HV pr thods of Supervising on Probation UC-NRLF SB M7 E1M REPORT OF A COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE NEW YORK STATE PROBATION COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING METHODS OF SUPERVISING PROBATIONERS Published by THE STATE PROBATION COMMISSION Albany, N. Y. mi GIFT F DOCUMENTS DEPT. COMMITTEE ON METHODS OF SUPERVISING PROBATIONERS FRANK E. WADE, President, State Probation Commission, Chairman. EDMOND J. BUTLER, Vice-President, State Probation Commis- sion. JOHN H. FINLEY,* Member, State Probation Commission. MAUDE E. MINER, Member, State Probation Commission. HENRY MARQUAND, Member, State Probation Commission. HOMER FOLKS, f Former President, State Probation Commis- sion. WALTER II. ANGELL, County Probation Officer, Cortiand County. EDWIN J. COOLEY, Chief Probation Officer, Magistrates' Courts, New York City. BERNARD J. FAGAN, Chief Probation Officer, Children's Court, New York City. JAMES A. GARRITY, Chief Probation Officer, City Court, Yonkers. W T M. A. HANDERSEN, County Probation Officer, Orange County. WM. F. HODGE, County Probation Officer, Onondaga County. MADELEINE G. HOOTON, Probation Officer, City Court, Biiig- hamton. WM. A. KILLIP, Chief Probation Officer, Monroe County Chil- dren's Court. FRANCES E. LEITCH, Probation Officer, Court of Special Ses- sions, Brooklyn. JOSEPH P. MURPHY, Chief Probation Officer, Erie County. JAMES J. EYAN, Chief Probation Officer, Court of Special Sessions, New York City. MRS. MAX THALHEIMER, Chief Probation Officer, Court of Special Sessions, Syracuse. WM. E. WILEY, Chief Probation Officer, City Court, Buffalo. CHARLES L. CHUTE, Secretary, State Probation Commission, Secretary. * Commissioner Finley was in Syria engaged in relief work for the GoveiUment at the time this report was prepared: he was unable to review t'ie nru| drift. tMr. Folks resigned as President of the ConlnusMo/ 1 in Juerhaps once a year. At one time it was common for judges to hold a " probation court," usually at night, when all or a sub- stantial number of the persons on probation were required to report in person to the judge at which time they were either discharged from probation, continued on probation, reprimanded if neces- sary, and sometimes sentenced. The assembling of probationers in large numbers and their consequent meeting and mingling seems to be an inevitable part of this system and is doubtless one reason for its discontinuance in many courts. The ]^ew York Court of Special Sessions has for years required all probationers to come before a judge of the court at intervals during the probation period. The court sits to receive reports twice a month in Manhattan, twice a month in Brooklyn, and once a month in the other boroughs. The court is held at night in Man- hattan and Brooklyn. Probationers are brought before it after they have been on probation for about three months. The pro- bationers assemble in a large court room. While they are waiting to report they are under supervision and silence is enforced. As they come in large numbers, however, there is an opportunity for meeting and getting together in groups in going to and coming from the court room. The judge who is selected to hold probation court sits in cham- bers, and the probationers are brought before him, one at a time. The probation officer reviews the case and the judge has a brief, friendly talk with the probationer. He is then either discharged or continued on probation to report at a subsequent date. This return date is left to the discretion of the chief probation officer. By this reporting method judges are kept in touch to some extent with the probationers and the latter are impressed with the seriousness of probation. The judges also keep in touch with the work of the probation officers and are better able to supervise their work. On the other hand there is the evil of bringing together 40 probationers in large numbers and the danger arising from their possible meeting and mingling. An annual probation night has been maintained in the Erie County Court until recently. One is held semi-annually in the Bronx County Court. These, however, are held principally for the discharge of probationers, although some of those brought before the court are continued 011 probation. In each case there is assembling of probationers in large numbers and sometimes a general address by the court. In the New York City Children's Court 'two methods prevail. In Manhattan when the judge places a child on probation for juvenile delinquency no date is fixed in advance for the termina- tion of the probationary supervision. Within a period of between four and six weeks the probation officer submits his first report to the court, and if it is favorable, the child is not required to be in court on that date. The duration of the probationary period depends upon the future progress and condition of the child. The case record is inspected monthly by a deputy chief probation offi- cer, and if at any time during this period the child fails to comply with the terms of probation or misbehaves in any way, the officer will bring him back before the court as often as may be necessary, either for the purpose of admonishment by the judge or for a reconsideration of the question of his commitment. When in the opinion of the probation officer the time has arrived for the discharge of the child, the case is presented to the ^chief or deputy chief probation officer for advice, and if approved by the supervisor the case is placed on the calendar for review and dis- position by the judge who placed the child on probation. When this report is submitted the child is requested to appear before the judge in chambers, after school hours in the case of school chil- dren. For the convenience of working children evening proba- tion sessions are held. In the Brooklyn court return dates are fixed by the judge but the children are not brought before him except in special instances for reprimand or for other reasons. The probation officer reports to the judge in private upon the progress and condition of each case monthly. Case histories are submitted and each case is dis- cussed thoroughly with the judge. 