Editorial
| Published date | 01 January 1949 |
| Date | 01 January 1949 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455054900501901 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
r
The
Journal
of
the
National
Association
of
Probation
Officers
EDITORIAL
On
a
motion
by
the
Archbishop
of
York
the
House
of
Lords
recently
discussed
the
increase
in
crime.
The
debate
in
fact
was
almost
entirely
confined
to
juvenile
crime
and
the
Lords
performed
the
almost
incredible
feat
of
discussing
this
subject
without
any
reference
to
the
work
of
the
Probation
Service.
The
Lord
Chancellor
in
replying
to
the
debate
indicated
that
the
Home
Secretary
would
have
further
discussions
with
the
Archbishop
and
other
members
of
the
Upper
House,
and
we
believe
preliminary
talks
have
already
taken
place.
As
with
so
many
other
subjects
of
national
interest,
the
debate
has
continued
in
that
forum
of
opinion,
the
correspondence
column
of
The
Times.
The
range
here
has
been
similar
to
that
of
the
Lords’
debate
though
some
wider
issues
have
been
brought
in.
The
lowering
of
moral
standards
is
generally
agreed
to
be
a
contributory
factor
to
our
present
state
and
it
is
appreciated
that
children
in
their
years
of
character
formation
cannot
be
expected
to
have
a
higher
ethical
code
than
that
of
the
society
in
which
they
live.
Lack
of
parental
responsibility
is
freely
quoted
and
some
correspondents
attach
respon-
sibility
for
this
parental
weakness
to
excessive
Govern-
mental
interference-but
that
part
of
the
discussion
generated
heat
rather
than
light
on
the
subject.
It
was
suggested
in
the
Lords
that
juvenile
court
procedure
might
be
overhauled
and
this
also
has
some
support
in
The
Times’
letters,
one
religious
group
writing
to
com-
plain
that
the
leniency
of
these
courts
was
responsible
for
&dquo; their
failure
&dquo;
and
calling
for
the
publication
of
names
of
young
offenders
and
the
punishment
of
parents
whose
children
are
convicted.
There
have
also
been
reasoned
pleas
for
a
more
scientific
approach
to
the
whole
matter,
countered
by
suggestions
that
scientific
explana-
tions
may
rule
out
or
weaken
moral
responsibility.
But
in
all
the
correspondence
there
has
again
been
only
passing
reference
to
probation.
It
seems
almost
that
probation
is
nowadays
taken
for
granted;
and
an
increase
in
crime
which
the
recent
criminal
statistics
show
to
be
no
worse
proportionately
amongst
juveniles
than
amongst
the
rest
of
the
com-
munity
leads
to
a
demand
for
new
experiments
and
methods.
There
seems
to
be
little
foundation
for
such
a
demand.
The
most
serious
immediate
aspect
of
the
situation
is
the
amount
of
crime
not
cleared
up
and
there
is
a
legitimate
call
for
conditions
which
will
encourage
the
recruitment
of
more
police.
The
long
term
solution
of
raising
moral
standards
is
one
in
which
every
indivi-
dual
can
play
his
part
by
searching
his
own
heart
and
watching
his
own
conduct
and
way
of
life.
But
in
dealing
with
the
current
problem
of
the
offenders
who
reach
the
courts
the
existing
services
continue
to
have
a
remarkable
degree
of
success;
and
probation
is
of
course
one
of
the
most-
vital
of
these
services.
The
unsatisfactory
feature
of
the
latest
statistics
is
that
for
young
offenders
probation
is
being
used
in
pro-
portionately
fewer
cases
than
in
the
period
before
-the
war.
Of
offenders
under
14,
and
of
those
between
14
and
17,
dealt
with
by
magistrates’
courts
there
were
42
per
cent.
placed
under
the
supervision
of
a
probation
officers
in
1946
and
in
1947
as
against
51
per
cent.
in
1938;
and
of
those
between
17
and
21,
26
per
cent.
were
dealt
with
in
this
way
in
both
1946
and
1947
against
a
figure
of
45
per
cent.
in
1938.
In
each
age
group
the
figure
is
largely
balanced
by
an
increase
in
punishment- by
fine.
In
the
higher
courts
there
is
also
a
noticeable
decline
in
the
proportion
of
cases
placed
on
probation,
increased
use
of
prison
sentences
mainly
accounting
for
this
The
actual
totals
dealt
with
by
probation
have,
of
course,
not
fallen.
It
would
seem,
however,
that
greater
use
could
be
made
of
a
tried
and
flexible
method
which
has
during
the
last
40
years
shown
itself
to
be
appropriate
to
a
wide
variety
of
offenders.
It
may
be
that
shortage
of
probation
staff
has
led
courts
to
try
to
avoid
over-
loading
a
heavily
pressed
service :
but
this
is
a
situation
which
can
be
remedied
by
increasing
recruitment
and
training
and
perhaps
by
some
consideration
of
the
inducements
which
will
bring
into,
and
keep
in,
the
work
those
who
cannot
at
present
undertake
or
continue
it
despite
a
strong
vocational
call
and
obvious
suitability.
Fresh
discussions
and
efforts
to
find
solutions
for
the
present
acute
problem
of
crime
may
be
valuable,
but
it
is
to
be
hoped
that
thought
will
also
be
given
to
the
support,
improvement
and
extension
of
existing
and
well-
established
services.
In
the
Probation
Service
we
can
promise
every
co-operation
from
those
who,
in
their
duties,
can
have
their
indirect
effect
on
family
and
communal
standards
and
their
direct
effect
on
the
many
beginners
in
crime
who
can
be
turned
from
further
progress
in
that
unhappy
career.
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