Correspondence
| Author | Stanley W. Johnston,Gwen D. Graves,James Pearce |
| Date | 01 September 1969 |
| DOI | 10.1177/000486586900200308 |
| Published date | 01 September 1969 |
Correspondence
SIR, Mr. Stanley Johnston's review of
Handbook on Probation seems to be both
acritique of
that
book and a more general
think-piece on probation. The language
of the review is, to say the least, elliptical,
but
certain
specificcriticism
should be
answered and some controversial ideas
examined.
Firstly, the three points of adminlstra-
tion criticised by Mr. Johnston:
It is now the procedure
that
honorary
probation officers
are
forwarded a flle
with
a11
information included,
with
the
exception of psychiatric
reports
which
are
confidential. Previously, this second ftle
did
not
include a copy of
the
Pre-Children's
Court Report unless this
report
was
originally submitted in duplicate by the
honorary officer.
Mr. Johnston suggests supplying honor-
ary
officers with copies of
the
legislation
covering probation. This includes
the
Crimes Act, the Children's
Court
Act, the
Social Welfare Act,
the
Children's Welfare
Act, and regulations relevant to each of
these Acts. Much of this legislation is
complicated and difficult, even for
stipendiary officers, therefore aparaphras-
ing is thought to be helpful for honorary
officers - for whom this handbook ls,
after
a11,
prepared.
The
latest
reprinting of
the
handbook
did
not
update recent changes in the
legislation as to ages and
flnes,and
Mr.
Johnston's astute recognition of these
minor
errors
is noted and appreciated.
With
the
appointment of regional
stipendiary probation officers, it is now
the
procedure for these officers to notify police
and clerks of courts of
the
appointments
of honorary probation officers.
The larger
part
of Mr. Johnston's review
seems to be a stimulating
and
contro-
versial examination of
three
points:
I.
What
is involved in unconditional
acceptance and regard,
2. The conflict between unconditional
acceptance and
the
conditions of
probation.
3. The need for probation officers to be
more involved in sentencing procedure.
1. The effectiveness of
any
counselling
relationship will largely depend on how
much unconditional positive
regard
and
acceptance
the
counsellor feels for
the
client. This ultimately depends on
the
personality of
the
counsellor. And ibis
is
true
of trained social workers - and
indeed psychiatrists - as it is
of
honor-
ary
probatlon offlcers. Experience will
help. A non-authOritaria.napproach
may
make a difference. It is
the
aim of
the
handbook to suggest
just
such
an
approach,
2.
There
is
not
space here to examine
the enormous dlfäcultles and challenges
of working
with
the "unmotlvated
cllent".Certainly it is
true
that
however
non-authoritarian and accepting the
relationship between probationer and
offleer
may
be, its initial basis is within
aframework of law and involves
potential penalties -punishment, if
you like. But
the
practical reality is
this: in
the
majority of cases auseful,
warm relationship of mutual respect and
genuine inter-dependence can,
and
does,
develop as a result of a legally enforced
encounter. The "retributivist
fantasm"
fades in
the
light of the sincere
concem
for
the
probationer on the
part
of the
offteer.
3. Perhaps one of the reasons for this
is
that
aprobation offleer is
not
clearly
identified
with
the
court
in
the
client's
mind. Mr. Johnston would change this,
however,and
involve probation offlcers
much more in sentencing procedure.
Surely
the
conflict between unconditional
acceptance and
the
legal basis of the
client..counsellor relationship could only
then be exacerbated.
But Mr. Johnston would
deny
this,
because
the
probation officer should show
"a co-operative understanding of the
objectives of institutional management".
And, of course, these obiectives should
be
"treatment
and rehabilitation". The
fact is
that
any
probation officer
worth
his
salt
does have an informed und er-
standing of
the
realities of institutional
functioning - and for most people this
involves "punishment".
All probation officers should think
about
the
aims and Ideals of a probation
system. They should be stimulated to
ponder upon probation in Utopia,
without
being restricted in their thinklng by
the
realities of existing institutions
and
pro-
cedures. For this idealised stimulation
they
should look to academic criminolo-
gists -
not
to a Handbock for Honorary
Probation Officers.
JAMES
PEARCE
Probation and Parole Offleer.
Melboume.
Mr. Johnston,
who
has read Mr. Pearce's
letter, has replied:
SIR, 1. Mr. Pearce has certainly failed to
understand me,
but
I would
not
conclude
from
that
that
1
wrote
elliptically. In the
pursuit of peace, order and good govern-
177
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