City in Sound; Monroe St. Court

This is Jack Angel, with city in sound. These are stories out of Chicago, city of all things and people, some among them the alcoholics. Monroe Street Police Station is the only new structure on Skid Row. It also houses a regular branch of the Municipal Court, an extraordinary branch, in that cases before it largely concern the problems and the victims of alcoholism. It is a court of new concept, fashioned in great part by municipal Judge Hyman Feldman, who has come to know that the cases before it involve deep illness, not petty crime. Judge Feldman is assisted by devoted men who have no hope of high salaries,

but who can hold out the highest hope of all, the lives of other men. Each morning they file in from the street, and court referee Walter Kelly has heard it a thousand times seen it from as close as a court can get. Eddie, for a final month we didn't see you, what happened? Can you go back to Michigan? Is there anything we could do to help you? Not that we don't like you, but we missed you around here, bro. I think we've had him over there a couple of times. All right Ed, run along.

Frank, tell us what kind of whiskey you drink, will you? Mr. Fountain, I think I'm going to do one. We all know you're like time. How do you stay as well as you do, living the way you live? That's beyond me, I guess that's all. The status is really clean. Perfectly obvious that you're all right. Good luck. Houston, are you okay today? Yes sir. All right. Frank, how do you get along? I was over at 20. Where? Oh I see, you get a pension now? You get a pension now? Yes sir, I'm not good today. I don't have any money to fetch you. It's so good to be with you there in that common place. Are you getting along all right? Yes sir. Judge Raymond Piedramowski is Chief Justice of the Municipal Court here in Chicago, and I'd

like to ask him if this is the only alcoholic type court that we have in the country. Frankly, I'm not prepared to answer that. I imagine there are others, but I don't know whether they just specialize in the treatment of alcoholic prisoners. I suppose your traffic court is the busiest, isn't it, Judge Demolski? Well I'm afraid it is. Yes, we have, we process approximately a million and a half tickets a year, which makes for a lot of law business. And then how about this one? Would this be the next busiest or a very busy one? Well listen, I don't know how busy it is, but I'd say it is one of the most important branches of our court, because of the job that is being done on the rehabilitation of manner. What's the background of this court? Is this better and very long? Actually, this court has been existence for quite a few years. It's just been in the past under Judge Feldman that has received the prominence it has, because of the real specialized and devoted treatment it has received.

I think that it has a great future, and I hope that the work that they are doing is going to show some results in the near future. This is really a kind of a pioneering phase of law. Is it not, sir? Oh definitely, it is not actually a phase of law and you want to be technical about it. It's more sociological, sort of tempering justice with mercy. That's right, old saying goes, and your function here is not so much to sentence a man as to try to rehabilitate him. That's right. And one of the innovations that was put into effect here was to put a social service worker in here, which we never had before. And of course, Judge Feldman was instrumental in getting all these different business people to come in here and try to give these men placements and an opportunity to work so that they might have a possible chance of curing themselves. Judge Feldman, how long has this court been around? This particular court, as far as I'm concerned, starts with January 1st, 1955. That's my term of office. This court has actually been here. In excess of 30 years,

I remember this court at the old explain street where they processed these men 30 to 35 years ago. You kind of remade the court, didn't you? Well, I came in here one morning and found that a list of men's names were submitted to me who were to go to jail. My memory serves me right. It was about 60 or 70 men out of 200 or 250. And with that, I remonstrated and said, what do they go to jail for? He said, oh, that's always happens here. No judge could possibly hear 200 cases here. We have to pick these men for you the night before. I said, well, I don't send men to jail just because some police officer tells me should go to jail. So I took the policy that no man goes to jail unless I could do them some good by sending them to jail. And so I cleared the bride well jail of close to 1100 men in 60 days. I'm advised by Mr. Sain who is the head of bride well. Well, how about putting those 1100 men or so back on the street? How do you feel about that? I find that as a

practical proposition that 90 to 98 % of these men have never been in any trouble except for drinking. Well, and Judge Feldman, this court is quite unique in that it must combine certain social considerations with the legal considerations. And I understand the lawyers say this can't be done. That's right. Follow the letter of the law period. That's right. How are you confronted by that situation? Purely by reason of the fact that these complaints are all mustard in as a result of pickups on the street. No actual complaining officer can afford to come into the court. This court would then have about 200 police officers every morning who would be taken away from their job. And the man that appears as purely a representative. As a matter of strict law, he's not in a position to testify. I therefore justify what I do purely on a sociological basis. I processed him in with workers in the court, with social workers, with groups of AA, Salvation Army, and other people that are interested in men on the street. And I've seen things happen here that people have

kept telling us could not possibly happen. Well, no, let me ask you this, sir. Can these people be safe? I'm satisfied that a continual program of this kind has its effect. I've noticed it. I've known men who are picked up, and I don't keep statistics on this. I'm not interested in names of men. I'm not interested in keeping figures. But I am advised by members who are high in the councils of AA that they have records now which indicate that men all over the country are now reaching some sobriety. And when their groups check on them, they find that they originally emanated from this court. I personally have men visit me on an average of eight, ten a week afternoons in my courtroom that have been sober for one year, two years, three years that started in this courtroom. I'm satisfied that the figure is small, but I'm also satisfied that with this program, with new men who've hit this street for the first time, that something can't be done. I'm not in a position to work on men who've spent ten and fifteen years on the street, but you take a youngster

