PROBATION SYSTEM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16808, 22 November 1928, Page 9

PROBATION SYSTEM

THE WORK. OF BORSTAL Some information as to the good work that'is being done by the Rotary Club of Invcl-cargill and the opportunity that may offer to other branches of Rotary' in the Dominion | to assist in the reclamation of those i who have been put on probation under i the Offenders Probation Act was given i at the Rotary Club's luncheon yesterday I by Mr. Gerald M. Silver, field organj iser of the Department. .Mr. Silver emphasised the fact that I with the majority of those who were I granted probation their position was j due to their environment and that j with a proper scientific outlook tbj wards such cases a great deal of ret plantation could be effected. He ! spoke of the good work that was be- • ing done by the probation officers ! throughout the Dominion who made I careful inquiry into every case, and I upon whose reports the .Court almost | invariably acted, Up to two or three" (years ago probation was purely ,an official thing, but due mainly to the , inability of ,the Government to provide the necessary funds for adecpiato. • staffing voluntary help was solicited, j and throughout the Dominion comi mittees had been formed with the re- ! suit tlnit to-day there were some 140 i laymen behind the probation officers j assisting in the after care of proba- ! tioners. One effect had been that un- ; employment of probationers had been | reduced to less than 4 per cent, of the i total number handled. The actual j failures in probation were about 8 per i cent., and many of the cases were so i difficult that one wondered, the numi ber'of failures was not greater. Pro- | bation work depended upon three ' factors —first, the enthusiasm of the '. probation officer and his committee; | secondly, the attitude of thoso who could give employment, and on this point he. maintained that there was no ' satisfaction equal to that of having ' given a fellow a chance to make good; thirdly, the extent to which religious | and social organisations appreciated j their responsibility to the young men i and women dealt with by the Depart- ! ment. Some of these organisations were already making invaluable contributions towards the rehabilitation 1 of probationers. j The speaker mentioned that 5266 I probationers had been dealt with j since the inception of the movement, and by the keeping of persons out of gaol who would otherwise, with I their families, have to be maintained by the State the taxpayers had been saved a large sum of money. In addition restitution to the extent of £37,201 had been effected. The department consisted of only four paid officials, but there were 180 police officers, who amidst their many other duties, were doing really very valuable work in assisting in the reclamation of offenders. ■ •

Mr. Silver gave a scries of'illustrations of the types of cases that were dealt with and the good work done in placing the probationers in positions and in restoring their self respect. The work done by women's committees in assisting female probationers excelled even that of the men. Under the presidency of Lady Alice Fcrgusson an active committee at Wellington took a very thorough part in providing for the after care of probationers, and it was hoped to link up that committee with others in the provinces, so that probationers would be helped to start afresh in new environment. A majority of the cases were due to environment and lack cf homo training. The avcrago age of those dealt with was physically 25 but mentally about 13—most of them were inoi'O like children than adult persons. The Dominion took a pride in. the physical development of its infants, and it was necessary, the speaker contended, to extend the work and to obtain a fuller development of youthful character.

Upon the motion of Rotarian Bowio a hearty vojte of thanks was passed to the lecturer. Rotarian T. Adams presided at the .luncheon. .