The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-12-12
BOSTON'S PROBATION SYSTEM.
The Method of Dealing With Petty Offend.
ers Followed at the Hub.

Anu nnCthOQ Oh De3IlnR w lCh PeCCY Off6nus
ers Followed at the Hub.
New York is generation behind
the age in some of its methods Of
dealing with offenders as compared
with Boston. said criminal law
yer. For instance, they have a
method Of dealing with petty offend
ers over there which to my mind is
the only sensible and logical system.
Here if a man is arrested for being
drunk and disorderly or for petty
assault or theft he is sent to the
workhouse for anywhere from ten
days to six months, as the magis-
trate chooses. He then becomes a
charge on the county, and as it hap
pens that in nine cases out of ten
the offender is a workingman with
family his wife and children also
have to be cared for at the county s
expense. Besides this, the mere SEN
tence is a degradation and blow to
his manhood from which it is hard
for him to recover when released.
In Boston they have what is
called the probation system, and /
think it is the only city in the coun-
try where this is praoticed. They do
not send man to prison for minor
offense-that is, if it is his first.
The character and circumstances of
the offender are investigated by one
OF the officers of the probation bu-
reau, and if the judge is satisfied
that the offender is likely to reform
if allowed to go free he is turned
over to the probation officer and SEN
tence is suspended. The majority of
cases are of persons charged with
drunkenness, and the rule is gener-
ally applied to workingmen. Habit
ual drunkards are sent to the island,
but a man who falls from grace
once gets another chance.
after the offender is turned over
to the probation officer he is taken
to the bureau, where he receives a
register number, and the circum-
stances of his arrest, with his pedi.
gree, are taken down. Then he is al.
lowed to go. The probation officer
investigates the situation of his
family, and if he is a man accus-
toned to spending his wages regu-
larly for drink arrangements are
made with his employer to turn
over his wages to his wife. This, OF
course, has to be done with his con.
sent, and as he has the alternative
of going to prison if he does not
consent he rarely refuses to sane.
ton the arrangement. The system
of espionage in vogue in the proba
ton bureau is as effective and pr.
vate as any Russian secret police
bureau. The police of the district in
which the probationer lives are no.
titled and the policeman on the par
ticular post where his home is locat-
ed is instructed to watch him.
1.-THE probationer is required to
report at the probation bureau at
least once during the period which
the judge specifies. This is usually
five weeks in the lower court and
one year in the superior court, where
the graver offenses are tried. If,
during that time, his conduct has
been of nature to satisfy the court
that he has repented of his ways, he
is allowed to go free altogether. Dur.
ing the probationary period, how
ever, the probation officer may ar
rest him without a warrant at any
time. If the probationer should mis-
behave himself, Or repeat the offense
for which he was first arrested, and
he is caught, he is usually fined S.
or SO. If, however, he should re-
peat the offense after having served
out his probation period, double
penalty is imposed. The probation
bureau has an average of 800 per-
sons on it's books under constant
surveillance.
There are six male officers and q
female officer for women and young
girls. The women who are subject
to the probation system are compar.
atively few. They are only released
on charge of lettering in the street,
drunkenness or disorderly conduct.
The entire cost of maintaining the
bureau. including salaries, is not
more than SIS, 900 a year, while the
saving to the county, you can i'm
agine, is many times that sum. The
moral effect of such system is, to
my mind, the main consideration,
and I think it is very progressive. -
New York Sun.