To Police Justices And Those Exercising Like Jurisdiction
It is certain that a large proportion of tliu persons crmvicted before you are arrested under the disorderly act. A larire number of these are old offenders, are clironic cases. As a rule they are llned a siimli 8uin or imprUoued a lew days. This is repeated year by year until we flnd some lmve been In tüe Detroit House ol' Correction 57 times, and at Ionia it whs ns bad until the stuiule prohibited sending persons there as disorderly persons umi fur less than 90 days. It requires but little experlence to conTince unyone that smul] fines and short terms not only do not improve or deter this dus-i, hut hanlens, brutalizes and oooflrmi them in their criminal course. Especially is this the cafe with women. A second or third conriction usually puts this class beyond hope, unless put under restraint long enougli to restore tlieir moral strength. The short sentence simply permite of a partial recovery trom the eft'ects of dissipation. The same principie applies to like sentenoet to county j: lis of this class. öuch sentences are a libel on justice tod ("in only tend to make crimináis. This elassot cIitodIc disorderlies should be kept for a term of years, there then would be some chance for reform. Even if not reformed they would bekept sober, made to vork, kept out of the hands of the saloon keepers, constables and courts, out of sight, - which ail work in the directioQ of refonii. We cali j'oiir attentlon to these view?, ask your careful conslderatlon of them, and urfre you to apply the remedy so far as the stntute has {{i ven yon power. The disorderly act authorizes you to send those thrice or more times convicled, toprison for oneyear; convicted twlce, six r i ii ui t hs We urge upon you that as to all chronic cases you ceae all fines, and seuii-iicc in all ews to the full term of the law. The state wil 1 be the rainer in the matter of expense, and we believe inany can be in tliis way much improved, and some reformed.
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Ann Arbor Courier
Old News