Mexico Missouri message., 1915-07-29
SYSTEMWORKSWELL.
State Probation Commission Is
lauded by New York.
Experiment Has Proved In Every Way
Worthy, and Authorities Are
Unanimous in Opinion That
It Be Maintained.

One of the most active of the small
departments of the New York state
government is the state probation
commission. AS shown by a recent
report on the state departments pre-.
pared foI the benefit of the constltu.
tional convention by the department
of efficiency and economy and the
New York bureau of municipal re-
search this commission is entirely sep
arate In Its organization and duties
from any other state department. 1t
has large and unique field, namely,
that of developing, extending and i'm
proving probation work in all the
courts of the state.
Probation is defined as a system by
which court seeks to supervise. dis
cipline and reform offenders without
branding them as prisoners and with
out sentencing them to jail or prison.
1t is intended especially for the young
or first offenders, 1t is used In all
kinds of courts and for all sorts of
offenses, but it is perhaps of greater
Importance in the Juvenile court. Pro-
baton has been called "the right arm
of the juvenile court"
The first probation law in the state
was enacted in 1901. Following the
enactment of this law probation work
in the courts developed slowly and
irregularly throughout the state. A
special commission to study the work
was authorized by the legislature of
1905; ten men and four women we're
appointed on this commission by Gov
ernor Higgins. The commission ma lie
a thorough inquiry and presented a
report the following year. Out of its
work and recommendations grew the
present state probation commission.
The commission was created by the
legislature in 1907. Homer Folks has
been president of the commission since
its creation. Frank E. Wade, another
of the original commissioners, is now
| vice-president. The other members
are Edward c. Blum of Brooklyn,
Edmund j. Butler of New York, Judge
Alphonso T. Clearwater of Kingston
and DR.. John T. Finley, commission
er of education. The present secretary
Of the commission is Charles L. Chute,
who succeeded Arthur W. Towne in
1918.
Some of the work The commission
has accomplished toward extending
and developing the probation system
in the state is indicated by the follow
ing facts: When the commission
began its work in 1907 there we've
were 1920 persons of all ages on pro-
baton. At the end of 1914 there were
1925. Besides assisting in this
| great extension, the commission has
constantly urged discrimination in the
selection OF cases and the all impor-
lance of careful and thorough work on
the part of probation officers.
The report of the commission ex-
tending over seven years show that
more than 20 per cent of all persons
placed on probation are reported by
the probation officers each year as
completing their terms of probation
successfully and being discharged with
improvement.
The cost of the state prisons, peni-
tentiaries, adult and Juvenile reforma-
tories, for maintenance alone in 1918
was $2,292,349. This takes no ac
count of the vast sums expended in
lands, buildings and equipment and the
sums spent annually for repairs aud
new construction. The average daily
population of the institutions
throughout the year was 11,414, max.
ing the per capita cost for years
confinement $200.S3. The entire es-
timated cost of the probation system
for the year 1912 was $253.675. This
includes salaries paid to all probation
officers, an estimate of their expenses
and the total appropriations to the
state probation commission. which
amounted to only $12,62O. The aver
age number on probation throughout
the year was S,4S5 persons. There
fore, the average per capita cost of
years probation was only 1892, less
than one-sixth of the average ex-
pense for a years Imprisonment.
Besides the saving to the state and
the various localities in dollars and
cents, there is a greater saving. If Of
tenders can be safely allowed to re-
main in society and continue as pro-
ductive members thereof, society is
relieved of the burden of supporting
their innocent wives and children.