41 In many other courts probation officers are instructed to have their probationers come before the judge to be discharged. This is usually done in the judge's chambers, either at the end of a stated period or when the probation officer recommends that they should be discharged. Probationers when not doing well are often brought before the court for reprimand during their proba- tion period. On the other hand, there are many courts which leave the entire supervision and discharge of probationers to the probation officer. The cooperation and sympathy of the judge is needed by the probation officer. Some contact with the probation- ers, particularly at the time of discharge, is generally considered advisable. The practice of placing persons on probation for an indefinite period, to be determined by the character and conduct of the probationer, is becoming increasingly common in the State, espe- cially in children's cases. All probation periods are indetermin- ate in the ^Tew York City Children's Court and Court of Special Sessions, the Monroe County Children's Court, the Albany County Court and others. By this method discharge from probation must be earned and the probation officer is allowed to exercise more discretion as to the needs of the individual case. SPECIAL METHODS OF SUPERVISION BY PROBATION OFFICERS From all that goes before, it seems clear that the performing of a great variety of constructive services adapted to the needs of each individual is a most essential part of probation supervision. Many of the services commonly rendered by probation officers have already been referred to. In addition, the following are examples of special help given : Finding new living quarters for the family ; Sending probationer to the country; Securing homes ; Arranging for loans; Teaching mothers how to care for their children; Securing credit from landlords; Securing legal advice; Helping probationers save money; showing them how to plan meals; how to buy; accompanying them while shop- ping; 42 Taking them to places of amusement and libraries; Finding better boarding places; guaranteeing payment of board ; Securing salary increases; Giving rides in automobile (children) ; Placing girls in trade schools for special training ; Having boards of health improve sanitary conditions; Giving instruction in shorthand and typewriting; Giving personal instructions to probationers preparing for examination. As this report deals only -with the supervision of probationers, no mention is made of the many and varied services performed by probation officers in cases investigated or taken under unofficial supervision but not placed on probation. Much of this work is an integral part of the probation officers' daily duties, though assumed voluntarily and without extra compensation. Through such methods probation officers often keep persons out of court thus accomplishing many of the results of probation without any stigma of arrest or notoriety. Probation officers also do a very valuable service in assisting probationers after they are discharged from probation. By this volunteer service the treatment of cases is continued and made more effective. PART III. PROBATION METHODS IN OTHER STATES The data collected concerning methods of probation supervision in states other than New York consists of the following: 1. Information secured through a written questionnaire con- taining fourteen questions covering the important methods of supervision; fifty complete schedules were received covering the work in as many courts or groups of courts. Among these prac- tically all the large cities in the country are represented as well as some smaller places. 2. Personal investigations by the Secretary of the methods employed in sixteen courts located in the cities of Chicago, Phila- delphia, St. Louis, Boston, Cambridge and Worcester, Mass., Minneapolis and St. Paul and Kansas City. The investigation 43 comprised interviews with probation officers, judges and other persons, inspection of records and personal observations. The data collected from the above sources covers the w r ork of probation officers in fifty-nine separate courts or groups of courts located in practically all the large cities of the country outside of New York State, and covers also the work of county and dis- trict offices in many small towns and rural districts. In the study are included twenty-five courts handling children only, sixteen handling adults only, and eighteen courts handling both juveniles and adults. These courts are located in twenty-six dif- ferent states. Although the schedules sent out were necessarily brief and it was not possible to spend a large amount of time in any of the investigations, a fairly accurate analysis of the expe- rience of probation officers in various parts of the country in regard to the principal method of supervising probationers