The Nome nugget., 1942-03-23
Communication
(Daily Alaska Empire)

 torial published in the March IA issue of the Empire, entitled Youthful Criminals The ar ticle draws attention in its early paragraphs to the practical side of keeping youths out of prison and thereby assisting in the de- fenSe effort of the nation. The remainder of the editorial draws attention to the fundamental prin ciple underlying the treatment of juvenile delinquency. It is a practical illustration of what so- cial planning and treatment can do for the youth of today who through no basic fault of their own find themselves in the coils of the law, possibly for so-called crimes, no more serious than their natural instincts for the re lease of pent-up enthusiasm and energy have resulted in the tech nical violation of statutes design ed for the protection of society from the ruthless depredations of persons who have no respect or consideration for the rights of others.
 The editorial confirms the fact that the nation is and has plan ned for many years for the pro- lection of children and is doing everything possible that they may grow up to be useful. digni- fled and respected citizens of the greatest democracy on earth - such principles being denied and of ridiculous thought in the Nazi- Fascist psychology of world dom- nation. The youth of today is the nation of tomorrow, and no more far-reaching concept of democracy can be illustrated, than the serious consideration now being given to the rights of the youth of America, than that they shall be guaranteed the free privileges of education, training and the opportunities of becom- ing morally responsible for the democratic principles of civiliza- ton.
 To bring the psychology of juvenile planning and practice directly home to Alaskans. per init me 10 refer to a leg slatiVe measure introduced during the l94l sess'on of the Alaska Legis- ] lature, which measure incidental y failed of passage, and is there fore not on the statute books of Alaska today. I refer to House Bill No. 77 proposing a Juvenile Code for Alaska and repeating conflicting laws now on the books The suggested proceed ure for the handling of juvenile delinquency would guarantee to a juvenile and to society that child would not be found guilty ] of a criminal act merely for be- i ing dependent, or because of oth- CT minor violations classed as misdemeanors. Under our pres ent statutes in order for such a child to receive the protection of the Boards of Children's Guard i ianS, he must be found guilty in ! inc U. s. Commissioners courts, l his name being attached to a criminal record with exists per manently in the records of the court. The procedure for hearing the case is a bona fide trial with all of the rules of introduction of evidence and judgement being returned in the form of com mitment which brands the iuve- nile as a criminal. These prac- tices exist in Alaska as far as children of the white race are concerned Under the conflicting authority of the various statutes, Alaskan children of native blood can be tried in the same manner and in all other respects would be committed. However, ironical- ly enough, there is no place of commitment for such class of children. Therefore, very few cases of juvenile delinquency among the native children of AL aska are conserved in the Com missionerts courts because of this apparent conflict of authority and as a result nothing further in most cases is done about the con ditions which originally prompt ed the case in the beginning.