Probation To-day
| Published date | 01 January 1932 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455053200101002 |
| Author | J.P. Earl of Feversham |
| Date | 01 January 1932 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
I47
Probation To-day.
An Address by Rt. Hon. the EARL OF FEVERSHAM, J.P. (
President National Association of Pyobatiovt Officeys
).
At a time of great national crisis like that through
efficiently. Unhappily many magistrates and some
which we are now passing, when upon all sides we feel
probation officers, too, hold in their minds a very
pressure to restrict social services, it is wise to take
imperfect picture of what probation really is, and
stock of our position and enquire afresh into the use-
consequently never succeed in producing more than
fulness of the service of Probation in which we are all
imperfect results. To guard against this danger we
engaged.
need to set up clearly before us the principles underlying
When
the Probation Act was passed in zgo7, the annual
the work and keep a good sense of direction towards
which
average number of persons charged with offences of all
we are striving.
classes, both indictable and non-indictable, was 75I,zg4.
In dealing with the offender, the court has two clear
The corresponding figure for 1929 was 645,360. Accord-
duties to perform : one, to the community, and one to
ing to official statistics, approximately 40,000 offenders
the offender. An efficient probation system serves
go to prison annually, and of these about 29,ooo become
both; a careless system of probation will react to the
or are repeated offenders.
harm of both the community and the offender. Pro-
It will at once be suggested that probation is not solely
bation was never intended as a sort of second chance
responsible for improvement in our crime statistics.
for all first offenders on the principle that every dog
The general advance in social conditions has been a great
is allowed one bite.
It was intended as a method of
factor. So also has the substitution of fines in place of
prompt but humane treatment as soon as crime makes
imprisonment. Fining, like probation, is a more intelli-
its appearance in a life, and I can conceive of nothing...
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