is made possible. VISITS BY PROBATION OFFICERS Visits to the homes of probationers are generally recognized as the most important feature of probation supervision. How- ever, judging from the replies received from probation officers all over the country and from the personal investigations made, there is little consistency in the rules or methods of various offices in this respect. A great many officers do not live up to the standards which they themselves set. In the courts dealing with children, home visits are generally more frequent and regular than in the adult courts. A great many officers, especially in the large city courts dealing with adults, state that they are utterly unable to visit their cases as frequently as they should because too many cases are placed under their supervision. Pour courts reported making visits to the homes of probationers once a week. In sixteen courts, the standard for visits is once a month. Several offices reported daily visits in new cases, others being visited weekly, monthly or not at all. One officer states that the homes of some probationers are visited once a week, but the majority are seldom visited. Another says: " Cases are visited only when necessary " ; another says : " Visiting depends 011 circumstances and the number of cases." One officer states that he visits the homes of probationers " once or twice a year " ; 44 several officers say that they visit in general only when com- plaints are received. One officer states that it is impossible to visit homes except on request of the court, due to the large terri- tory covered. Several officers state that when in their judgment probationers are doing well, no visits are made; that visits are made because of complaints, failure to report, or when it is believed that the probationer is going wrong. One chief probation officer says : " Owing to no help and the number of cases handled, I have not been able to visit homes to any extent ; I believe a visit to the home once a month would be a benefit in some cases." Many courts report that owing to an inadequate number of officers, visits were being neglected. For instance, one large city office handling a thousand adult probationers, mostly convicted of fel- onies, has only a chief probation officer and two assistants to carry on all of the routine office work and supervise the probationers. One officer in adult cases believes that he can keep informed in regard to his cases without much visiting. He professes to believe that more harm than good may be done to probationers by frequent visiting. Replies received from many officers show that constructive plans are worked out in connection with home visits. The officers endeavor to go as friendly visitors and seek the cooperation of all members of the family. In. the Philadelphia Municipal Court, Juvenile Division, .the officers report that they attempt to cover the following when visiting the family of a child: (1) To advise the mother regarding the care of her home, especially as to the proper buying and preparation of food ; (2) To supervise the family's health, especially as to eyes, throat and dental condition of the children; to advise regarding bathing, fresh air, sleeping arrangements, and proper kind of work, urging institutional care for feeble-minded children, insane, active tubercular, or syphilitic; (3) To see that all children of school age attend school regu- larly and when children reach working age to aid them in securing advantageous work ; (4) To interest relatives, church, settlement clubs and recrea- tional centers; (5) To give special attention to any abnormal or misunder- stood children in the family ; 45 (6) If a family support order is standing, to see that it is paid regularly. More or less of the same sort of work is done in the courts of other cities and should be carried out in visiting the homes of adult as well as juvenile probationers. Probation officers report securing valuable information through home visits which they would not otherwise have obtained regard- ing the character, habits and condition of the probationer and the family and neighborhood conditions. Many officers reported securing the friendly cooperation of the probationer's family by these visits. Parents are made to understand their responsibili- ties; domestic relations problems are adjusted; home conditions are improved ; delinquency and neglect in other members of the family are prevented and probationers are made to change their habits and conduct. REPORTING BY PROBATIONERS From the written replies received, it appears that forty-eight out of the fifty offices heard from require regular reporting by their probationers in most cases. The two courts heard from which have no reporting system are the Seattle Juvenile Court and the Louisville Juvenile Court. Of the fourteen courts personally investigated, eleven have regular reporting. The three which do not are the Boston Munic- ipal Court, the Boston Superior Court and the Chicago Juvenile Court. The above classification is an approximate one. Of the courts included among those which have regular reporting, a number allow many exceptions and some state that they have no general rule on the subjeet, but use reporting according to individual needs. Among these may be mentioned the following: In the District of Columbia Juvenile Court, children under fourteen, with very few exceptions, are not required to report ; the officers endeavor to visit them more frequently instead. Working children over fourteen years of age report regularly, the frequency of reporting being determined by the probation officer. In the Los Angeles Juvenile Court, cases are treated " accord- ing to need." Young children, children 011 probation for trivial offenses and children whom the officers do not wish to come to the downtown office are not required to report. 