4. Medical and Surgical Treatment.
It was not an infrequent experience for the court to find persons charged with offences of a character that disclosed physical or mental defects. Arrangements were always made for medical care and treatment. In meeting the problem presented by such conditions the court had the co-operation and assistance of the superintendent of the City Hospital, as well as some of the best known physicians and surgeons of Indianapolis.
5. Imprisonment of Minors.
One of the most difficult problems that confronted the courts was the disposition of minors, when the offense was so serious that the best interests of society would be subserved by incarceration. Through an arrangement with the superintendent of the workhouse, an unused wing of the building was set apart for such offenders, and in this way they were kept separate and apart from the old and hardened offender.
6. Restitution.
The criminal code of Indiana is absolutely silent upon the question of recovery for loss or damage to property and injuries to the person growing out of criminal acts, except that in cases of malicious trespass the court may fine a defendant a sum equal to twice the amount of the property damaged. To fine a person double the value of the property damaged and, because of his failure to pay the same, place the additional burden on the citizen of supporting him in the workhouse or jail seems in itself an absurdity.
As a part of the probation plan, the court required every person charged with any offense involving the loss or damage to property and injuries to the person to make full and complete restitution to the injured party before the final disposition of the case. Upon a proper showing that restitution has been made, the court was then in a position to take such action as the other facts in the case justified. Under this plan $7,166.83 in restitution money was recovered and paid over to the proper parties.
7. Separate Session for the Trial of Women.
To Amos W. Butler and Demarchus C. Brown, of the Board of State Charities, was due the credit for the suggestion of a separate session for the trial of women and girls. Acting upon this suggestion, the court set apart Wednesday afternoon for the trial of such cases. To the Local Council of Women was due the credit of putting the suggestion into effect, by guaranteeing the expense of a woman probation officer for the court. To make the separate trials of women and girls something more than a perfunctory task an adequate system of investigating and supervision was absolutely essential. Like all innovations connected with matters pertaining to the work of the police, it was at first looked upon as a fad, and predictions were freely made that the life of the plan would be short because of the nature of the work and the rapidity with which it must be discharged. But notwithstanding the criticisms, it proved to be a sane and wholesome method of dealing with the delinquent women of the city.
The legislature of 1911 enacted a law, providing for the appointment of a court matron in cities of the first and second class, and this act prescribed her duties as follows: “She shall, under the direction of the judge of the city court, investigate and report to such judge upon the past histories, conditions of living, character, morals and habits of all women and girls awaiting trial in such city court and shall have supervision of such women and girls while not in actual custody until final disposition of the charges against them.” As a result of this legislation a definite work is now being done throughout the State in aiding and assisting a class of women, heretofore most shamefully neglected.