THE PROBATION SYSTEM

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1926, Page 2

THE PROBATION SYSTEM

COMMENCING NEW SCHEME MORE CAREFUL OVERSIGHT. FOUR FULL-TIME OFFICERS. Wellington, Nov. 11. A new departure to materially improve the probation system of New Zealand and bring it into line with the standard set by other countries is at present being undertaken by the Justices Department. The scheme provide© for the division of the Dominion into four special probation districts, noth being under the charge of a resident full time probation officer, who will be responsible for the organisation of hie particular district. An important part will also be played in the new order of things by voluntary associate committees of suitable social workers. It was pointed out in the last probation report that hitherto the Dominion consisted of 181 probation districts and 187 district probation officers, of whom 171 were members of the police force, six were permanent officers of the Prisons Department, four were parttime officers who received an annual houorariuni, and six- were volunteer officers of the Salvation Army, four being women who did duty in each of the four main centres. The probation officer at Auckland was also bailiff and maintenance officer, while in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin the work was done by officials who were linked up with other social service organisations. MORE ATTENTION ESSENTIAL. In Britain and America the view was widely, held that police and prison officials were not the most suited by training and outlook for probation work, but quite apart front that aspect it had to be remembered that the whole of the probation staffs were actually part-time officers and they were too overburdened to devote the requisite individual attention to probationers that was so essential a feature ol the system. Tire result was that the work was less effective) home visitation was rarely practised, and in many instances the probationers reported by letter. “Perfunctory probation,” it was stated, “had as baneful an influence as the condonation of wrongdoing. It brings the system into disrepute with the Courts, it negatives the deterrent, effect on others, and it has a bad moral influence on the offender. It is thus imperative that an effort be made to place the system on a more constructive basis, as there is no doubt that an effectively administered system offers great possibilities for the treatment of delinquency. A merely negative attitude such as requiring the probationer to report at specified times and to place certain restrictions on conduct will accomplish little. A positive and constructive attitude by assisting and befriending the probationer is essential to the achievement of the best results.’ APPLICATIONS BEING CALLED. The Government has now decided to inaugurate a new system. The Dominion will be divided into four special probation districts and applications are being called for the positions of fulltime probation officers, one for each of the four principal centres. Although in the initial stages such officer will confine his activities to the organisation of the probation work of the centre in which he is located, tffe ultimate idea is that he will be responsible for the organisation of the district. It will be his duty to form associate committees of suitable social workers representative of all classes of the community and the various religious denominations so that appropriate individual attention can be given to each offender and to ensure that he be subject to the influence and guidance of one of his own faith. It is contended that a committee would relieve the probation officer of a considerable amount of personal work. Sixty cases, it was generally agreed, are the maximum that one man can effectively deal with and permit of thorough individualism, but by working through a committee defects incurred through overburdening would be overcome. Voluntary organisations had been at work satisfactorily in other parts of the world, and there was no reason why successful co-operation on such lines should. not be secured in the Dominion. The restoration <ff the offender to a sense of normal citizenship was a work of nature whiqlr should appeal to i all who possessed a high sense of public duty and the time to carry it out. It is expected that the four appointments ! will bo announced jt an early date. 1