46 In the Minneapolis Municipal Courts, men with families are usually not required to report. Their wives often report for them. Among the courts referred to above as not requiring reporting, only the Boston Municipal Court and the Boston Superior Court have done away with the system entirely. The three juvenile courts cited, namely, Chicago, Seattle, and Louisville, all have reporting by children in some instances, but not as a general rule. In the Chicago Juvenile Court, the matter of reporting is left largely to the individual officer, but the policy of the department has been to discourage it. Most of the officers have abandoned reporting except in special instances. One of the reasons given was the manifest evil of group reporting. A few of the officers dealing with delinquent boys still maintain regular reporting, using Settlement houses in their districts. The only rule enforced is that all probationers shall be seen by their probation officers at least once a month. Girls over twelve years of age, who have been placed out in family homes, meet their probation officers once or twice a month at designated places outside the court house. It is found that the girls are more inclined to tell the officer if things are not going well than if seen only in their foster homes. In Seattle, regular visits by children to their officers are encouraged, but are not compulsory. Chief Probation Officer Lilburn Merrill states : " Children who manifest a keen friendli- ness toward members of the staff are encouraged to visit at the probation office on regular intervals. Among working boys the visits are usually limited to one evening a week. School boys call Saturday mornings, or at other times by appointment. This office visitation is usually limited to children whose parents assure us that the youngsters anticipate the visit with a friendly motive." The Louisville Juvenile Court states that reporting is used only when the officers have too many cases to visit frequently. Truants and girls working out in families are usually required to report. In most of the courts where reporting has been abandoned to a greater or less extent there does not appear to be more frequent visiting of probationers than in courts where regular reporting is 47 maintained. In most of these, there appears to be no substitute provided to take the place of reporting as a means of supervision. In the Boston Municipal Court, where there is no reporting as n rule, the field probation officers at the time of this investigation averaged more than two hundred probationers apiece. The rule of this office is that homes of probationers b visited once a month. On account of the large number of probationers under supervision visits are brief and the probationer is generally not seen. In the Boston Superior Court, where there is no reporting, the rule is that probationers shall be visited monthly, but this is not always possible on account of the large number of cases under each officer. It appears that a large majority of the probation officers throughout the country maintain a regular system of reports. Fifty-four out of fifty-nine separate courts covered by this study had reporting. Of these, twenty-four require weekly reports as a general rule ; twelve require weekly, bi-weekly or monthly reports, according to the case ; five reported bi-weekly reports ; six, monthly reports; sevm officers had no general rule. In Detroit, the pro- bation officer requires adults to report daily if not working. In the San Francisco Juvenile Court, boys report weekly at first, then monthly, and later are excused from reporting ; girls do not report, except in special cases. In the San Francisco adult probation office, weekly reporting is the rule. In the Philadelphia Juvenile Court, most delinquent children are required to report weekly to district offices. When good behavior warrants, this is changed to once a month. Numerous exceptions to rules requiring reporting are made. The following are among the most common: Six courts excuse young children from reporting; four courts do not require girls to report ; probationers living outside the city are usually allowed to report by letter. Other exceptions made are for mothers of families; in cases of extreme poverty where carfare would be required ; neglected children ; in case of illness ; where the offense committed was trivial. Many officers require less frequent reports in certain cases, especially for good behavior. Night workers are usually allowed to report in the daytime. Two officers allow some other member 48 of the family to report for a probationer who is working. One officer stated that he did not allow reports over the telephone. The majority of the officers receive their probationers at the probation office which is usually located in the same building as the court. Several officers had probationers report at their homes ; a number used schools, settlement houses, or the offices of private charitable organizations. In the larger cities, district offices are used. Better results follow where reporting is at district offices rather than in or in connection with the court building. Most officers see their own cases