TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 27, 25 September 1912, Page 4

TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES.

It is over five years since the suggestion was first made that the Pollard system of dealing with inebriates should he introduced into New South Wales, j Under it, the “Telegraph” explains, j offenders are released from custody after signing a pledge, and all records of the case are expunged from the Court books, if the pledge is kept. Several Magistrates in the State looked favourably upon the new proposal, but the matter has been more or less lost sight of recently, until it was brought to the notice of the Minister of Justice by Mr Robertson, S.M., of Dubbo. Mr Hall had inquiries made, and reports are now to hand of 2?J i sentences which have been suspended since 1909 under the Pollard system, In 97 of these, fines were remitted, and the undertakings faithfully carried out. In 67 instances failure was recorded, the fines having to be , enforced. Two defendants died, 18 have never again been, heard of, whilst 40 have not yet completed their period of probation. Mr Hall thinks these figures show a reasonably satisfactory state of affairs, and he is now considering whether the system cannot ht extended generally to first'offenders'.