Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
WORK OF PROBATION DEPARTs
MENr UNDER DISTRICT.

Today marks the nth anniversary Of tho
passage OF the law providing for probatioo
work in the District of Columbia March y
1901, the enactment OF Congress providing
for probation Officer to handle juvenile
offenders IN the District became q law, ana
March III following the actual work VA
begun. Since that time the work has BEEN
Increasing and the system Is now regarded
as one of the best ways of dealing with
juvenile offenders-boys and girls under sew
enteen years-who may be found guilty OF
small offenses against the law.
In the five years that the probation work
has been going on in the District 1873 per-
sons have been put on probation, and Of
thosa /, LIS served their terms of six months
or longer. The others either paid fines or
were placed in some institution where they
were not under the supervision of the pro.
baton officer. The value of this work 10
shown by some figures which have been
complied by the present probation officer
Zed II. Copp. He says the records show
that IS per cent of the boys on probation
never return to the court for second Of
Tense, and of the boys on probation 30 per
cent faithfully serve probation terms. car
rying out the few simple rules which the
probation officer enforces.
The cost of probation work in the Dis.
triet Is very small, Mr.. Clapp says. and Ia
economically good for the government. 1t
is estimated that each boy or girl In the
reform schools costs the government $104.
At the Hart farm the cost of maintaining
sixty boys by the government is 5000 each.
The placing of the Juveniles on probation.
instead of sending them to the reform
school. II is estimated. has saved sll1.6s
If all had been placed at the Hart farm tho
total cost, IL Is claimed. would have been
1924. 500. Besides this, IL is found from
the records that the average wages Of boys
is Sl.S5 per week. On this basis the wages
of those on probation In the five years
would amount to about s117.646. This ID
regarded important consideration IN
favor of probation for boys. The total cost
5000. ''O- W - '''e present '''s '-
Recommendations Accepted.
In the five years that the probation work
has been going on there have been three
probation officers. John w. Douglass,
agent OF the board of children's guardians,
was the first. He was soon succeeded by
Philip B. Whelplcy. July 10. 1902. Zed H
Copp was appointed, and for the past four
years he has held the position. At the
regular daily meetings OF the Juvenile court
Mr.. Copp is attendant. and his recon-
mendations, based on his invest igations.
are accepted by both judges, in nearly all
cases.
After a boy is committed to the care OF
the probation officer for a certain period,
usually six months or a year, he is regis
tered at the office at once. He must then
follow certain rules. He must not repeat
the offense he was charged with: he must
attend divine service Sunday: must either
work or go TO school, and must report to
the probation officer twice a month. the
first Sunday of the month for address
to all boys of his class and on the 18th OF
the month for a HEARTH heart talk pri-
vately with the probation officer. The boy
is allowed to remain at home, but he is
carefully watched by the officer through
visits to the home and in other ways.
An important feature of the probation OH.
GERS work is to investigate the cases be-
fnpa hey IN ri n in
Court, to learn the previous record, If any,
of the boy or girl charged; to find out his
or her surroundings and environment by
actual visits to the home and TO investt-
gate in other ways, to enable him to recon-.
mend what is best for the Juvenile to make
him a good citizen.