Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-24
For <>I57 5X 1Ts@ y l0IHN 01 Is l0Il0lTH<4
Laws For
Juvenile
Criminals
D. GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS, PL.D.

NIInInQIS
Dy GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS. PL.D.
ACCORDING to the F.B.I., one
person in every six reported arrest
Cd in the United States was under
21, In 1915. These youths made up
half Of all the arrests for auto theft;
. third Of all the arrests for rob-
berry, burglary and larceny; = fourth
Of those arrested for rape; and one
out Of eight Of those arrested for
murder.
Furthermore, follow-up studies
Of youths who had served time in
industrial school and reformatories
in Massachusetts,, Illinois and Cali
fornia have revealed that from 50
to 80 per cent Of these boys were
known to have committed new
crimes within five years Of their re-
lease. And suppose there were a
record Of them ten or twenty years
after their release.
Punishable ORense
When . youth is found guilty Of
. punishable offense the court has
one Of three choices. He can give the
youth . lecture land he often does).
He can place him on probation. He
can send him to an industrial school
or reformAtory. Naturally, the
Judge hesitates to do the third. But
his lectures to the lad may have
poor effect. he may not be very sure
Of the results If the youth is placed
on probation. Usually there will not
b m adequate staff Of probation
ofieers to do q good job. Certainly
there needs to be better-trained pro-
baton officers, AZ . rule, and more
of them. Also more good detention
homes for very young offenders
and camps for mild youthful offend
ers.
Then for the many first offenders
there ought to be kind Of jailette
with . number Of comfortable
rooms to which the offender would
be sentenced from q few hours to
= few days, but kept from all other
offenders, for him to think it over
and to learn the seriousness Of COM
in4 into the clutches Of the law.
Such plan should be set up so that
no matter whose youth is found
guilty Of certain offenses the court
would have to sentence him to this
jailetts for . minimum time.
Needed Legislation
Moreover, thers should be legis-
lation enabling the court to sentence
. youth for very brief periods to
this jailetts for discipline, whose
school principal or parents con-
vineed the court that the youth had
got beyond control Of the school or
home. Why wait for overt acts of
delinquency before taking preven-
tive action?
Such . plan ought to help check
delinquency among youths from the
so-called good homes and commu-
mites which, according to reports
in the public press, is increasing at
an appalling rate. my bulletin,
'How Delinquency Can Be Curbed,"
may be had in 4 stamped envelope.)
The strategic place to curb crime
II near the crib. The growing child
needs to learn early the meaning Of
NO ~ . basis of respect for the
rights Of others and regard for con-
stituted authority, in q family Of
love and security.
. Yet not a single national organi-
zation Of civic clubs, churches or
even the P.T.A. has placed any con-
eerted emphasis on the need Of stif-
fening home control Of children.
More often than not one hears on
their programs eloquent appeals
tor more freedom and "self-expres-
sion"
Answering Parents Questions
Q. Would you ever encourage q
child to play a musical instruent be-
fore company?
A. II the guests were truly ap-
erfciativs, the child's playing for
Eheir pleasure might make his mu-
1ie practice and achievement more
attractive to him. But be sure the
Yuests would not be bored or the
shild embarrassed or made to feel
he Is being shown off.