First Offenders' Probation Act.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 12 September 1891, Page 2

First Offenders' Probation Act.

The Inspector of Prisons in his report to Parliament for the year 1890 states :—

It is exceedingly gratifying to be again able to report that this Act continues to work smoothly and well and generally carries out the inten« tions and purport of its introduction ; in fact, the more it becomes known the better it is liked. It has certainly already rescued many from a career of- Grime. Table L shows that during the past year 93 offenders were brought under its pi-ovisions, as against 83 in 3889. Of these, 44 satisfactorily carried out the conditions of their licenses and were discharged, 2 were rearrested and committed to prison, 2 absconded, and 1 died, leaving 44 still under the supervision of the Probation Officers. The amount of costs as ordered to be paid by the various Courts before which these '93 offenders were brought was .£261 Os 5d of which sum £103 4s 9d has been actually paid into the Probation Officers' hands, while the remainder, the greater part of which is not yet due, is being paid by instalments. The approximate cost of keeping these offenders in prison, had not the " Probation Act been in force, would have been about, £2,400, which, if added to the amount of costs actu- „ ally paid, gives a saving of £2,503 4s. 9d. for the year. Since the Act came into force, in October, 1886, 376 persons have been placed on probation, of whom 293 were discharged after having satisfactorily completed the terms of their licenses ; 1 6 were rearrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, 2 died, 5 managed to elude the vigilance of the Probation Officers and absconded, and 60 are still on probation. The Probation Officers continue to take great interest in the working of tbe Act, and their reports, which are generally adopted, are very full and complete, showing zeal, tact, and ability ; and, though they receive no remuneration for their work in con- . nection with thi3 Act, jfcgy- could not, I believe, take more tSodble, or exercise more careful discrimination, even if a substantial salary were m attached to the office. The great argument in favour of this First Offenders' Probation Act is thatit endeavours to work reformation in persons who are only just entering on a dishonest course, and^ are perhaps wavering between the straight or crooked roads. Turning to the reformation under the First Offenders' Probation Act, what do we find ? A steady but sure decrease ot crime, as in 1882 the proportion of prisoners to population was 0-171, while in 1890 it wrs only 0-08^

here is every reason to believe and hope that, the more the judicious exercise of the provisions of the First Offenders' Probation A ct is extended, the greater, in a corresponding degree, will be the decrease of crime.