin
c'nnat. o.. asserted that ninety-three
per cent OF the juvenile courts OF
tho country are not functioning
properly.
In making this assertion Judge
Hoffman referred to the courts SEN
fencing and punishing children for
ononses. and pointed out that
In the last year 121 children were
ordered whipped; another court
sent 65 children to prison; 40 were
placed with chain gangs. and i2
we're sent to reformatories.
The courts, the judge said. hold
the children 10 the rule OF response
hility and declared that. so long as
this condition exists. crime waves
with increasing force will devastate
the cities and rural communities. The
reformatories, industrial schools and
penitentiaries. with their attendent
financial burden on the State. will be
crowded, and the lives OF thousands
OF children will be sacrificed.
Delinquency shadows the lives Of
more children than most prevalent
diseases" The Judge said. there
is no greater menace to the lives Of
childhood and adolescent youth, than
delinquency. A child in court
afflicted with conduct disorders is in
a more perilous position, insofar as
his future happiness and usefulness
10 society is concerned, than a child
afflicted with bodily ailments"
Judge Hoffman said that II de-
linquency is likened to a disease. it
is reasonable to assume that It can
not be cured by inficting physical
pain or Imprisonment. which, he
said. some Of the courts have done.
The first great movement toward
solving the problem OF delinquency
and Incidentally saving the $4,000
children who annually come into
court, is that Of convincing the
public and all upon whom the ad-
ministration OF the juvenile courts
is imposed that the criminal codes
no longer apply TO children, and
that the State in the interest OF So
ciety OF government and tn, children
themselves has taken upon Itself by
virtue OF its prerogative as parents
patria, the duty md obligation Of
saving every offending child from
entering upon a career OF crim'
Judge Hoffman said.
when this conception OF chill
saving generally prevails the judge
Of the juvenile courts and al associ
ated with them will soon realiz'
that in saving a child, whipping, i'm
prisonment. harshness and cruelty
will avail nothing, but that in the
accomplishment OF this purpose al
that psychology psychiatry and
pathology teaches must be enlisted.
Before Judge Hoffman's talk the
election of officers for the ensuing
year was held. Those elected were
L. Paul dupont, president; Katherine
Pyle, vice president; Frederick r
Ashton, secretary and Harry 7
Dobler. treasurer. The meetinl
was held in the Municipal Cour
room. in the public building. Man.
OF the prominent child welfar
workers were present.
Judge William S. Prickett presid
ed during the meeting Chief Pro
baton Officer +. Paul Green gave
resume of his report for the yeai
in which it was shown that the case
brought before Judge Prickett wer
smaller in number and that the re
peaters" were less than in previot