Evening star., 1934-11-07
Probation Is Held Sound
When Properly applied
Strict Correctional Discipline and Sau.
ing to Public in Prison Maintenace
Are Seen by Authorities.

This is the Sirth OF series OF
articles dealing Dith the Districts
comparatively neD indetermindte
sentence and parole ldws, Which
Uere subjected to criticism in con-
nection NTH the anti-crir,e CAM
pGign.
Recent criticism ofH the Districts
indeterminate sentence and parole
laws again raised the question as to
the soundness of the probation system
in connection with criminal law en-
forcement.
The authorities, particularly those
intimately concerned with admins
tration of the law, are convinced that
probation is an investment in COM
munity protection, that 1t puts men
to work to earn money rather than
in confinement at public expense, and
if properly applied is a measure for
strict correctional discipline.
One of WaShington's strongest sup
porterS of the probation system is
Sanford Bates, director of the Fed
eral Bureau of Prisons of the De-
partment of Justice But he believes
the probation work of the country
will never be a complete success until
it is removed from the realm Of SEN
timentality.
According to Mr.. Bates, probation
was a modern, scientific, humani-
tartan adventure in penology-a SAL
vaging process that not only Salvages
expenditures of many thousands Of
dollars, but saves humanity as we'll.
One dollar invested in good probation
work, he contends, will return in cash
from 81 to 81 in fines collected.
Saves and Encourages.
ut encourages rather than en-
bitters.'' said Mr. Bates. 1T builds
up rather than degrades It saves an
individual for future usefulness
rather than incapacitates him for a
life of industry and probity. It
spares him the stigma of a prison
term or the degradation of a brief
bitter period of idleness in the county
Jail
When one sets out. however, to
evaluate social processes some of the
inherent difficulties soon become ap-
parent. In spite of the many dis
coveries in the realm of psychiatry.
psychoanalysis and behaviorism, We
are still a long way from being able
to apply an accurate yardstick to the
problem OF human conduct and de-
nnquency. There are too many vari-
able factors present.
One reason why we cannot present
more evidence is that probation has
developed on more or less isolated
basis. Every probation officer has
rough idea of the percentage of his
successes, but he rarely follows his
cases after the termination of their
probationary term.
Unfortunately, there are few
States in which there is ar effective
State control and in most of these
the type of information preserved
contains very little more information
than a statement of the number OF
probationers revoked.
Your average probation officer will
tell you that from rs to 95 per cent
of the men taken by him on proba-
IlOll 20 anu Dill liO illOiC' 0dyUC 11C
is right.
Funds for Supervision.
The United States Federal proba-
ton system has but recently been
provided with sufficient funds to Sc
cure reasonably necessary supervision.
At the beginning of the fiscal year
1893. there were 23,200 persons on
probation under the supervision of
the United States probation officers,
17,024 were placed on probation dur
ing that year, leaving the total num-
ber handled, 1896, and the number
under supervision at the end of the
year as 30,967. During that same
year there were 1853 revocations of
probation.
IF one is considering the total ter
limitations of probation this amounts
to Ills per cent, but if the percent
age is based upon the total number
handled, it amounts to 2.9 per cent.
Would these same individuals have
succeeded in the same proportion If
they had been sent to the reforma-
tory? Would they have had as much
success if they had had no probation
supervision whatever? The most that
we can say Is that there is less recidi-