The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-05
ADULT PROBATION
IS SUCCESSFUL
Judge Greer N. Orr OF st. Paul Tells How
the New Law is Making Better Men and
Women of Social Offenders Creates
New Ideals and Saves Thousands,
EVILS OF PRISON LIFE

EVILS Or FKtSON Lite
Does adult probation, or probation
extended to offenders over sixteen
years of age pay?
Judge Greer M, Orr, of the Ram
sey county district bench, declares
emphatically that it does. He oases
his opinion on personal experiences
extending over nearly five years,
during which time he has had direct
charge of all adult probation cases
in the county.
Just why the Judge is such stanch
champion of the men and the wo-
men who once have failed and try
again to find their place ir society
easily is seen in the records on file
with the court, which show what
these unfortunate persons have done
for themselves through the kindly
interest of Judge Orr and the pro-
baton officers.
April 20, 1909, the legislature of
Minnesota passed a law placing
within the power of district and
municipal judges certain rights
which border on the power of par
don. Judge Orr was hard worker
for the law, and he has used it with
wonderful success since 1t was
placed on the statute books.
Hundreds Helped
Since the passage of the law, Judge
Orr has suspended sentences and
granted probation privileges to 248
men and women. OF this number
only twenty-six have been committed
later through the loss of their pro-
baton right following a violation of
the conditions surrounding the pri-
vilege. Of these twentv-six only
eight were sent to prison or reform
auory as the result of second COM
mission of crime. In most of these
cases the requirement of sobriety
proved too great strain for the pro-
bationer. The usual conditions placed
on the probationer are that he or she
shall live an honest, sober, upright
and industrious life.
The figures show" said the Judge,
that just slightly more than 10 per
cent are unable to keep within the
confines of the probation CODE" l
contend that if SO per cent of the
probationers made good again the
law would be justified. and right
here in our own country we have
the spectacle Of IS per cent of these
weak men and women reclaining
themselves into strong citizens and
making an excellent record for con-
duct while so engaged.
What Prison Life Does
Incarceration breaks down the
spirit of the offender, and wheu he
is liberated he sees only the crooked
way for forging ahead. The paroled
man has twice the difficulty in OBJ
tanning work or of winning conf
dence that the probationer has, and
yet each man may be on equal terms
as far as the degree of the crime
committed is concerned. The man
who has once been in stripes finds
himself more or less branded for
life"
The privilege of probation is
found working at it's best with the
resident. l have found it has failed
when attempted in the case of nom
residents There should be some
home tie. relationship or association
which holds the probationer, within
the jurisdiction of the judge who
granted HIM his chance. The non-
resident, however, is not proving an
unsatisfactory example, because of
a bent to fall into crime again, but
because of his restlessness and de-
sire to move. Once be is out of our
jurisdiction. the real purpose of the
law is defeated, although he is still
accountable to the court.
AS to the imposition of the condi-
tions Of total abstinence, such is
never required of the probationer
except in cases where he lays the
blame for his wrongdoing on the use
of intoxicants. If he admits that
drink drove him to crime then he
must abstain from it's use and one
drink taken becomes violation of
his probation right, and he may be
committed. A man must not be re-
quired to give up anything he ought
or feels he ought to have, providing
it did not figure in his delinquency.
The probatiouer can be expected
only to live up to the standard of
his own status in life and not that
OF the men aud women who have
never done wrong.