alone. However, there are exceptions, especially where a large number are on probation with one officer. In several courts certain probationers are required to report to police officers. In the St. Paul probation office which serves for the juvenile, municipal and district courts, all proba- tioners report to the chief probation officer or his deputy and not to the individual officers. In the Chicago Municipal Court, a clerk attached to the probation office frequently receives proba- tioners' reports in the absence of the probation officer having the cases in charge. The substance of the report is taken down in duplicate, one copy of which is handed to the officer. J^oiie of these methods is felt to be a satisfactory substitute for personal reports to the probation officer in charge of the case. In certain of the larger juvenile courts, notably Philadelphia, women officers supervise and receive reports from boys on pro- bation. In adult courts, men almost invariably are supervised by men officers. School children usually report in the daytime, work- ing boys and men in the evening. The assembling of probationers is generally regarded as an evil to be avoided as much as possible. Twenty^six courts report no assembling; the others have more or less of it. In some courts it is avoided to a large extent by the use of district offices, probationers coming on different days or in shifts. On the other hand, in some courts reports are received in one large room, necessitating the assembling of large groups of probationers. In the Boston Juvenile Court, reporting is decentralized, sev- eral settlement houses or other offices throughout the city being used. Daytime reports, are received at the court. At the settle- ment houses where most of the boys report, the probation officer 49 has an assistant who keeps them under supervision while awaiting to report. The probation officers believe that regular reporting has a good influence on boys and is indispensable. In the St. Louis Juvenile Court, reporting is at the central office. Probation officers receive children on different nights, each having a separate room. Boys are instructed to come at dif- ferent hours. Girls in general do not report. In the Minneapolis Juvenile Court, the probation officers state that most of the assembling has been avoided by having boys report at settlement houses or other offices in each district throughout the city. The girls do not report. Probation officers report that they receive information from probationers regarding school attendance, work, wages and con- duct. Most of the officers endeavor to establish friendly personal relations. Some interesting opinions regarding the results obtained from reporting are given. The majority of the officers state that good results are obtained, contact is established and a better acquaintance and understanding follow. One officer states that he finds reporting useful in teaching obedience and discip- line. Another, that " it acts as a stimulus," another " gives an opportunity to study probationers." Seventeen officers state that bad results follow reporting when statements made by probationers are not verified by visits ; others say that bad results follow if boys and girls are allowed to report in groups, '^when there is too much of the court and not enough of the friend ; " " when costs have to be collected by the pro- bation officers ; " " when reporting is more or less perfunctory ; " " when untruths are told and efforts are not made to verify statements." Other probation officers thought that reporting was bad for girls and sensitive children. Twenty-seven offices require written reports from " out-of-town cases," or when personal reporting is otherwise impossible. Many require written reports from school children in regard to attend- ance and conduct. They must be signed by the teacher and sometimes by the parent. Special parents' reports are used in some of the juvenile courts for incorrigible children. The bring- ing of reporting cards to be marked by the probation officer is common in most of the probation offices. Some offices, for 50 example, St. Paul, require all probationers reporting to fill out a written blank. Many officers state that written reports alone are unsatisfactory and should be used only when personal reporting is impossible. OTHER FACTORS IN SUPERVISION EMPLOYMENT Probation officers in many sections of the country lay special stress on assisting probationers to get suitable employment. A few officers who handle adults, however, contend that it has greater educational effect to let the probationer get his own employment. Eight courts maintain employment bureaus in charge of special officers; some of these do more or less vocational guidance work. In the Chicago adult probation office, one probation officer gives his entire time to securing employment for probationers. A card catalog, containing a large number of -names of employers who have consented to employ probationers, is kept. All probationers are helped to get jobs if needed and they are followed up to see if they keep employed. In the Court of Domestic Relations of Cincinnati, a business men's organization aids probation officers in finding employment for probationers. This organization has secured a list of men willing to employ boys who are on probation. In the Juvenile Court of San Francisco employment is secured " by running ads in daily papers, through cooperation of the Juvenile Protective Association, through employment bureaus and social agencies, and through the efforts of two probation officers, a man and a woman, whose largest responsibility is to secure employment for all of the working probationers of the court. " COOPERATION The offices heard from or visited generally recognize that effec- tive supervision cannot be maintained without the cooperation of many agencies, particularly schools in children's cases, charitable agencies and physicians. Good cooperation with these agencies was reported from many courts. Juvenile courts especially report much valuable assistance from public and private agencies in their communities. One officer, however, believes that teachers 51 are apt to be too severe and repel probationers, and that " as a rule there is too much red-tape with charitable organizations.' 