Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-16
vermont SOCIAL
WORKERS CONVENE
State Probation Officer Jeffrey
Gives Survey of Work in
Vermont

| ceremonies at CITY NAH, out JuuBe IA -.
Mower of Burlington and j. Prentice Muir
| ply of Boston spoke after the dedication.
This afternoon w. II. Jeffrey, State pro-
baton officer, and Miss Lena Ross. a dep
uty officer, spoke upon their work. Eliza
beth Van Patten of Burlington and Ella
Crandall of New York spoke upon Pub
lie Nursing and Human Reconstruct
ton. The former is secretary of the ma
tional body of that long ISSUE while the
later is secrtary of the Thomas Thomp-
son Trust of Brattleboro.
Mr. Jeffrey's report was in part, as
follows:
For nearly 20 months Vermont has
had, in operation, the act creating the
! board of Charities and probation and II
may be proper for me to briefly sketch
| the more important features of the law.
| There was conferred on this board the
| duties relating to probation and parole
which were formerly performed by the
probation commission and the county
probation officers. This law gave to the
board supervision and control of more than
600 persons who have been released from
our penal institutions upon parole or by
our courts on probation. There was
added to this the supervision and care
of dependent and neglected children.
care and surgical treatment of defective,
dependent children; poorhouse inspection
and giving deserted and widowed mothers
aid.
The board determined at the outset on
certain fixed policy.That 1t would in
sist kindly but firmly, that the orders
of the courts meant exactly what they
said, that while we would do all possible
to assist the unfortunate committed to
| our care, yet, for the good of all, we
must insist on absolute and exact COM
piance with the terms upon which the
probationer was released.
I'VE receive about 40 persons on proba-
| ton or parole each month and there is a
slight increase in the grand total of those
under our care and supervision from
month to month; i. g. the discharges have
not, in recent months. been quite as large
as the new cases. For the six months
ending December 81 we received 4S
probationers and parolers from our
penal institutions and from the courts.
Since the establishment of the depart
ment there has been an average of 600
persons on probation and parole all of
the time. OF these more than 90 per
cent. have furnished no trouble or ex-
pense to the State other than the cost
of administration. Had these proba-
TONERS or parolers been confined at either
Rutland or Windsor. where the average
cost Is $500 per week in excess Of what
they earn. the expense to the State since
the establishment of the department
would have been n>>lre than $90,00000;
while the administration of this depart
ment of our work has not cost in excess
Of sl0,0000O; or clear saving to the
State of more than SS00OO.0O for the
twenty months. This should demonstrate
that the probation and parole system is
not liability, but is an asset to the
State. We leave the probationer at home
where he may maintain himself, support
those who are dependent upon him; who
would. in many instances, if he were
confined. not only be deprived of his
earning power but become dependent up
on public or private charity. Another
feature of probation work. which Is of
great value, is that the probationer is
permitted to pay his fine in nstallments,
make restitution, when restitution is re-
quired. and is often forced to maintain
his family under the order of the court,
and. as an evidence of the working out
of this feature of our system. $40, 900 90
has been paid into the department by
probationers, and by the department dis
DurSeu 10 the courts and to the families.
A very gratifying result is that less than
10 per cent. of those who come under our
care have given us any trouble wha tever.
The Legislature, now in session, should
work out law whereby the courts
might reduce the minimum sentence and
increase the maximum sentence to the
end that those who are found guilty may,
in the shortest time consistent with the
pf nr6a No
released, maintain themselves and their
families, and under the supervision of
this department, regain their lost stand
ing and get the habit of right living.
Under the present administration of
the department, by regular reports, the
department keeps in touch in n general
way with parolers and probationers. AS
far as has been possible with the funds
available, an effort has been made to
visit those under our care, to talk over
their problems, meet their EMPLOYERS
and do those things necessary to make
the department a real help. As to how
the paroler and prohationer views the
work of the department, | may be par
doned for quoting from two letters re-
Gently received.
prior to the establishment of this
board, Vermont released from her penal
institutions those who had served their
required time. with little or no attention
as to their future welfare. Women who
had transgressed the law were often re-
leased poorly clad, without funds, with
out friends. and with no future except
the street. During the existence Of this
board, we have met and solved this pro-
blem, and to-day no woman leaves our
penal institutions except under the