NEW ZEALAND'S JUVENILE COURTS

Shannon News, 18 December 1923, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND'S JUVENILE COURTS

[ AN IMPROVEMENT 'OVERDUE.

! 'PLEA BY EDUCATION OFFICER,

A strong plea for improved juvenile courts in .New Zealand, was made by Mr J. Reck, officer in charge of the Education Department's Industrial and Special Schools, to a "Chronicle" reporter on Thursday. I "Our juvenile pourts are all (behind . the times,'!' said Mr Beck, "and we are trying hard to get the law altered so that the system known in England as the equity court and in, America as the chancery jcouirt may be substituted. Our system was in vogue in England many years ago and was abolished. Thrqugh it, in Very many cases, our chances of doing a boy any good are ruined 'before he is handed over to. us for treatment. I had .better explain now the present system, works. We are not allowed to. take a boy over 16 directly from! the Court. He has tQ be /committed to gaol and before we can get him the Magistrate has tq recommend his transfer t(o , Weraroa. This; necessitates an authorit franjj the Governor-General wljich j means that the boy is sent to, say/, j Mt Eden gaol. He is handled by the police, rides in the' "Black Maria," 'travels under escort, is locked up in a cell in the same prison as hardened i triminals, in short, he goes all through I the criminal mill. Then he. is sent to us tQ reform. When he gets to Weraroa and finds that there are no bolts and bars and no man standing by with a gun, his. first instinct is naturally to escapee. If we can keep him here for a week or two he is usually all right. Even in the case' of the child, under 16 ,he. has to be brought up in Court by the police and charged with the offence, just as if he were an adult responsible for his actions. This applies even to destitute children; they are charged with destitution) as if it were a.crime. Until, a .very short time ago they used td ,be actually/ convicted', fruit now, wherever possible, the case is adjourned sine die. And, in the case pi children uncber 16, convicted of an indictable offence, for which they are really not responsible*' they ;go to gadL I coulti tell you of a boy of 13 who was sent to Mt ,Eden gaol and went all through, the criminal mill. I have described. It makes the very worst possible impression on children, gives them a distorted experience from which some never recover. Now what we want to do is to have ,a juvenile court which will pult the children directly into the hands of the Education Department's probation officer. Information agtainst them could be laid directly with the magistrate or with the officer. Police evidence could be taken> but the child wouild not be handled by .them. A Bill to bring, about this alteration is to be introduced in Parliament and i't will- have my whole hearted sup- j port." ■■.■ " :