WARDS OF THE STATE.

Shannon News, 21 December 1923, Page 3

WARDS OF THE STATE.

JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. WORK OF EDUCATION . DEPART--1 xMENT. v -Oh /the work of the Department” of Education in the treatment ,of juvenile offenders, a “News” representative had an informative conversation, yesterday with Mr J. Beck, officer in. charge of industrial mid special, schools, who was visiting the Boys’ I'raining Farm at. Weraroa. The Weraroa Farm, Mr Beck explained, was part- of the industrial school system and formed the third stage in the Department’s means of treating juvenile offenders. The first stage was in the .hands oi the Department's probation officers who. were stationed in each of tihe large centres. When a. boy first got into .trouble" the officer made enquiries as to his parents, his home, the conditions under which he had been living his general environment and observed the boy himself Perhaps .his parents had not given him a fair deal, or perhaps he was mentally sub-normal or abnormal. Again there was the vagrant type. These delinquents in embryo usually knocked about the streets, xyharv.es and picture, theatres of the cities, and on the race courses. Often they handled far more money than they should at their, age. Sometimes they would be tempted to steal the money, and in any case the influence was bad. Frequently they had utterly irresponsible- parents sometimes drunken, or worse. Such yvere some (Of the causes which brought a boy to Court. In the first stage in his treatment he; would be left in ( his own home _ under the supervision of the- probation officer. If this failed or was unsuitable the officer would send him to a cottage home. There was such a. home in each of the four centres. After a period there he would be put out of work in ordinary life. In the event of these measures proving unsuccessful he would be sent to Weraroa where a thorough grounding in iarm work was provided. After' six months, employment would be found for him by the probation officer,. with suitable people and a trade to which he was adapted. In seven cases out of ten the officers were successful in their choice of employers. If a hoy persisted in escaping irom the Farm he would be sent to the Department’s special school lor the mentally unfortunate at Otekaike, 38 miles from Oainaru, .which being more remote ‘ provided less temptation to escape. This institution was divided into two distinct departments one of which dealt with the custodial type who were, unfitted to live in ordinary society and the other with those capable of improvement, who could later -be drafted into private life. Mr Beck explained that the discipline a Otekaike was less strict than at Weraroa, the idea being to make things for the mentally deficient cases as simple as possible. In summing -up the tendency of modern thought in connection with the problem of juvenile crime Mr Beck aid it was being realised that the said it was being realised tliat the was not really responsible for nis actions ana could not be treated as if he wore. Such children had *o come wards of the State.