who just hits the street, and they're seven to ten every day that something can be done in salves before he becomes a part of the street. So there is great hope as well as great despair on the road. That's right. I have toured the country on my vacation parades. I've been to Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland, New York, made their visits several times, have made their skidros, have made their institutions. And I might say that this court is the only one of its kind, that San Francisco through Judge Clayton is now modeling his court after this court. But that Judge Martau in New York has Hard Island, which apparently is not a takeoff, but an experiment, which is similar to what we have here, and of course, which is much more financed in our program here. But as I found that Yale and in Syracuse University where I went down for some courses to check these situations, Chicago is making progress. Bob, are you getting by? Talk it over

Sergeant Pike, it before he goes. Henry, we sit down and wait for the sergeant to get through with some of the other men. You all right, son? You all right? I was sitting by Madison, he playing waiting for the soup, I've been walking around all day, trying to find work and I was sitting there. There was two, three, one, I was sitting there. But looking at this map, you're more pocket to look for work. I was waiting for that soup, I had nothing to eat. And they shoot me in the car there. I don't drink or smoke. You go to Mrs. Forsberg and she'll feed you right now. Come back after she doesn't talk about work. All right? You're Mrs. Elsa Forsberg? That is correct. What do you do here, ma 'am? I am a social worker, just a social worker. That's quite an interesting patch of society to work with, isn't it? Well, I am very much interested in this job, it is a challenge. Well, I notice that you certainly don't take these men lightly. That's right. He's a real important people to you. They are because we have some very fine men on

this role who just have been maladjusted if you want to call it or just off on the wrong foot. But they can be helped. Many have been helped. How do you help them? Well, first of all, if you want to help a person, you have to give them a feeling of well -being. First of all, cleverly this. We have made a contact with the Barbara College over here who will, if I give the man a note, will give them a shave and a haircut. If they are full of vermin, which very often happens, we have a place where we can send them for a delousing. That's not a very lovely term to use, but it is a correct term. Where are the other places that you send them? Well, if they are in need of a night's lodging and food, we send them either to the Salvation Army, Harbor Lights, or the Chicago Christian Industrial League, or to Cathedral Shelter, or the Pacific Garden Mission, or to the Catholic Charity Bureau.

Who will provide those creature needs? Mrs. Forsberg, what do you think of the public attitude towards the alcoholic? Well, it has generally been poor. They sort of feel that these men, and you have heard it before, they refer them to bums, and that is one word that is tabooed in this room. We do not deal with bums. We deal with human beings. And when they leave here, they feel a little bit more like it, then. I think they do. And you feel you are making headway. Oh, I think so. And that is the reason enough for being here. That's right, that's right. As long as you know, the problem of alcoholism, which you know, is a very serious problem, and a very vast, enormous problem, and something must be done, and you have to approach it from a scientific standpoint, and not from the standpoint of what you would like it to be. Steve, you all right today? Good luck. Part is? Where did you get those marks on your head, son? I

fell down. You fell down? You broke your glasses? Where are you going from here? I'm going to look at the other ones. Are you able to take care of yourself? All right. Joseph? He's got it. Joseph got it. Joe, are you going to be all right today? Okay. Ed, what's with you? Can we help you? Are you working? I'm going to work. Get along all right. All right. Mr. Kelly, you're a very important man here. Court referee. You preside over many of these cases. What is your first name, sir? Walter F. Walter F. Kelly. You've seen him come and go for a long time, haven't you? That's right. How long have you been here? I've only been here six

months, but I've been working with a kindred program in the state pen of tax rate for over 10 years. But your job officially is a referee in this court. That's right. Is this sort of work to you? Not at all. Very interesting. Why is that? Very inspiring. Well, in great part, it's the fact that we can help a great number of people. You didn't see enough of it to get a pair of opinion, but I assure you, almost without exception, nobody goes to jail in this courtroom except to get well. And you also noticed that nearly everybody who drew any time or a continuance this morning agreed to it. Convents that that's what he needed. Walter, what can we do about this problem? What's your doing? We're doing all we can. There's a strange situation there, and the thing that we weren't at all sure of when we started. As of today, if we're running about to our average, I think Mr. Klein will verify, we

probably don't have more than 30 or 40 men in the bride. Well, right, Mr. Klein? That is right. Mr. Klein is the public defender. That's right. I wonder if we could talk to Mr. Klein for a moment here. Come over here, sir. A moment. Mr. Klein's been around the game a long time. Very humane, very interested man, and a trained psychologist in addition to the fact that he's a lawyer. Mr. Klein, what brings you here, aside from the fact that it's a job? And a rather unusual place for a lawyer? Well, I've been here now for more than five years. I saw a purpose and a usefulness in the help of human beings. None of these men out here, although they're brought in as defendants, in our minds, are criminals or are even defendants. There are social problems that are brought in for some relief, help and aid, and we, both of us, using all of our energies and ideas in intellects are oriented and directed towards a reasonable and useful solution to our individual problems. Mr. Klein, you're

