After four months of existence the Boston Newsboys’ Trial Board, though still an experiment, is justifying its existence. A glance at its nature and functions may be of interest.
It was formed to deal with newsboys under 14 years of age who were charged with violation of the terms of their licenses. The licensing of newsboys in Boston is entirely in the hands of the Boston School Committee, and that body alone has power to revoke such license. Therefore, under the former system, even after the offending newsboy, with his parents, had been summoned before the juvenile court and the heavy judicial machinery of complaint, summons, service, investigation, hearing, and verdict had been brought to bear on a trivial offense, before the boy’s license could be revoked the finding of the court had to be reviewed and approved by the school committee. This procedure took the boy away from school, took his parents from their work, cast a stigma on the boy and his family for having been called to court, and called for activities out of proportion to the offense.
The Trial Board, devised to meet these conditions, is composed of five members—two adults, appointed by the school committee, and three newsboys, elected by the licensed newsboys in the Boston schools. The only connection between the court and the Boston Newsboys’ Club is that the latter offers two rooms for sitting of the court, this circumstance operating, of course, to bring the tribunal closer to the confidence of the boys themselves. The court sits once a week—every Friday night at 7:30. An aggrieved newsboy has previously brought his case before the clerk of the Trial Board, who calls it to the attention of the judges, and if the case can be settled without formal procedure against the accused, this is done. Otherwise, the court will hear the testimony and render a verdict. In effect, the court can, by way of punishment, revoke or suspend the license of a guilty newsboy. As a matter of fact, it can only recommend to the school committee that such action be taken, but such is the confidence of the committee in the court that the recommendations of the latter are always carried out. In cases where the offender defies the Trial Board, the latter can, of course, always fall back on the police and the juvenile court.
The Trial Board thus has power to do everything which the juvenile court may do to the offender, except to fine him. Special summonses, warrants and other court papers have been formulated and printed for the Board. It is not part of the legally constituted judicial machinery of the city or state, yet its findings have all the weight of finality.
Since its organization ten years ago, the Prisoners’ Aid Association of Washington, D. C., has benefited over 28,000 prisoners, 9,000 of whom were returned to their homes. The records show that 90 per cent. of those aided financially have returned every cent advanced to them by the association, while the majority of the others were unable to repay the association.
A recent report made by the parole officer of the Board of Public Welfare of Kansas City, Mo., shows that 547 persons are paroled from the workhouse and Leed’s Farm. These persons are earning an average of $10 per week. All have been put at work except 70, and of these 20 are too ill to be employed. The parole system is said to be saving the city $392 a day.