Evening star., 1934-02-25
.LAXNESS CHARGED
|NPROTECT|NCD.C c.
PROBATION PLAN
Representative Weideman
DepIores Lack of Funds
to Foster Work.
LEGISLATIVE REFORM
GROUP is APPOINTED
Mrs. Roosevelt Indorses Plan of
Guiding Hand to Curb Flu
ture Crime.

lure Urine.
Charges that District authorities
have been lax in stressing the impor-
| tance OF the probation system and
providing funds for its development
were made yesterday afternoon before
| the probation conference sponsored
by the Council of Social Agencies.
! The charges were contained in an
address prepared by Representative
Carl M Weideman of Michigan and
read by the presiding officer. Joel
Moore supervisor of the United
/ States probation system, Department
I OF Justice. Pressure of business on
Capitol Hill prevented Mr.. Weide-
man from attending the conference.
The value of a probation system
: mas long bcen underestimated and
undervalued by the District" Mr..
| Weideman stated Evidently. cit
lzens thought that value of imprison-
/ ment far exceeded the value of pro-
baton, If We are to Judge by the
I amounts expended for each.
We are constantly building new
( lalls and reformatories and think that
thereby We are saving and upbuild-
ing the moral qualities of the Dis
trict. This fallacy is not INDUCED in
alone in the District, but every State
, IN the UniCn is competing with each
other State in an endeavor to build
bigger and better jails. This is an
Indictment of our pretended civil
ization"
Fund Disparity Cited.
Representative Weideman cited fig
ures 10 show the disparity in the
funds provided for the probation sys-
tenn here and the other correctional
functions.
The District Supreme Court with
cne chief probation officer and four
assistants operated on yearly
budget of sl1860, with some allow
ance made for street car fares, but
no allowance for automobile Trans
j portatlon or urkeep," he asserted
! Police Court has a chief probation
/ officer and three assistants operating
on a budget OF S6,260 q year. OF
course, not overlooking the princely
expense account of SIS per year for
n
put it another way, the probation Of
ficers are allowed a one-way ride on
the street cars once a week.
Juvenile Court has personnel Of
13 officers and clerks. operating on a
salary budget of $40, ,34o.''
AS against these figures, he pointed
! to the S849,749 operation and main
/ tenance expense for the Districts four
/ reformatories and prisons.
/ He cOntended no person should be
committed to jail until the Judge has
before him report from a probation
officer.
To Promote Legislation.
! In a series of resolutions, unani-
mously adopted, the conference de-
cided to seek legislative reformation
OF the local parole system. A joint
committee representing the judiciary,
the District Ear Association and the
I conference was recommended to for
mulate and promote the proposed
legislation.
This committee wcald be asked to
4 consider expansion Of judicial discre-
, ton IN allowing probation; an ade-
! quate probation staff so that case
loads carried by probation officers
/ could be reduced to a point permitting
ethclent work; financial provision for
higher salaries, adequate transporta-
ton, office space and equipment; and
the wisdom of District-wide proba-
ton administration created under the
direction Of the judges of the various
courts and supervised by an expert
enced probation executive.
The report of the Resolutions Com
mIttee was submitted by its chair
man, Prof. D. w. Willard. of George
= Washington University.
/ Last night, before an audience
which included seven District Judges.
Justice Joseph N. Ulman of the Balti-
more Supreme Court pleaded for in
tenSlve NATURALIZATION in treatment
OF law violatorS, and asserted that no
person should ever be released from
prison except on parole
| He explained that a man who has
been in prison needs help and SUPER
vision Immediately after his release
more than any other time Judge Ul-
man thinks released prisoners should
be under the Jurisdiction of a parole
officer with authority to recommend
their return to prison If they cannot
adjust themselves to their environ
ment.
Best Course Is Duty.
The Baltimore jurist, who has made
an exhaustive study of probation in
/ his own court, believes individual
treatment should be given before a
/ person goes to prison, while he is
/ there and after his release.
/ II we are to accomplish anything.
he said, we must do it by intense
lndividualization. Punishment can
not be measured by the crime, but
we must do what is best to protect
society and to help the individual"
| He said that offenders found to be
irreclsimsble should be segregated
permanently from society. "And these
represent a considerable group" he
added.
The present probation system in
most cities. including washington
and Baltimore, he said, is wholly in
adequate. In Baltimore the probation
oiflcerS carry a case load of from $50
TO 800 cases, he asserted, while to
/ function efficiently each 6fficer should
not have more than so adult cases.
1T is not surprising that probation
with its present facilities fails to ac-
complish what we might hope for it;
the wonder is that it works at ALL"
was the conclusion he reached.
Relative Cost Cited.
He cited figures to show that Balti-
more spends $25 annually per proba-
TONER but uses $500 every year :c-