HEW WORK FOR WOMEN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 110, 11 May 1908, Page 2

HEW WORK FOR WOMEN.

(By Elizabeth S. Chesser, M.8.) The idea of prison for all who commit offences designated criminal by the law is passing away, and we are now on the verge of a more rational method of dealing with young offenders. That those who are dangerous to society must be controlled is certain, but the futile practice of imposing sentences of imprisonment on young people who may have been grievously tempted to break the law is utterly indefensible. The public conscience rebels against sentencing a child of ten or twelve to associate with criminals in prisons or, reformatories. A forcible, illustration of misplaced severity has recently been provided by the girl child sentenced to five years in a reformatory for ~a piece of mischievous delinquency which no one with the most elementary knowledge of psychology would designate a "crime."

The youthful offender wants training and teaching rather than punishment. Prison is not the 'place for children and young people charged with petty offences. Reformatories as they exist at present are only one degree better than prisons. It is too soon to have any practical information as to the working of the new Probation of Offenders Act, which came into force at the beginning of the year. But it comprises the right idea in common with the Children's Bill. It reflects the spirit of the times and the modern attitude towards young offenders. PROBATION ACT. Most people are aware that the Act permits any person charged before a court of summary jurisdiction with a punishable offence to be released "on probation " conditional on his entering into a recognisance to be ,of good behaviour and to appear before the court when called on at any time. Each petty sessional division appoints "probation, officers," who will undertake to look after the cases placed under their charge. ' It has been suggested that " lady officers" should be appointed to deal with women and child offenders, and the idea is an excellent one. These officers may be, like the men, paid

officials, arid in country districts, an < opportunity for wage-earning' is "thus provided for women who have their domestic duties to keep them at home and- yet have sufficient spare time to take up such work as this. I Farmers' daughters, the wives and daughters of the tradespeople in the | small country towns might often be glad of the chance of adding to- their incomes iii this way. District visitors could combine the work of lady probationary officers in certain districts with advantage, and if a fee of, perhaps, 10s a case were allowed, it would pay them very well. The idea is for the lady officer to take official charge of a girl who has been charged with theft, drunkenness, etc., and to write a monthly report of the case to lay before the magistrates' meeting. Imagine ihe case of a young girl who has been found guilty of theft; she may have stolen through sheer necessity, thrqugh being left homeless and destitute^ Prison is hardly the place for such a case. VOLUNTEER OFFICERS. The duties of the volunteer officers would be the same in kind. Here would be no question of payment; the work would be done by women willing to1 do what they could by voluntary effort to befriend and .influence girls who were under " probation" for a given offence. They would have to visit at the girls' homes and to report regularly in writing to the Bench. Some difference of opinion exists as to whether paid or volunteer officers would be more satisfactory. Provided the unpaid lady officers would take their duties seriously in the sense of doing the work in a thorough and business-like way, there is much to be said in favour of voluntary workers. The woman of leisure is given a chance of doing splendid work if she .likes, and the girl she befriends has all the advantages of some one to help her to rise to something higher and better than she has previously known.

Then there will be children's probation officers for offenders under the age of sixteen; these may be paid officials or volunteers depending upon v/hat the court considers the special circumstances of the case render desirable. Here is an opportunity for young unmarried women of good position to do useful, helpful work. There are plenty of girls of the prosperous classes who would be all the better for some definite work such as this.

The next step will be removal of child offenders from bad homes and evil surroundings where these exist, to "schools'' or farm colonies, where they will have care and kindness combined with discipline and training for a definite period. Women teachers, matrons and nurses will then be required for the schools for girl offenders especially. What finer work could women have than this? What more useful work could be undertaken by the so-called superfluous women, who have no home duties and no children of their own ?—Daily Express.