The Sidney herald., 1960-03-16
JUVENILE JUDGE S w
QUESTIONS ON DELINQUENCY
BY Judge Lester H. Lobe, JUDGE of the
Juvenile Court, Helena, Montana

Q. Are secrecy of the courts
and no publication of the names
OF hoodlumS fair to the good
parent?
"A. Many people have good
children whom they want to keep
away from the toughs. How can
they do it if they don't know who
the hoodlums are? Often the good
youngSter doesn't realize that he
Is In bad company, and with the
mpetuouSness of youth, he goes
along ON what appears at first to
be a harmless prank. He doesn't
want to be called chicken" but
by morning he may find himself
In JAIL In a serious predicament.
The parents Ire heartbroken be-
cause he has always been a good
youngster. He gets into trouble
because he and his parents did not
Know the viciouSneSs of his as
Sociates.
O. Does publication of the
name of a juvenile destroy him?
A. 1t does not. In all cases
where, by reason of the offense,
publicity has occurred in my
court, and the youngster has been
sent to an institution of correc-
ton, he has not been injured by
publicity. The 15-year-old leader
OF a gang of 'Fbum rumblers''
(beatlng up two men and making
them commit a sex offense for the
amusement of the gang) has re-
turned from the institution where
he has learned discipline. He is
back in the school he left. He and
his brothers are outstanding in
their respect for their teachers and
the law, He is the top student i'm
mathematics and will graduate
with honors.
Q. Will publicity of the names
of juveniles who commit serious
offenses, the names of their par
ents, and prosecution of the
parents, help in the solution of the
problem?
A. 1t most certainly will.
O.. Then why isn't the law
changed?
A. Sentimentalists, do-gooders
breast heaters, and many we'll
meaning persons don't want tt
l take the step. Times have chang
: ed-a serious situation is with us
We are applying horse and buggy
practices in a jet age.
O.. Can we have a preventiv,
Juvenile delinquency policy?
A. Yes; we can. Statistics il
Montana show that 6 percent O
the families contribute rs percen
of the delinquents. That figur,
will run very close in any com
munity. 5
l have become a firm believe
in the principle of a preventiv
approach to delinquency. We hav
preventive medicine for polio an
the like-why not preventiv
measures against delinquency?
Why should we wait until TIN
boy or girl has gone so far that j
Is necessary to commit the young
ESter to am institution? Shouldn'
we find out the trouble, if w
can, before that happens so w
can take some action?
@. What is the plan on pre-
ventive delinquency?
A. The school authorities knoV
sooner than anyone when
youngSter starts to slip danger
ouSly. When he is absent frol
school a great portion of the tim
is incorrigible and shows til
strain under which he is Twin.
the teacher knows first. TIL
school authorities know what til
condition is in that child's hom
The plan is a simple one. In tt
case of a youngSter such as
have described, the teacher not
fieS my probation officer. 1 do n,
disclose the name of the teach'
because that may couSe the teacl
er trouble. I accept the re
possibility. I am not trying to w
a popularity prize with the pa.
entS Of il1veni1a de1inulIentS.