The Washington times., 1938-05-12

This is the second OF q series
Of articles outlining the activities
of District Juvenile Court and
pointing to the urgent need for
Increasing the courts present
Inadequate budgetJ
BY JAMES CULLINANE
The burden which District tax
payers are inflicting upon the pro-
baton staff of the nonsupport de-
partment of Juvenile Court is one
which would not be tolerated in
the most notorious sweatshop.
It would not be tolerated in pri-
Vate industry because the burden
Is so great that the department is
not able to operate as efficiently
as it should to pay the highest re-
turns on its investment.
UNTIRING WORK
Only the excellent training and
untiring devotion to their work
displayed by the three men and
one woman who comprise the staff
has enabled it to achieve the re-
markable record it has in recent
years.
BY all the standards of social
work, a probation officer in non
support work cannot efficiently
handle a case load of more than
$50 cases. Yet last year probation
officers in juvenile court were
shouldered with case loads averag-
ing 316 cases and this year the
burden is growing larger.
Almost all of the cases in the
non-Sloport department involve
complaints of a mother that q
father is failing to provide for the
support of his children. There are
some cases which can be settled
By placing the father under court
order to pay his family what is
considered an adequate amount
each week.
But there are other cases, and
they are in the majority, where
the services of q trained proba-
ton officer are necessary in order
to help the father get a job so he
can support his children; adjust
ing debts and perfecting an eQuit-
able budget; make arrangements
for medical care; adjusting diff
ficulties, such as lack of clothing,
which may be keeping his children
out of school, and working out an
arrangement as to the hours the
parents may see their children if
they are living apart.
The probation officers perform
intensive service in the homes
where" husband and wife are living
together and support must be
obtained by court order. The ap-
peal to the court may create
marital i'll feeling, and a separa-
ton might develop which would
be a disadvantage to the children,
unless probation officers handled
the situation tactfully.
"PEACE PACTS"
Large numbers of cases are ad-
justed satisfactorily without for
NAL court action after a confer
ence between the probation officer
and the man and wife involved.
Even greater numbers of cases
would be adjusted in this manner
if the court had an adequate pro
baton staff, it is admitted.
At present, the volume Of cases
Is so large that the officers can
not leave their office to make out
side investigations as often as
they should. Practitioners make
their payments through police pre-
cinct stations, and those who fail
to pay are notified by mail and, if
necessary, are required to report
to the court in person.
When it is necessary for a pro-
baton officer to leave the court.
he is compelled to ride on street
cars and buses, unless he chooses
to use his own automobile at his
own expense. The court budget
is so meager, transportation ia
cilities are limited to a weekly
Street-car pass.
(AnOther article in this series
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