The Watpukurau Press. Friday, February 9, 1906. JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 14, 9 February 1906, Page 2

The Watpukurau Press. Friday, February 9, 1906. JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

—o — A problem with social reformers has been to discover means for checking crime by juveniles, and for correcting the tendency to stray already shown by youths and young girls. One or two of the magistrates in the colony have adopted a system of quiet chats to the offenders, in the privacy of a room away from the publicity and shame of the open court; and in many cases this plan has been found to work so well that its incorporation into the regulations in connection with the administrations of the Juvenile Offenders Act is assured. As a preliminary step the J ustice Department have issued to the stipendiary magistrates of the colony a circular letter which makes an important divergance from the method of dealing with juveniles to that which has hitherto been in vogue. In the course of his communication the head of the department expressed his opinion that the time has arrived when a forward step should be taken and an endeavour made to save child offenders from the degrading influences and notoriety which are inseparable from the administration of justice in criminal cases, more especially in the large centres of populution. He is av are that some of the magistrates have already taken steps in this direction, and he cordially appreciates their action in so doing. It is hoped, however, that the system may now be ex-ended to all thia qourts. A very proper direction; follows that the proceedings shoqld not in any way be in contravention of the law, and that there should be no suspicion of secrecy or avoidance of

publicity. The magistrate is directed that when a juvenile offender (that is, one under the age of sixteen) is to be brought before the court, the police shall make a special report to the magistrate, who will then fix an hour tor a sitting of the court to deal with the case. If the offender is under arrest, he will either be brought up at once and admitted to bail, or given into the charge of one of the representatives of some benevolent organisation who will undertake to produce him when required ; or the police k will arrange for him to be taken care of without reference to the magistrate. In no case will the child remain in gaol or the lock-up. The parents, if they so desire, may be present; and notice is also to be given to the representatives of the religious and charitable organisations which interest themselves in the care of children. Surely none but very hardened individuals will be found unwilling to respond to such treatment as this. The tendency of our courts is, unfortunately, in many cases to misconstrue the aims of punishment, and to substitute tor the justice and human feeling that should temper all sentences a policy of revenge —very oiien calculated from the purely personal standpoint of the presiding official. Hence it is that we haye such glaring anomalies in sentence for exactly similar offences. The innovation with respect to youthful offenders will be watched with interest.