Number Of Children Und?r 16
Illegally Held In Jail Decreases
By A. LAURANCE AYDLETT
The number of children under
16 years of age illegally held in
jail has shown a continual decline
during the past 10 years, chiefly
because of the efforts of the
State Board of Public Welfare in
cooperation with local law enforce
ment and governing officials and
county departments of public wel
fare in finding other methods of
handling youthful delinquents.
From a high of 1,231 children
reported by 83 counties in 1936.
the total recorded in the fiscal
year 1946-47 had dropped to 325
reported by 92 counties. The re
porting counties are listed as the
average number reporting monthly
during the year since the statutes
provide that units of local govern
ment must file jail records with
the State welfare agency.
Welfare officials said this wejk
that they expected the current
year to show an average of 96
counties reporting monthy, but, of
course, could not predict the total
number of children that would be
confined temporarily in the county
jails until other provisions could
be made for them. It is hoped
that the downward trend of recent
years will be continued.
That portion of North Carolina's
child welfare laws which sets up
special courts before which deli
quent boys and girls are given in
formal hearings by a juvenile
judge expressly declares that no
child coming within the provisions
of the article shall be placed in
any jail, lockup, or other place
where he may come in contact
with adult criminals.
? Segregation From Adults
Required ?
This Section 110-30 of the Gene
ral Statutes has been construed by
the States attorney general to
mean that a child under 16 years
of age cannot spend even a short
TRY POST-WAR "FASTER ACTING"
666 OH
Rei.cve aches and "sleep robbing" Miseriei
cf Cc!ds fast with lt>6 ( tablets Of liquid)
Cau?>o? Us* #?l? 01
i time in a place where older law
breakers re confined if there is
any possilility of contact between
the two.
Furthei than that, the attorney
general Us declared that law en
forcemen officials who confine
children .n such places are them
, selves \ lating the law. Because
many c< ities do not have modern
, facilitie tor temporarily holding
I thildr. until final disposition,
made o their problems, some
county t/fficials in the past have
disregarded this construction of
the statute
Welfare officials, both State and
county, have recommended so
cialized boarding homes or deten
tic homes where young offenders
c? be leld for a short time. Sevr
n. c?-: imunities have made such
P' >vis hi for care of these boys
i gills and are finding that the
l'ort. and money going into
clopment of such facilities
>een more than repaid by
>rovement in the behavior
itudes of the children,
philosophy of North Caro
ivcnile court law is that
i are not criminals but do
<i' delinquent tendencies
! i many unwholesome condi
tions in their daily lives. Thus they
should not be treated as criminals
Imt rather as boys and girls who
"will behave better if given proper
training and supervision and it
the community provides resources
to meet their special needs.
Under this phiosophy the hear
ings of young delinquents before
the juvenile court set up in each
county and before the special ciiy
juvenile courts in many communi
ties are not open to the public
and are conducted in a manner far
ved from normal court trials
Decline During Wartime ?
V th juvenile court officials and
j lo< i law enforcement officers co
oj mating in bettering the juvenile
i ('? i-iquency situation, the decline
ir 'he number of children jailed
i inued even during the war
'\ii s when, in many instances,
bi i parents were away from
? ne many hours a day.
ounties that reported no child
IP
i?u
\Jv* s ? '
And Beit Withe! f he Merriest Kind
of Q Holiday idoion to All
F. H. BYERS
General Store
Culberson, N. C.
now!
Half-price
Sale!
ONCE-A-YEAR
SPECIAL
Wind and Weather Lotion
NOW FOt a LIMITED TIME
buy the *1 size for only
> BUY THE *2 SlZf FOR ONtY $1
buy tho Economy Carton
(?fx $1 ?!*? boMl#?) for only $3
50*
m
T-rr-fi
4 Guards against chapping
^ Soothe > 'kin roughness
4 Perfect as foundation base
4 Helps protect skin from head to heels
BUY NOW AND SAVE!
MAITNEY DRUG COMPANY
Phone 151
Murphy, N. C.
ren under 16 years of age held in
jail during the 12 months ending
last June 30 at the close of the
fiscal year 1946-47 were: Ala
mance. Alexander. Alleghany.
Ashe. Avery. Beaufort, Berti?. |
Camden, Carteret, Chatham
Cherokee, Cleveland. Currituck.
Dart. Duplin. Gates. Harnett, Hav
twood. Hoke. Hyde. Jackson. Mont
gomery, Moore, Orufi, Pamlieo,
Pasquotank. Rockingham, Samp
Cash for Black Walnuts
HI LLED AND DRY
?V. C. Walters and Co.
MURPHY, N. C.
PIMPLES
DON'T SQUEEZE THEMI Instead brush on
.<LEEREX and see how amazingly fast it
aides ugly pimples as it dries them ? often on
first trial. Not a greasy salve that pimples
thrive on, but a soothing medicated liquid that
relieves itching ? drives redness out.
Ask for KLEEREX at all druggists. ^Q#
Double your money back if it fails "f
son, Stokes. Swain, Tyrrell,'
Union, and Washington.
The remaining 66 counties re- j
ported from one to as many as 19'
children placed in jail. Not includ- j
ed in this picture, however, ire i
the city jails and local lockups |
which, as yet. do not make such I
reports to the State welfare agen
cy. How many children of less |
than 16 are paced for a few hours I
| in these places is not known
The State's juvenile court law
gives the juvenile courts brojd
authority in handling cases of
I delinquency. The occasional ins- 1
. tances in which c h i 1 d r e n ire |
charged with felonies ? crimes
j carrying, upon conviction, a sen- j
j U nee of 10 years or more in the
, State prison ? are outside the final
jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
Often, however, preliminary hear- !
ings are held by the court in these '
instances before the c h i 1 d is 1
brougt into the Superior court for
criminal trial.
Dispositions by the juvenile
court in children's cases may be
modified at any time and court
and welfare officials try to watch
with care the progress of every
delinquent in an effort at redirect
ing his behavior toward socially
accepted patterns.
In urging further development
of specialized boarding home faci
lities for delinquent children, Dr.
Ellen Winston, commissioner of
public welfare, pointed to the Su
preme Court decisions in which
the juvenile court law is involved.
As long ago as 1920 the Court
declared that "no child dealt with
under the provisions of the act
shall be placed in any penal ins
titution or other place where they
may come in contact, at any time
or manner, with adults convicted
of crime or charged with it."
I
Giving Ions life to harness is !
simple. All that is necessary is to \
keep it clean and well oiled wi'h I
a good harness oil. ""
It's Christmas
May yours be a merry one and
the New Year he filled with joy
and happiness in return for
your thoughtfulness to this
organization.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AM) A
HAPPY tXF.U ' YEAR
PEOPLE'S CAFE
Murphy, North Carolina
To our friends . . . one and all ... go our sincerest
and best wishes for the best Yule tide ever.
May heclth . . . happiness . . . good cheer . . . and
the best of everything be yours. And
with the coming of 1948 . . . may the new year
bring you success and as many joys as there are Christmas lights
on your tree. While the carolers sing of
"Peace on Earth ? Good Will Toward Man" let the spirit of Christmas glow
with an abundance ol good things and happy memories.
Southern Lumber & Mfg. Co.
Appalachian Oak Flooring & Hardwood Corp.
Ellijay, Georgia