PROBATION SYSTEM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19433, 20 October 1925, Page 3

PROBATION SYSTEM

IT HAS COME TO STAY. SYMPATHETIC BUT FIRM TREATMENT. The reports of the Chief Probation Officer (Mr M. Hawkins) and of the Wellington deputy and district officers to the Minister of Justice are now made available for publication. Each agrees that the probation system has come to stay in New Zealand, and the most valuable work is being done by its application, to first offenders and :o others recommended to probationer surveillance by the Prisons Board or convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, thus automatically coming under the Probation Act. During the year 659 j»ersons received the benefits of the probation system. “The steady increase in the number of persons admitted to probation,” comments the Chief Probation Officer, ‘‘indicates a growing confidence in the system as an effective means of disciplining and reforming certain classes of delinquents without commitment to reformatory institutions or prisons. The principle of probation has now a safe place in our system of criminal law, and our efforts are in the direction of gradually enlarging its scope and establishing an ideal and inexpensive method of dealing with offenders whom the courts consider worthy of an opportunity to prove their desire to reform. Not A Panacea for Crime. “Probation is not to be regarded as a panacea for crime, and it is not suggested that it should be applied in every case where first offenders come before the courts. Careful discrimination based on a thorough investigation and knowledge of the previous j record of every offender is absolutely necessary, and in carrying out their investigations tbe probation officers are confronted with difficult and delicate problems which require the most careful and intelligent handling. To achieve success the Probation Act must . be sympathetically administered, bui sentimental leniency or slackness in the treatment of delinquents are . fraught with grave social conse i quences, and the successful probation officer must act firmly but kindly. “Of the 586 persons (first offenders) who were admitted to probation during the year 43 failed to respond to the leniency offered them—making the percentage of successes 92.66. The result is slightly less satisfactory than the figures for the previous year; but a system which saves from the stigma of prison over 92 per cent, of offenders and incidentally benefits the persons defrauded, as well as saving expense to the Treasury, is worthy of development. It must be remembered that offenders sometimes come before the court before the probation officer can thoroughly investigate their cases, and in other instances antecedents of I offenders cannot be ascertained —par I ticularly when they are not long in the | Dominion. A number of such cases is ; doomed to failure, but the opportunity ] to make good is offered. When these j and other handicaps under which probation officers labour are considered j the actual number of failures seems i remarkably small. “The collection of court costs and restitution moneys is an important feature of the probation work. Court •osts amounting to £745 9s 9d, and restitution moneys aggregating £3547 3s Id were collected during the past finincial year. The total amount collected constitutes a record, being £1337 higher than the total collection in any previous year. “The section of the system in regard to prisoners released from prisons or reformatories on probation has grown considerably during the past few years .... The probation officers keep in close personal touch with the probationers and make every possible effort to prevent them from lapsing again into crime; but the class of men who are released from prisons on probation presents an entirely different problem from the first offender . . . . Employment is found for the greater proportion of these probationers in country districts away from old associates and other temptations. They are encouraged by the probation officers to save their earnings, and many of them have good sums to their credit in the Post Office Savings Bank. Progress Towards Perfection. “It would be interesting to trace the after-career of those who have

conducted themselves satisfactorily dur.ng the term of probation." writes the Wellington Probation Officer (Mr T. P. Mills). “Probably the majority do not transgress again, but to my knowledge there are quite a number who have not stood the further test of time. It is obvious that the observation of these offenders only during the limited period of probation does not correctly represent the value of probation as a reformative agency. In any case the whole system in my opinion is capable of improved methods. Probation has come to stay—it is essential, therefore, that we should progress towards perfection. “The number of lapses would be reduced by the elimination of very doubtful cases, especially those not recommended by the probation officer; i severer penalties for breaches of the conditions of probation; reports to be furnished on all where there are no previous convictions; a limited number of probationers to each probation officer; the appointment of honorary assistant probation officers; an<\ a judicious increase in the amount of money allocated for the support of the system. In view of the great saving effected by keeping these men out of prison, running as it does well into five figures, the important influence also on the well-being of the community, which latter should probably have the first place, the present expenditure can hardly be considered adequate. “Of those who completed the term of probation satisfactorily, some have made very praiseworthy efforts to win thiough. It is far from an easy battle —the difficulty in obtaining suitable situations, the co-existence trouble to rehabilitate oneself in reputable circles inflicts a heavy penalty for wrong doing. Farm work perhaps affords more openings than any other avenue of labour, but that is more skilled than the average man generally allows. It is omparatively easy to place an experienced youth on a farm, but the unskilled man is a problem. There are large numbers of our young men badly equipped for these emergencies, and it contributes largely to their downfall.

The Recruiting Ground. ‘ an exception to find a good tradesman before the court for any «<’ ‘m* I‘JO odd men who passed through my hands only 12 had any real knowledge of skilled work, this connection I would welcome any step to extend school age to make that possible. The recruiting ground of the criminal is from the mentally dull and stupid, and it is pleasing to see that special tuition is being given to help these. Skill with the hands is of infinitely more importance to the communty and to this class of individual than ability to colour a map or work out a fraction sum. It is along these lines that a great advance will be made in coping with the criminal problem. Probation is good, the Borstal Institution is good; under existing circumstances both are invaluable, and both doubtless will continue for all time; ■ "•t *o be properly equipped to meet the pitfalls of life is the most urgent obligation of the State to the ! youth of to-day. Apart .from the higher ideals of the Christian faith, 1 ■sab -Tion is through work, and skilled work.” Female Probationers. I “I wish to state," wrote Mrs R. Glover, in charge of female probaI tinners. Wellington, “that since my appointment as woman probation officer (i was the first appointed in New Zealand), with the exception of three probationers, not one has been before the court for a second offence. This speaks admirably for the system."

••From my long and varied experience of work amongst women, and the bad results in so many cases where young offenders have been sent to prison, I feel that the probation work is a success, despite the few that have failed to make good," reports Mrs Annie Gordon (Auckland). “The making of restrictions is one of the greatest things in the probation svstem. ’'