Imperial Valley press., 1919-02-13
CRITICS Of
PRO B A I 10 \
SYSTEM HERE
ARE AEA R ID
Perp etrators of Serious
Crimes Given Freedom
While Minor Of fenses
Are Punished, Is Charge.

Criticism of the operation of the
probation system in Imperial coun-
ty, with intimations that complete
Justice was not done in some of the
cases handled recently, was heard
from responsible quarters today fol-
lowing the filing of the annual report
of this department.
Through the fault of no individual
n particular, but due entirely to the
system and the forbearance of court
officers, many serious offenders were
released, although their crimes called
for severe corrective punishment.
Broken paroles and new offenses
were charged against those on pro-
baton to equal the number of new
probationers.
Reference to the list of crimes
with which those given probation
we're charged will give the reader the
basis for the attacks on the operation
of the law here. The gamut Of crimes
ranges from assaults with deadly
weapons to bigamy-surely the most
serious offenses. Yet the perpetra-
tors, some with pronounced criminal
tendencies, were given their free.
dom.
Another point of attack may be il
lustrated by a court incident of bu'
few weeks ago Two young men
both bearing fair regulations, had
been arrested on charges of forgery
One had forged the name of Ger
tain business man on check, while
| the other had secured the cash OF
this forged paper.
Both, apparently, were equal.
| guilty. Yet one of the young mer
was sentenced to San Quentin prison
! while the other, the son of well-to
do parents, was released on probation
| in charge of his parents. Ofttimes
| probation, even on @erious offenses
is more than justified, but the loca
critics seemingly object to the fine
line of distinction made in identical
cases.
The report of Probation Officer
Swanson-and it may be said that
Mr.. Swanson has made an enviable
record in the handling of his depart
mentor the past year follows:
Three were placed on probation du-
ring the year, making a total of II
under that classification. Five were
discharged, three applications were
denied, three broke their paroles and
we're rearrested and sentenced. The
crimes with which they were charged
are given as: One, burglary; three,
assaults with deadly weapons; one,
contributing to the delinquency OF a
minor; two embezzlement; one, burn
ing insured property for the insur-
ance; two, bad checks, and one, nom
support of child.
In the Juvenile Department were
made wards. three transferred from
other counties and two transferred
to other counties. One was dis
charged leaving thirteen on proba-
ton. Two were committed to Whit
tier, one to the George Junior Re-
public, three to Ventura and two de-
ported to Mexico. Fifteen cases were
settled out of court.
The crimes chargeable to these ju-
veniles included: Four Tor burglary,
five for delinquency, one for forgery,
two for passing bad checks and one
for bigamy.
A we'll known citizen, commenting
on the report said:
"There seems to be too much of a
tendency for leniency by the courts.
Two men attempt to break Jail and
are sent to prison, although the dam
age they did was confined to the
saving of two iron bars. They hurt
no one except themselves.
"Then along comes forger or an
arsonist or bigamist and through
clever appeals to sympathy or some
other medium they are allowed to go
scot free. 1t apparently is not the
fault of any individual. but is simply
the system or an abuse of the law"