JUVENILE COURTS OF AMERICA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6176, 6 April 1907, Page 5

JUVENILE COURTS OF AMERICA

HOW JUDGE FRAZER OF PORTLAND (OREG.) KENS HIS JUVENILE COURT. (By Spencer Clapham.) PART V, THE REFORM SCHOOL AND THE DETENTION HOME. Travellers who have selected the Southern Pacilic route Horn San i ramne-co may havo noticed an imposing-looking '-tructuro about twenty jiiimituf before they reached Salem, the capital of Oregon. Tuo iteiorm School is .spieiiuiau located on the eugb ol a terrace that ruu» along -at the right parallel with and overlooking: tho railway track. When we arrived at tho Rciorm School platform by tlio local puissengcr tram to Eugene, it was quite dark, lor in January tho days aro very short. As wo oivo-.ud tho Onego over tho stream that •supplies energy lur the electric lighting of iJio school ami the Jnsrituto for the Blind near by, it seemed that every window of tho great building was illuminated, giving it rather tho appearance of a palaco than a school. It was a cold night, and when wc reached the building tho friendly warmth of the hall was much appreciated. Wo were kindly received by Superintendent mid Mrs Looney, for ray companion. Rev. E. W. St. Pierre, is chaplain of the institution and a weekly visitor. We wore shown lo our room**, wnich were in keeping with Iho splendid exterior, tho appointments being equal to those of a first-class hotel. An hour later I caught first sight of tho boys of tho Reform School as they marched in uniform, single file, to tho Concert Hall. Tho Rev. St, Pierre is responsible for the entertainment of the hoys on one evening of tho week, and he often avails himself of any opportunity to scour© an outside speaker. The evening opened with some very fine mutiic from tho Re-form School Band. The rendering of tho selections showed very careful training. Although the Superintendent and other officers connected with tho establishment were present, the boys formed the great majority of tho audience, and as a consequence the story of New Zealand that evening contained a groat deni about pig-hunting in the Ruahincs, and only a very little about the Arbitration Act and tho Graduated Income Tax.

In tho morning: the Superintendent was good enough to ©how me through the establishment. Wo visited tho storeroom where tho victuals wore being measured out. Then through the kitchen, and afterwards through the dormitories on the third floor. These rooms were largo, and tho arrangements very fineThey overlook tho splendid farm which surrounds and form© part of the Reform School. All the domestic work is performed by the boys, who work in secsupervision. It was interesting to see tho fine work done by the Jad© in tho manufaefcuringof boots and clothes. There can bo no doubt that such a useful, regular life under tho kindly superintendence of Mr Looney and hi© officers must b© very effective in suppressing evil habits and go far towards turning many a boy’s downward career. But in spite of the individual kindness of the : Superintendent and hi© officials, the bov« j live under military discipline; through-I out tho night as throughout th© day they were under euireillanco. Perhaps 1 6*uch a S3'©tem is tho* only one possible : whero several hundred© of boy?, tho worst and most desperate in tho State are liv- j ing together under the on© roof. Al-! though in tho attitude of the officials towards tho boy© there is no suggestion that they regard thorn as prisoners, yefc in tho curtailment of liberty and in the system of surveillance, there is a good deal of resemblance to prison life, and fcomothing of a stigma goets with commit- . ment to tho Reform School. i

It is perhaps on this account that Judge Frazer resorts to every experiment possible before sending 1 a boy there. THE DETENTION HOME. There are not many boys upon whom the influence of tho Juvenile Court is uot immediately effective. But there are some upon whom the influence of occasional contact with the Judge and his probation officers is not lasting. For these tho Judge has the Detention Home in Portland, a home in. reality, uot a prison, where the delinquents enjoy paternal care, and are surrounded with every refinement. This Homo, which is by tho Uniform Juvenile Court Law a part of tho Juveuilo Court system, is superintended by Mr W. O. Nisley. During the «ix months ending June 10th, 1906, out of 51 Boys oared for. almost all turned out most satisfactorily, considering that they were most intractable before being committed to the Detention Homo. In his report Mr Nisley says:—"Of nine who wore kept at tho Homo, six were sent homo after four weeks, only one has boon iu trouble since, and is -now doing well. Two were held, six weeks, and one is still with us. Of four charged with burglary, one was with us two weeks, then sent to tho country and is doing well. Three were kept with us about one mouth and have since gone home, and are reported "perfect” in conduct. Of the 13 charged with truancy, all were kept at school without any trouble, and while they were behind in their grades due to their having been out so much, they all tried hard to mako up for lost time. "Of the four who -were charged with being intractable, one after having been with us a week was sent to work for his

board, and is now learning a trade. Two were sent home alter one month and aro doing well. Tuo «.thor is still with us. The one for drunkenness was paroled and sent homo and has done well, “Of, the dependents three were sent to St. Mary's School, one was cent to Rifle ns at Oregon City, one was sent to hU uncle at Tecoina, ono was sent 10 Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society, and three were returned to their father. “The one defective child was sent to the insane asylum. “Tho average ago of the delinquent children wa« Vj, girls averaged *J. “Wo find that ab a rule they have not been taught go-d manners at home, and havo no idea how to bohuvo properly at table, or to keep themselves tidy. For tho fiiwl few dayt', or perhaps a week, I hey are hard to manage.” Mr Nislcy prys a nice compliment to the principal and other teachers of the Suunysido School. “The work, at exdiocl has be: n slow, hut owing to the patience and kindness of Professor Curtis and his splendid corps of teachers, who have at all times encouraged the boys and made them feel that they could do no well as any if they would only try, they have all done well in their etudke, and

