STAMPING OUT CRIME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 8

STAMPING OUT CRIME.

: TRIAL OF NEW ACT. . ' It was- a happy New-Year's Day for many, prisoners in the- docks ■ of police courts in London. ' •This was because the new Probation of Offenders Act, the latest experiment for tlio reformation of .wrongdoers; caino'' into force for the .first, time, - and magistrates, to tlio. obvious delight of a number of conscience-' stricken offenders, were, quick - to', test its 'ell'octs; - \ The new law. superseded- the First Offenders' Act, .which was a failuro in practice, and gives the _ magistrate :Wide discretion' in freeing deserving prisoners "on'probation.'' . It is intended -to.:— ' • • (1) Keep the offender' out' of bad com- ■ pany.' .. ; u -.. , , (2) Keep him . aw;ij'y. from i-drink. and drunkards, of the offence, was' intoxication. •* 1 . '. . . . (3). Secure.that.ho shall'lead an honest and industriouo life.' (4) Help- him to' obtain advice,-' assistance, and work..- '' . '■ . " . .. Offonders -were; dealt with under the 1 Act •t<* the Highgate,- ..Thames;- .Tow&'r • Bridge. Street., and West Idam ■ Polico -Courts, and' at MortJako Petty 1 Sessions tivb. boys. were' set'freo'• "on probation." THE PROCEDURE. .'. ;, In .'each • case the - procedure was much the same .'. 'Tlio presiding' magistrate) told. the offendersthat" .they • woro to Havs .their liberty and another chance-in life. ■ They .we'ro tp. .regard themselves, however, as practically-on "remand," and to report, 'themselves at fixed intervals to the .probation officer, who is: usually the Court missionary. Every endeavour would bo made to find, them work, and if-thi>y'be-haved in .future' they would - receive no punishment at. all. , They were required to, sign a promise to amend their ways, and report, themselves: • All the forms and papers necessary under the. Act are not yet ready, and there was some delay in obtaining signatures.-' Tho culprits were, .however, released on promising to return, aud. fill up the forms.of. promise; which rmi as N0....:.... ' 1 ■ ••••• i having been bofind over on., probation to '.-the care, of Mr. Wheatley, and having been given permission to go to [approved, address to be filled in], hereby promise to stay there, and wijl. not leave or remove .from the abovo ,addross uuder aiiy pretence whatever without Mr.: Wheatley'a consent. And. I hereby promise; to report to Mr. Wheatley on the first day of each month by letter for the ensuing twelve months . as to my conduct and employment, and I have been warned that if I fail to.do'so . tho Court.-will bo notified, and that tho conscquenco will bo sorious. Signed SYSTEM'S SUCCESS. The system has been tried with great success for twelve months.-by Mr. Wheatley, the Polico Court Missionary,.'who is one of tho probation officers under tho Act. ■ Over two hundred men, women, and children, have already voluntarily signed the promise; ; and in . tlio majority'of, cases the results have been most, satisfactory. , Th'oro. are three objections ..which, in Mr. Wheatley's opinion, will have to', bo surmounted if the law is to be ah unqualified success:— (1,1 Trivial. offences may iricreaso un- - less caro is' 1 taken to- singlo out. offenders who seek to cloak thomsclves under tho •; Act.' - ■ . V (2) officors may find gravo. difficulty in securing influence to obtain situations for all deserving cases. . (3) Extremo caro will have to be taken in making enquiries into probationers' ■progress so that "their past, shall not. be made public and their future chances jeopardised. . There aro several women probation officers. At' Highgate tho duties are entrusted to Miss Robson, who was given chargo of a woman offender on New Year's, Day. The Act is generally regarded as a step in the right direction,'ana a further -proof that' tho magistrates consider reformation os • better than ounishmen* .