Evening star., 1923-05-16
D. c. NEEDS BIGGER
PROBATION FORCE
500 Judges and Other Of.
ficers Told of Situation by
Amos A. Steele.

placed on probation. this work hav-
ing ouadrupled in the last few years.
while Congress has failed to recog-
ni1e the need for more help.
This situation was emphasized to-
day at the conference of more than
500 judges, probation officers and
others banded together to promote So
cial and effective treatment and pre-
vention of delinquency throughout
America by Amos A. Steele. chief
probation officer of the Supreme
Court of the District. He led the dis
oussion on Securing Public Support"
Joseph w. Sanford. chief probation
officer of the Juvenile Court Of the
District, also participated in the dis
|ussion on the relation of juvenile
courts and probation to educational
agencies.
our probation law for adults in the
District of Columbia is ample in its
provisions" Mr.. Steele said. Our
judges are in thorough sympathy with
probation. and we have had the sup
port generally of the police, the
churches and welfare and civic or
ganizations. But we are hampered
for lack of help and have more work
than we can properly perform. The
work has more than quadrupled in
the past five years and the help has
rot been increased. 1t has been diff
ficult to convey to Congress this need
for more help. At any rate. the help
has not come, and the result is just
what must be expected.
Complete as Necessary.
so far as preliminary investiga-
tfons are concerned. these are made
Us thorough and complete as are nee
essary. In these Investigations the
office has the hearty support of the
police and any organizations called
necessary to keep proper supervision
over those placed on probation.
In adult probation / do not be-
Heve in such supervision as would
advertise the fact that the person
Is on probation: Too close super
the probationer. But we should have
help sufficient to make investiga ton
or all cases where there is reason to
believe that the probationer Is not
failure to bring in such defaulting
probationer. who is known to be on
probation by others in his COM
munity. tends to discredit probation
work generally.
II am a firm believer in giving
adult probationers but one chance.
ANY adult who commits an indictable
oHense and who is placed on proba-
tion well knows what the require
ments are. because he is fully in
structed as to his duties when he Is
released on probation. If he fails to
conform to the conditions Of his pro-
batlon he should be brought in and
required TO serve a sentence. Failure
10 do this is fatal in the administra O..
tion OF probation and will do much
to ALLEVIATE public confidence in its
value
We could not expect and would
not merit public support for work
which fails in this important es-
sential.
Probation as Profession.
This This probation, business is pro-
Iession, Just as the practice of medi-
cine is profession. We are called
upon to deal with the moral and
mental infirmities of humankind and
10 try to correct them. More and
more the courts having criminal ju-
officers. They depend upon them to
furnish correct and complete infor-
nation of defendants past history
and life as well as the extenuating
ana ana aggravating circumstances Of
But probation officers cannot ac-
complish the impossible. They can
not get satisfactory results when
they are overworked and are not fur
nished sufficient help. Most of my
mary Investigations, and while in
adult probation 1 think that the di-
agnosis-the preliminary investiga-
tion-is the most important phase of
the work, the results will be unsat-
isfactory if sufficient time or help is
not afforded for supervisory work
Obvlously. correct diagnosis is Of
little value If it is not followed by
the indicated treatment.
so lar as our own office Is con-
Corned, n q n fo L.
as to the support extended from the
citizen body, but we have not as yet
secured from Congress the recogni-
ton desired in the matter Of suf-
hcient help necessary to the proper
administration of the work"
Lack of Public Support.
Mr. Steele explained that securing
public support for probation is large
ly business proposition, and that
what seems a lack of support is due
to the fact that the public is not yet
familiar with this phase Of court
work. Much of the criticism against
probation is because of the way 1t
has been administered, he argued, and
warned that there must be q more
careful selection Of those admitted to
probation and possibly a closer super
vision of those on probation.
Other speakers on the program to-
day included.
Courts and Probation to Educational
WhiteNWilliams % Foundation. IN ton IIi Phiia,
delphia; DR.. Esther L. Richards.
Johns Hopkins Hospital. Baltimore.
''Section on Special Problems Of Adult
Probation" Edwin J. Cooley. chief pro-
York; THE Judge and the Probation
Officer" James J. Ryan, chief proba-
tion officer, court Of special sessions.
New York; How Can Good Case super
vision Be Secured for Adults on Pro-
bation?' Fred r. johnson, chief pro-
baton officer. recorders and circuit
courts, Detroit.
On training for probation work: Leon
Stern, director, educational depart
ment, municipal court. Philadelphia
View Of the Judge" James Hoge Kicks.
judge. juvenile and domestic relations
court. Richmond: Training From the
Point of Viewof the Expert" DR.. George
W. Kirchwey. New York School Of So
c!al Work: Training From the Point Of
P. Murphy. chief probation officer Erie
county. Buffalo; "The Boy and the Girl
in Court" Bernard J. Fagan. chief pro-
baton officer. children's court. New
Relations Court Means to a City,
Charles w. Hoffman, judge, court Of
domestic relations. Cincinnati: 'Proba-
tfon's Essential Place." Herbert c. Par
sons, Massachusetts, commission on pro-
baton, Boston.
Federal Probation"-report Of the
committee. by Edwin L. Garvin, Judge,
United States District Court. Brook
lyn, chairman. Probation Laws and
Court Dec.sions"-report Of the COM
baton officer in charge juvenile divi.
sion. municipal court, Philadel phia.
chairman. Report Of the Board OF
Directors, by franklin Chase Hoyt,