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Show STATUS OF DETENTION SCHOOL JUDGE GUNNELL DISCUSSES MAT" TER AS NOW APPLIED. Definite and Businesslike Arrangement Arrange-ment Should Be Made to Facilitate Court Work. i Judge Gunnel, being asked the present pres-ent status of the detention school matter, as applied to Weber county and the state, paid: "Two years ago the legislature passed n law saying that the commissioners commis-sioners of a county 'may' establish a detention school. I understand this law to mean that a place ought to be provided, In counties having a city ot the first or second clasB, where the Juvenile court could temporarily detain de-tain and have properly kept children during investigation and eousldcra'lon as to the final disposition to be made of them. Ami. while In t his county there has always been some need ot such a plroe and such accommoda-j accommoda-j tlons, and at times such need was quite pressing, and tho work of the court hindered, and tho Judge embarrassed, embar-rassed, for lack of It, yet no very' urgent ur-gent or emphatic demand upon tho county commissioners was made. "I put the matter before the commissioners com-missioners from tlmo to tamo last year, and stated to them that about the beginning of this year there ought to be a definite and businesslike step taken toward arranging to accommodate accommo-date such children, and thus facilitate tho work of tho court "In Salt Lake City the Juvenile court officers and others Interested In the work for juvenile delinquents and unfortunates appeared to construe the law to mean that the county should prepare a permanent school, or place where children not deemed bad enough for tho State Industrial school, could be kept, fed, clothed and educated. edu-cated. "In that county there was real need for some place half way between the home or the street and the Industrial school, and the want was a pressing one. In some way some such establishment estab-lishment was founded and started off on Its career of doing good many months ago; but I think It did not meet the full expectations and demands de-mands of the ardent Juvenile workers, and the cry was vigorously made tor two such places of detention, or 6chooIq one for girls and one for boy 8, "In Weber county the commissioners commission-ers claimed all the while that they could not overcome the financial obstacles, ob-stacles, and did not see how they could establish such an Institution, oven such as we requested, and I was not surprised that Salt Lake county fell short of supplying all that was asked for. "When the present legislature convened con-vened a bill was Introduced In the house, by Mr. Ashton, to the effect that the commissioners of each of the counties shall, upon request of the Juvenile court commission, provldo a detention school for girls and one for boys. The people particularly Interested In-terested "in tho management and success suc-cess of the state Industrial school thought they saw In this a menace to the institution they were trying so hard to make useful and renowned. 1 did not share this anxiety because: First, I was sure the bill would never become law; second, 1 did not understand under-stand the detention school to be lor the same persons who were candidates candi-dates for the Industrial school, to any considerable extent. It seems that the said bill was killed in the senate yesterday, yes-terday, and it is to be regretted that the bill was not so written as to simply sim-ply eay that the commissioners 'must,' Instead of 'may.' establish a detention school in each county having a city, etc. Some three weeks ago I laid this matter before our commissioners in writing, and am respectfully urging action, of moderate nature, and believe be-lieve results will soon be seen. These gentlemen realize tho need and wish to meet It, Some of the points of my communication to them were as follows: fol-lows: "To the Honorable County Commissioners, Commis-sioners, Weber County: i "Gentlemen It frequently becomes necessary for the county, through tho sheriff or otherwise, to hold in cu tody and care for children ami women who arc charged with violation or law. "No adequate or half sufficient provision pro-vision has been made by the county for the sheriff or other person to detain de-tain children or women even for a day Sometimes such people have to be held for a number of weeks before be-fore It Is ascertained whether they have really committed any offense, and the only place the sheriff has In which to keep them would be (Is) unsuitable un-suitable and unfit for Imprisoning convicts of the worst character If belonging be-longing to the class known as Juveniles Juven-iles or if female in fact, ftiere are few men tough and criminal enough to deserve such quartors for living any length of time. "Often young men over 18 years or age, and older rneu too, are detained in the county Jail In a manner entirely en-tirely unworthy of our state and our county in this day of higher Ideals and better practice in such matters. "Our state law permits and Invites, : though does not absolutely require, i county commissioners to provide detention de-tention schools for young people who I may come Into the control of public officers, and there Is now a bill before the legislature Intended to demand this sort of attention nnd action on th-? part of tho commissioners requiring re-quiring a detention school for boys and one for glrle. In each county. "It may be that this proposed law makes an unreasonable demand upon the count los, and probably would not have been thought of had the countlet of large population made proper pro vision for detention of children, teni porarlly, as contemplated by law. "I have from time to time asked the commlsioners of this county tc make the start in the matter of caring for children who need to be detained by the Juvenile court, but only met with the answer that funds were not In hand. I have been compelled to use quarters supplied by the city when the county should have offered bettei accommodations than the city has or can be expected to supply. "It Is only In rare cases that a boy or girl should be committed to th Industrial school, and even these ought frequently to bo held lor some time pending determination as tc final action; it is frequently difficult to carry out my greatest desire (that of obtaining homes In private fam lllos) in placing children, and some desirable place of detention is a long felt want and necessity. "I wish that the commissioners could have these things pressed into their . hands and upon their minds as 1 receive re-ceive them, but as It is I can only try to show you. We may all regret that conditions require consideration ol these things, but the movement for the better caring for and raising ol children is too important and powerful power-ful to be trifled with, and money cai (Continued on Page Eight.) ing at the Industrial school and ar j rangements to be then made for the care of small boys there, will greatly aid the Juvenile courts In the disposition dispo-sition of bad small boys, and there j are several in Ogden who seem do-' do-' tcrmined to try the now premises and equipment, and endeavoring by their conduct, evidently, to get the Judge in the notion to boost them over to the caro of Superintendent Thomas. STATUS OF DETENTION SCHOOL (Continued from Page Seven) j ' ' not be expended abundantly for other j things and this be allowed to endure , neglect. It would please me to con- ' ; suit with tho board of commissioners and make suggestions regarding details de-tails of arranging a suitable home or ' school, If requestod, and I beg to assure as-sure you that it were better to cut out expenses at some points of county administration than further permit Sheriff Wilson to get alongv without suitable Jail facilities and the Juvenile court to make its way through so much embarrassment without aid. Respectfully Re-spectfully submitted, (Signed) VOLNEY C. GUNNELL, Judge Juvenile Court, The completion of the girls' bulld- |