The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-10-12
GROWS
AS PRISONS FILL
Secretary Jeffrey Of Board Of Charities
and Probat ation Points Out Some Fea-
lures of Present Situation.

The monthly meeting of the board OF
charities and probation was held Tues
day at the roof garden, Hotel Vermont
Burlington. The usual routine of bust
ness was transacted. Touching on the
matter of probation and parole, Nh.
Jeffrey said:
There was a net increase of nine
cases last month Each month brina5
to us both in probation and parole an
increased number both from the courts
and from the prisons. The industrial
situation is such that we may expect
considerable increase during the WIN
ter months. With our prisons filled To
overf1owing, necessitating an emergen
cy appropriation by the budget com
mittee of $4,000 for the purpose OF
providing prison facilities sufficient to
take care of the unforeseen circum-
stances and emergencies which have o.,
casioned an increase of our prison pop
ulation at Windsor of AZ 2-l0 per cent
from Jan. /, 1921, to Oct. j, 1921,
Compared with the fact that during
the past ten months the number OF
cases of parole and probation have in
creased from 67l to I'll, making an in
crease Of 100 cases, creates situa
tion serious in its nature and requiring
both our best thought and wisest judg-
ment to the end that we may so ad
minister the affairs of state committed
TO our keeping as to give to our people
the best possible solution of this PROB
lem. It is highly probable that the con
Il 81 ho had
its influence upon the courts and re-
suited in persons being placed on pro
baton who dorinarily would nave
been sent To the prison.
Probation and parole is intended for
constructive work, for character build
ing, for reformation and is intended to
be used on first offenders, misdemean
ants and those persons who have vio-
lated the law where there seems to be
a reasonable and probable hope of ben
eft To place on probation an habitual
or mental defective can only
serve to destroy the beneficial effect Of
the system and fail to afford society
that degree of protection to whth 1T
is entitled.
While we must see that every per-
son committed to our care is given his
or her chance to regain their lost place
in society at the same time we must
exercise with our kindness and sympa
thy that degree of firmness that shall
carry with ii a whlesome regard for
public safety. During the past year 80
have violated the terms of
their probation and have been promp.
" brought back to the courts and com
mitted to the prisons on the original
sentence. Fifteen parolers have disre
garded the conditions of their paroles
and have been returned to the prisons
10 serve their maximum sentence.
With the extremely limited amount
of money that we may use for super
vision of these III offending persons
under our care and with the present
condition as it 4xists we may truth
fully say that it is condition and
not a theory that confronts US, for If
my considerable portion Of persons un
Ter probation and parole were to be
sent or returned to the prisons hun
ireds of thousands Of dollars would be |
to house and care for them. |
With our ever mounting tax rate we |
an only expect an appropriation sufii
.ient for moderate supervision and |
are. but we must do all within our
means under existing conditions. / may
ay to you that of the total III under
ur supervision 302 are parolers, i69
ommitted to us by the courts.