The Sidney herald., 1957-04-18

Helena - The juvenile delin'
quency problem continues to BAT
file Montana courts and law en-.
forcement officers. Presently The
focus is on Helena where officer.
had a hectic time breaking up
gang armed with clubs for the al
legged purpose of defending them
selves against Butte youngsters
should they show up in the capt.
tai city. District Judge Lester H
Lobe of the juvenile court has
appointed an advisory committee
to which he has submitted a five
point program for study and rec
ommendation.
For quite a number of years i
have noted manifestations of jul
venile lawlessness throughout the
state and the reactions of the
adult community. Two things
seem clear:
/. AS often as not - perhaps
more often than not - it is the
boy OF girl from the better"
home who gets into serious trou-
BILE.
2. Somewhere along the line the
adult community has failed in its
responsibilities.
In counteracting the juvenile
delinquency problem, the adult
community appears TO be as
helpless today as it was Is years
ago, if not more so. In general,
efforts of courts and law en-
forcement agencies have been
frustrating.
l cannot give a precise answer
why this is true, but / believe
that a fundamental reason is be-
cause under our state law, mi
nors - unless they commit such
a crime as murder - cannot be
prosecuted on the same basis as
adults. 'Immunities granted jul
veniles T laudable in intent, and
ordinarily in practice, but when
deliberately take adj
vantage of these immunities, that
S a different story.
A Helena officer, a few days
lgo, in asking a juvenile offender
Why he had got off bounds, re-
,eived the very revealing answer
rom the lad to the effect that
lie could get away with these
Kings now but that when he
cached the age of 18 he might
'e sent to prison if he did them.
Being under 10, his case went to
he juvenile court where about
he worst that could happen
would be a term in the reforma-
DRY at Miles City.
The juvenile court, presided
yer by a district judge, is a fine
.eory but obviously has fallen
hort of the expectations of its
Proponents. The law prohibits
ublicity of juvenile court pro-
eedings. This is good, if not
bused, but it is abused by those
Tho take advantage of this
nonymity to escape being pub
ely labeled. The legislature has
.ot yet been willing to remove
SillGlQ Ol sci ety.
/ leave it to theologians and
psychologists to explain the mo-
lvationS of youthful misbehavior,
ut if they tell me it stems prin-
from "under-privileged"
ONES, l will not believe them,
Mess they tell me that an un-
er-privileged home is not nee
one lacking in material
lings. A child from a better"
ome on the right side of the
ack can be just as under-priv--
eyed as a child from a poor
ome on the wrong side Of the
ack.
Perhaps indirectly, Judge Lobe
one phase of the
-oblem when he asked his adj
sorry committee to consider an
lequate curfew ordinance. The
here is parental re-
'onsibility. Time was when
>ungsters got off the streets in
hurry when the curfew sound
and were home when their
arents told them to be home. All
o few parents make an issue of
at today.
Parents who r really trying
keep the situation within prop
limits would find it less diff
lit if not confronted with what
e Jones boy or the Smith girl
permitted to do. 1t would help,
o, if more business places, such