The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-12-09
MAKES PLEA FOR
PROBATION WORK
League Leader Points Out
the Need of Probation
Officer Here.
TELLS OF CLINIC WORK

The problems which are caused by
the lack of a probation officer in Ke-
nosha county were mentioned promin-
emily today in the report made by Miss
Hattie Gabrielsen superintendent of
the Kenosha Service League, at the
regular monthly dinner and meeting
Of the board of directors of the or
ganization at noon today at the E1ks'
club. The speaker declared that in her
opinion the present arrangement was
not satisfactory and that some steps
should be taken to better conditions.
"Kenosha county now has no proba-
tion officer" declared Miss Gabriel
sen. "The County Board has increas-
ed the salary of the sheriff and for
this he is to do the probation work.
Does this mean that our mothers who
are deserving of state aid are to be
sent to the sheriff's office? Can the
sheriff in addition to his other duties
be expected to make the investigations
which such work demands 2"
Service League May Help.
Miss Gabrielsen declared that the
Service League was ready to aid in
this work in any way possible, but
that to do it thoroughly would require
additional workers which under the
present budget of the association could
not be allowed.
The report also dealt with the situa-
ton which has arisen at the clinic due
to the shrinking finances of the asso-
citation. 1t was shown that during the
past month one hundred and two cases
had been dealt with at the clinic and
it was declared that this fact alone
should justify it's existence. The sup
erintendent urged the members of the
board that some steps should be taken
to provide ample financial backing
for the clinic SO that it could con-
tinue it's work.
In the general work of the league
it was shown that a large number of
families had asked and received help
but that as yet little of this could be
directly traced to the present indus
trial situation in Kenosha. Miss Cab
rielson declared that as in 1914, the
most demands would come in Febru-
airy when in all probability the fami-
lies would have used up what little
savings they had accumulated.
Tells of Interesting Case.
In dealing with the probation prob
lem and pointing out the need of it,
Miss Gabrielsen told of an interesting
episode which occurred at the offices of
the organization during the past week.
Recently an old man came to our
Offices" she said. "He was transient,
gave his age as seventy two, and look
ed every bit of it. He told us that
at the age of ten, his parents died;
at thirteen he ran away from the rela-
tives with whom he had been giving;
at fourteen he was serving his first
term in a state reformatory. From
that time on for fifty-eight years he
has served one prison term after an
other for robbery. He had a remark
able first hand knowledge of many
state prisons and could converse most
Interestingly on the question of treat
ment OF criminals and solitary reform.
We secured enough money to send him
to q city in northern Wisconsin where
he has relatives but the story of his
life could not help but impress us with
the idea that society was somewhat
to blame for the miserable work he
had made of his life"
Miss Gabrielsen declared that it was
conditions like this which a probation
officer was expected to deal with and
that the aid of such an official might
have helped this man to keep away
from the prison trail, and instead of
making him an expense to society
would have made him self support
ing and self respecting individual.