The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-11
Good Work Accomplished
by the Probation System

The probation system of caring for
juvenile offenders, which was estab-
lished in Ramsey county in 1900, has
increased in volume until the work is
now so great that one officer can no
longer care for the duties of the office,
and in his annual report just made
to the state board of control, Proba-
ton Officer Albert G. Graves suggests
that new laws are necessary as a REM
edy for the condition of affairs which
now exist.
The report made by Mr.. Graves
shows that the volume of work is now
more than three times as great as it
was during thesfirst year, and is still
on the increase.
"The system# has now reached a
point" says Mr.. Graves, where it is
impossible for one person to care for
the duties of the Office. This, together
with the fact that the present law
makes no provision for stationery,
postage, Office and Office furniture, or
salary Of a deputy, which is now abb
solutely necessary in its proper eX-
ecutiOn. to a very 5great degree handt-
caps the officer In the performance
of his Iabors. In this and. one or two
other respects the law should be
changed"
The report shows that during the
year 1902 there were 269 Juveniles plac-
ed on probatien,5 of which number
1873 were released for good behavior,
and thirty-on one cases disposed of in
other ways.
In telling of the work, performed by
him during the year, Probation Officer
Graves says:
Positions were found for eighteen
boys, four of whom went to work on
farms. Positions were also found for
49, -
farm. l attended every session of the
municipal court except on the days I
was employed in taking children to the
state public school, the state training
school and to the Morganza reform
school in Pennsylvania. l also attend
ed a number Of sessions of the district
and probate courts.
Besides the legitimate work of the
Office have been called upon for cOun-
sci and advice by parents who were
averse to the publicity of court pro-
ceedings in such cases, or whose chill
dren were beyond the jurisdiction Of
the probation law. Many investiga-
tions were made which required visit
to the home of the delinquent in nearly
every instance.
every child placed on probation was
furnished with a paper or order of the
court reciting the conditions and re-
quirements to be entered upon. The
fact that some prObatiOnerS were living
out Of town necessitated considerable
correspondence A complete record of
every probationer has been kept.
"The probation law came into effect
In the spring of 1899, but it was not un-
til November of the same year that a
probation officer was appointed and the
system put in operation in Ramsey
county.
HSixty-six boys and four girls were
placed on probation in 1900. In the
same year thirty-five boys and seven
girls, a total of forty-two, were COM
| mitted to the state training school.
Ninety-six boys and three girls were
placed on probation in 1901 In the
same year thirty-six boys and three
girls, a total of forty one, were COM
mitted to the state training school.
Two hundred and thirty nine boys and
/ eighteen girls We're placed on probation
in 1902. In the same year twenty five
bows and sevenEgirlS, a total of thirty
two. were committed to the 1. state
training school.
taking the year 1900 for a basis,
| 60 per cent of the number on proba-
ton were committed to the training
school in that year, while in the fol-
| lowing year, 1901, Al per cent were
committed, decrease OF 10 per cent.
In 1892 less than ~ per cent of those
| on probation were committed. de-
| crease of Al IL per cent oyer 1900 and
| % IL per cent over 1871. AS the dis
parity increases between those on pro-
| baton and those committed to the
training school, the system becomes
| more effective in its operations and