probably the only lawyer in town with this particular problem. Your clients don't even have car fare to get home alone to pay you a fee. Doesn't this rather dissuade you from the practice of this kind of law? No, because I am connected with the Chief Justice Office. I am the employee of the Chief Justice Office. I believe you saw here this morning. I felt I'd ever get rich over here, though, Woody. There is nothing to get rich about, except if richness can be also measured in doing something for humanity. A little little something there is some usefulness that the money itself can't challenge. In that respect, I believe that there is a rich reward. And I'm sure that that is one of the mean persuasions of Mr. Kelly. Well, that is a plea, the eloquence of which we can't begin to measure. Walter Kelly, you're here with a couple of friends. Go right ahead and chat a while. Well, Jerry is an old -timer in the A .A. who spends every free morning here in the courtroom. You met

Jim who runs our little club down the street. I don't know whether you caught everything that happens out there. Sometimes it's just a nod. Sometimes the nod is from Jim or Jerry to me indicating I know the man and I want to see him before he goes. Meaning either that we think this is material for A .A. This is a lad who has been sober for a certain time here on the street. Jim or Jerry believes he's entitled to another shot at. Hope that he might make it or if he didn't make it very interesting finding out why he didn't. Well, why would Jim or Jerry have any particular knowledge of this? If you're not familiar with the technique of A .A., you have to understand that in the words of that old -timer on the radio, do you remember Jack Promp? He said, was you there, Charlie? These fellows were there. They speak with greater authority and the boys believe

there's something about it that every priest and doctor and psychiatrist in the country could tell you that you have an alcoholic problem which you do not yet recognize. And a man would paint all attention including yourself if this were you. And yet when these men tell you, I was in your shoes last many years ago and these are the things that happen. It has a ring of reality that nobody else can give it. Jerry, do you do much talking to these men? Well, extensively the men that we have come into the court, I briefly talk to them. I try to get their problem to the surface, that is to find out what it is. And then face, let them face the fact that I myself have been in a similar situation. There's no position that they could possibly have been in that I haven't been in including penal institution as a result directly or indirectly of alcoholism. So

face with that, they're faced with the fact that they can't deny and it's living proof that there is help for them. Well, the point that all you gentlemen make is that jail is no cure for alcoholism, isn't that it? As with any other disease, jail is no cure for any disease. Jim, is that right? How do you feel about that? Oh, absolutely. There isn't any question that jail wouldn't cure tuberculosis, wouldn't cure cancer. And if alcoholism is a disease, it certainly isn't going to cure alcoholism. Jim, you came back from a street. Right, you're on West Madison Street, yes sir. You're proof that it can be done. Well, that's one of the reasons that it does work, you see, is the fact that I speak these boys language. A lot of the fellows knew me when I was on the street just as drunk as they were. And shooting all the angles that they were. So I talked there like, I have a little club down here that started on the 3rd of April. Which we take the anybody that is willing or anxious to stop drinking

honestly, anxious to stop drinking, I take them down there and I feed them, I give them golf and I try to get them to go to the first AA meeting. Jim, you made it back from the street. One was the first time that missing got through to you. What was the difference between the one day when you were on it and the next day when you decided to come back? What happened then? Well, what happens is that when you give up absolutely, you know that you have reached the end of the rope and you just decided to tie a knot in it and hold on. What would you say the reasons were? Well, we all have the right in this country to the right to live liberty in the pursuit of happiness. Many of us when we are drinking we don't have much of a life. We have no liberty whatsoever because we are slaves of alcohol. And certainly we have no happiness. There are three reasons, there are just three, there are thousand reasons.

But there are three reasons why I feel it is a whole lot better to live sober than it is today. I can be happy, I can be free and I can live the kind of a life I like to live. I am a millionaire only as all things are a relative. But compared to the life that I had when I was drinking here on the street, I am a millionaire now. I have everything in the world that I want. Sam? You are 31? I think that Sam is, you know, Sam Davis? Oh, he's gone. This is, I don't know. How long have you been on the street? What are you doing when you're not here? Where? Are you out of work now?

You're getting by then. How often you get drunk? Not often. Well, you're still in good health, we wish that you wouldn't do it at all. You know that everybody that's been in this room this morning and you've been here all morning. Came here as good a man as you are, don't you? There's only one difference between them and the people down town. They drink too much. They didn't come here intending to stay any of them. You understand it? Good luck. The luck would go only so far. Beyond that was alcoholics anonymous, the Salvation Army, the churches, and the man himself. They say the gates of hell like the doors of the bistros swing both ways. Only the way out is so terribly hard, and he who would try would not make it alone, but

with all the help of God and man, which is the story of the Monroe Street Court. This is Jack Angel with George Wilson, an engineer whose recordings here have imprinted city in sound.