Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-12

probation laws charges - They are in
dividuals who have stood before the To-
cal bars of justice in the past four months
convicted of highway robbery, forgery,
embezzlement. grand larceny, assaults
with dangerous weapon, habitual drunk
enuess and on through the long list or
felonies and misdemeanors. Now they
are striving earnestly to live lives OF
moral rectitude
They stood before a committing judge
proven guilty of crime, admitted it, and
pleaded for another opportunity to begin
life over again, to forget the past and
again win the respect of their fellow
men. Their requests were needed, they
were allowed to go forth from the steel
cages that had held them as enemies OF
social order. They went back into their
small spheres OF life again and have
made good
lit is Godsend to them. They are
making true citizens of themselves" said
Miss Estelle Foster and Charles A Mas
sic, probation officers at the Police Court,
when asked what the practical applica
ton of the Jaw is doing for their proba-
TONERS.
1T IS accomplishing extraordinary
work." replied I. d. Porter, probation
officer at the Supreme Court. to the same
question.
They were asked how many had broken
their paroles The total count was six,
exclusive of the III on probation at the
present time. They were six men-two
from the Supreme Court and four from
the Police Court-now serving suspended
sentences imposed upon them at the time
they were placed on probation, ranging
from several months to year. One is
in Jail, another in a penitentiary and
the other four at Occoquan. 1t was a
young man who violated the trust of one
of the city hall judges He was charged
with forging name to a check for
several hundred dollars, and was caught
at another offenSe.
The other was convicted Of housebreak-
ing and placed on parole because Of the
pleas of fraiI. delicate, little wife and
four small children that husband and
father be allowed to return home with
them. Six weeks later he was arrested
for the theft of several hundred, dollars
worth OF silver, He was brought before
the court and committed to a western
penitentiary for FIVE years The police
produced record showing the man had
been arrested thirtynine times in the
forty-one years of his life.
The four az Police Court broke their
oaths TO abstain from the use of intoxi-
cantS.
Six failures out OF total OF 1S2 per-
sons given the benefits of the probation
Law in a little less than four months
time is record Of which the men who
fathered the measure are proud 1t liz
what theorizing sociologists would de-
scribe as highly commendable." The
tact is the more significant when one
takes into consideration that all five of
the men who failed were placed on pro-
baton within the first four or five weeks
after the law went into effect. and the
system Is yet, so 10 speak, in the expert
mental stage.
ha ot1e~
report TO Mr.. Massie and Miss Foster at
the Police Court and flfty-four to Mr..
Porter al the city hall. The lists show
the names OF ten women-seven at the
Police Court and three at the city hall
from eighteen to forty-tive years of age.
each having suspended over her head a
larceny or kindred charge. The ages of
the 1874 men extend from seventeen wears
TO three score and fourteen. and include
almost every stratum of society They
arc a varied lot, as probationers; the spat
hobnobS with the heavy boot OF the labor
err and dainty lingerie rubs elbows with
grease bedaubed calico. II is representa-
tive OF the extremes in Washington life
If one cares to search for ii. The law
in fits graciousness heeds neither class
color nor custom.
These people report to their respective
probation officers always once and some
times twice a week, except where sew
eral have been relieved of this obligation
oy the court or In the event probattoners
happen TO be employed out of the city.
In the latter case reports are sent by
mail at stated intervals. Any week day
from noon until o'clock as many as a
dozen probationers can be seen filing in
and out of the two probation offices,
where they recount the Incidents OF their
lives since their last visit and listen to
words of advice and encouragement from
the persons designated to watch over
their conduct
The predominant thought OF these men
and women seems TO be only for the fu-
ture; for what the future has in store
for them under the new order OF things
Unconsciously this condition OF mind
manifests itself TO the probation officers
in dozens of ways. This. IL nothing else
The probation officers say. proves the
laws success as means of paving the
way for new thoughts and new ideals in
them, the great majority of whom have
cared for and Known nothing else but
the vicious and sordid.
The probation law gives every individ-
nal guilty of crime a chance TO redeem
himself, unless ii be his second or third
Offense. This and commission of the fol-
lowing crimes. treason. homicide, rape,
arson and kidnapping. prec!udes him
from its privileges. The law also stipu-
lates that no person may be placed on
probation against his will. The prelim-
inaries leading up to placing a prisoner
on probation are simple. His request is
hled with the court following his con-
viction plea OF guilty, and then re-
ferred to the probation officer for investi-
cation. II the latter finds that the APP
plicant's past life would justify placing
him on parole he so reports to the court
and the latter remands the individual
into the custody of the probation officer
under suspended prison sentence. The