Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1927-02-17
STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE SHOWS
NEED OF PROBATION OFFICERS in STATE
Bv MRS. EDGAR A. DAVIDSON
Georgia State Board of Public
Woifare

Walking behind the officer, eyes
bright with resentment and her head
thrown back in a "what do l care?"
manner, came Alice. Fifteen year
old Alice had just been released from
the Jail to be sent to the State School
for Girls, and heard, as she followed
the officer, comment on "that bold
girl" During the trial she had been
bold, defiant and as insolent as she
dared be but, after all, not surpris-
ing attitude after what she had lived
through in recent months.
Can this be the nice appearing
country girl of 2. County who went
over to visit neighbor about three
months ago? 1t can and it is. Dur
ing that ill-timed visit the neighbor
quarreled with caller and killed him.
Alice witnessed the crime. 2. Coun-
ty has no active juvenile court judge
and no probation officer and so, un-
til the trial could be held, Alice was
confined in Jail for "safe keeping"
Safe keeping? During those three
months in jail, men and boys would
daily (and in all probability nightly
approach her cell window, which OPP
ened upon the rear of the court yard,
jeer at and converse with her. FL
nally public-spirited citizens learned
of the case-of the attraction that
Alice was being made by curious court
house loafers-and she was released
on bond. But this was after ninety
days of degrading and demoralizing
Jail experiences.
At the trial she refused to repeat
the testimony she had given at the
preliminary hearing and thereupon
was charged with perjury, tried, con-
victed and sentenced to the state
school. After the trial she was again
placed in Jail to await the time when
the school could receive her. In this
Jail she was allowed to associate with
the men prisoners during the day;
was kept in a separate compartment
only at night. Many nights she con-
versed with newly acquired friends
through the barred windows and many
nights liquor was smuggled into her.
81 wish" said the state board OF
welfare worker who found Alice In
the last Jail, "that l could tell you
that this did not happen; that it is
only something that could happen,
but it is only too true" Five months
ago Alice was an immature, in no
way unusual, child, living in the home
of parents Of little means but with
an honest name. Today she is matur-
ed, experienced, branded as bold
girl" and worse.
Who is to blame? Economy? A
chance? Responsibility?
Did this happen in your county!
Could it happen there?
It is to prevent just such deplora-
BILE treatment, just such cruel waste
of our boys and girls that the State
Board of Public Welfare is urging
each Georgia county to employ a
trained probation officer whose job
is to help the children of the COM
munity who get into trouble and to
do even more toward helping children
to keep out of trbuble.
The wealth of the United States is
estimated at $500, 600, 900, 900, but
the statistician of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Co. estimates the pres
ent day value of child life In this
| country at $9OO,OOO,OOo,OOO. Yet
we talk about economy! How long
before our children-like the little
J girl above-will be as worth saving
as our crops and our live stock!
The cost of detention in this case
was approximately as follows:
12O days board at CSC day y----70.oO
| Locking fees -------------~ Z.4'
Transportation -------------- z.oO