PROBATION SYSTEM

Northern Advocate, 21 August 1929, Page 6

PROBATION SYSTEM

PRINCIPLE PROVES SOUND ONLY BIGHT -PER -GENT -OF FAILURES. .VOLUNTARY HELPERS EULOGliSEiD. (From Our Parliamentary Special.) WELLINGTON, This Day. "Sufficient experience has now been gained in regard to the treatment of offenders who are put on probation to show that the system of working with voluntary committees is a sound one.” This remark is made by the Chief Probation Officer, Mr B. L. Dallard, in his annual report to the Minister of Justice, which was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday. The report states that the past period of industrial depression,' but for the assistance of voluntary helpers considerably greater difficulty would have been experienced in placing probationers in employment, Mr Ballard says: "There are on record many instances where members of the committees have befriended probationers, taken them into their homes and given much valuable time and assistance in finding work, or -helping a probationer through a difficult period at a time when, but for kindly shepherding and supervision, a further lapse into crime would have been almost inevitable. Reports from district, probation officers show that in a majority of cases those admitted to probation have satisfactorily responded to the method of treatment. The. number of failures represents only eight per cent, of the total number dealt with during the year. This does not include 23 persons who left the Dominion and whofe subsequent conduct is not known.

"During- the year 769 persons were admitted to probation, 49 more than for the previous year. There were 181 offenders between the ages of 15 and 20 years, as compared with 200 for previous year; 192 persons between the ages of 20 and 25 years, and 224 between the ages of 25 and 50 years, showing that probation is by mo means confined to youthful offenders.”