reached 9i> and 100 in deportment.*’ Judge Frazer offers a beautiful tribute to the work of Mr Nisley. “There vj not on boy who has lived at the Detention Homo three days that did not fairly love him, and up io this lime, amongst all those hoys who have been sent to tho Detention Homo I have yet to learn of one who has been there more than a week or two without resolving to lead an upright life, and entirely ‘cut out/ as the boys say, all his bad practices. Tho boyo under Mr Nisley’s earn aro nearly always loth to leave the Detention Homo even to return to good homes of their own. Several havo clung to him and cried when they had io go homo. What is Mr Nisley’s method? Kindness and genuine interest in tho boys, coupled with fir.nuoss and insistence upon proper conduct. Lie talks with them, counsels thorn, helps, them with their echo.d lessons during tho cvcniuga Ho Igivcj them manual training'-in his workshop, lie plays baseball with them, and teaches them to be manly and honourable whether at play or at work.”

■iniui a piccuic n> uus oi a ocure in' etitufion for the care of delinquent and dependent children I Proceeding, .Fudge Frazer thus refers tn Mr Nisloy's work:—“Boys who have been repeatedly expelled from school and who have usually received markings of only -to or 50 in scholarship and deportment, nntlor hi© 'supervision bring homo card© marked from 90 to 100. And the best of it is that he arouse© in their mind© a doairo to do right, so that their good conduct continues after thoy have lett him. Now these boy© were nearly all bad boys, as bad as any with whom wo have come in contact. Some of them

wore called the scourge of their neighbourhoods. Of others it was said thoy would disorganize any school room in which they ©at. Mr Nisley’s ©uoc&s© with this class has been ©o great that I an led to believe that ho can reform any bov no matter what hi© habit©, if ho can only keep tho boy with him a few months. ; Boys on whom tho ordinary probation ! methods fail have been taken in hand by him and mad© into splendid little fellows/' j Can ono doubt that Mr Nisloy has caught the Juvenile Court spirit? It is I a great picture to pass tho Homo and i foo th© very little ones dressed with j Mr© Nisley's motherly hands, playing ! with their little dolls, go-carts, etc., accompanecl by tho curly lap-dog that make© himself one of the family of motherless children, I do not know how it may bo . in the majority of Children's Homes in. I this laud, but I remember very vividly a brief visit to one orphanage during a } picnic excursion some years ago. I 1 The children performed for us, and 1 ■ their behaviour was perfect. Some of tho members of th© excursion remarked • ■ how well tho children performed, but las ter mo—it may have been a too hasty , expression, but tho eight of their little j ex precision less face© and their stereotyped I m-chanical manner haunts mo to this I day. | TKo story of the Juvenile Court of { Portland would not bo complete without | a reference to Mr Hawley and hi© excursions to tho seaside with "membsir" of tho Juvenile Court during holiday time.! They form a camp© there for several week©, and have the time of their lives. It i© here they can got rid of much surplus energy in a very harmless way. In a picture tho Judge showed to nv© was a very nappy group in thorough camp attire, and in the was a very hard case of a boy who was “good with hiz bead/'. He seemed to bo able to stand cn it the whole day as long as it was optional. “A very promising lad,” rc-

The probation work is carried on chiefly under Mrs Daggett. Her work may bo better imagined than described, os armed with authority of the Court she makes her visits to tho dark places of th ft city, in which tho golden rays of Juvenile Court light arc penetrating. Parents once dreaded tho cruel light of th© Court. Sine in their family no worse than in their neighbour's perhaps, made life almost intolerable once they had been exposed in Court. This dread has vanished. Fathom and mothers, distracted by tile waywardness of h daughter or the irregular habits of a son, consult tlio Judge in his private chambers, and call on him to substitute an influence for that which they have lost. In this way tho Juvenile Court officem have much to do that is never put > upon record. But their zeal and devotion is fust the same for those without as for those within the age limit. On the Saturday morning that I had attended 1 to hear the monthly reports of the boys. M\rs "Daggett had been speaking to us of a desperate case that had fallen into her hands. "Would rcu like to see Mary?” she asked. As her ton© -and manner called for an answer in tho affirmative there was nothing for it but a reluctant and hypocritical reply.

Mnrv was “down dteiic/* and down stair? was the County Jail. Mrs MTuao, a noted journalist representing tho “Oregonian’' accompanied us. Wo were shown into a room that was rather cheerful for a jail, and Mary was brought out “to see us/’ She was a young vagrant convicted of disorderly conduct, a contort of Chinamen, She was neither comely nor intelligent, but Mrs Daggett wan quite proud {o eco her looking rio ucat, and when she induced the girl to talk a little she looked as pleased ns a. parent whoso only child is reciting to a helplav? visitor.

“TTiero is ono thintr I like about Mary/’ Mj-s Raggett explained, “Even when in. tcsicatcd she would not reveal her parentage, She would not even give the names of any of her people or of their location.” But it would havo been nil iho s mo. If tho girl had unburdened her heart tho very first time she had been approached about tho matter Mm Daggett, who was determined to find p’iuo admirable trail to redeem iho girl’s character, would thou havo admired her for h*r frankness/ It promises well for tho success of tho Juvenile Court when a probxtiO'n olheor can love aud care for •rich a Magdalen as Mary, and thonrh too old for tho Detention Home 'Mm Daggett pio isod her a place in the Home of tho Good Shepherd, an institution which cares for many of her kind. Surely tho devotion to such noble work which is clearly a feature of Juvenile C urt methods, is drawn from tho broadest and deepest font, the God-given love of humanity.