OFFENDERS' PROBATION

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 86, 8 October 1920, Page 7

OFFENDERS' PROBATION

MEMBERS APPROVE EXTENSION,

The Offenders' Probation Bill, which oxtends the power to grant probation to all offenders instead of only to those appearing for the first time, came before the House of Representative;!! yesterday.

On the second reading, Mr. B. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) and Mr. A. M'Nicol (Pahi&tua) heartily supported the proposal to allow the Court to prohibit the publication of the names of first offenders. .

._Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) «lso gays his support to this suggestion, a.nd referred with pleasure to the power given to the Court to release on probation a person committed for trial and unable to procure bail. He thought, however, that probation officers should be directly employed by the State, instead of being what might be termed outsiders. In saying that, he did not wish to discredit the work of the probation officers, but the present system was not desirable. "

Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) congratulated the Minister upon the Bill, and asked that every effort should be made to explain to those concerned exactly what was meant by probation. In the course of his reply, the Minister said the idea of releasing on probation an offender who could not find bail was so that if such a person w-ere not convicted he would be able to say that he had not been in gaol. In answer to Mr. Holland, tho Minister said that there wrts to be appointed, as head of the probation officers, a member of the Public Service. The Bill was read a second time. In Committee, Mr. Wright suggested that the power to forbid the publication of names should apply to all first offenders, and not only to those released on probation. The Minister said he was in sympathy with this idea, and would see whether it was practicable.

The Bill was reported, read a third time, and paesed.