7 The chief probation officer of the Seattle Juvenile Court, report- ing on cooperation with schools says: "A close, fraternal coopera- tion is encouraged by the officials of the court with school authori- ties. Social statements and recommendations are uniformly solicited from teachers and principals regarding their pupils who are called into court. The school medical clinic provides surgical and medical treatment with promptness and efficiency at our request. School attendance officers handle many disciplinary cases by school probationary supervision, and cases brought by them into court usualy require institutional treatment.' 7 The chief probation officer of the San Francisco Juvenile Court says : " We cooperate with the School Department in matters of truancy to prevent arrests or appearance before the court on petition, handling these matters in the office and in about 90 per cent of the cases remedying the situation without need of formal court order. 77 The chief probation officer of the Juvenile Court of the District of Columbia says : " School authorities cooperate in every way possible, the main thing being to report to us before ten o'clock every day the number of probationers out of school. A number of physicians have voluntarily made physical examinations for us for the pasj: four years. Charitable, organizations cooperate fully. We use the Confidential Exchange in every case. 77 Most juvenile courts and some adult courts register with a con- fidential exchange usually maintained by a charitable society. Good cooperation with the police is reported from some courts handling adults. Police-women where they exist are of great assistance. From Fresno County, California, the county proba- tion officer reports having enlisted " the sympathy of the Police Commissioners and Chief, real help is secured in ' silent super- vision ' of adult probationers ; it is risky if the department is not in full sympathy." Many officers, especially in juvenile courts, report receiving excellent assistance from physicians. Physicians connected with the schools, health departments, and those in hospitals and private practice are used. In Minneapolis, the services of school psycholo- 52 gists are used; hospitals cooperate; the services of a free dental clinic are given ; a local optician makes examinations free of charge and provides glasses at a minimum cost. Many courts are alive to the importance of physical and mental diagnosis. The chief probation officer of the Louisville Juvenile Court reports : " Two physicians, a man and a woman, are present in the probation offices for an hour before court convenes. A visiting nurse who is a paid probation officer is present when the examinations are made. The nurse follows up cases requiring medical attention, securing for them the best service from public hospitals and clinics. Frequently, if it is desirable, private physi- cians and hospitals give assistance." The chief probation officer of the Juvenile Court of San Fran- cisco writes: "All the departments of the court work on the theory that physical well-being as well as ' keep busy ' is essential to successful probation. Given a normal mentality our first effort is to cure any physical defects existing. Our new building con- tains its own clinic and hospital departments which are directed by regular physicians and psychologists from the University of California Hospital." The county probation office of Hudson County, New Jersey, which handles both adults and juveniles has tw r o probation officers who are trained nurses. These women advise mothers in regard to the care of their children and help them to secure proper medi- cal aid. Other cooperating agencies especially mentioned are Big Brother organizations and the Boy Scouts. Local Big Brother organizations are used extensively by the juvenile courts. Good results are reported when the work of the Big Brothers is kept under supervision by the paid officers. A probation officer of the Denver Juvenile Court reports good results from the cooperation of Big Brothers, but finds it better to have all probationers placed under the direct supervision of the court, thus using the Big Brothers to supplement the work of paid officers. Volunteer probation officers are used in many courts especially in children's cases, but are not relied upon to anything like the same extent that they were in the early history of the movement. They are now used principally to supplement the efforts of an 53 inadequate, paid probation staff. One chief probation officer has abandoned the use of volunteers of all kinds and finds that " the only supervision that can be relied on is that which is given by the paid probation officer." In the Adult Criminal Courts of Balti- more, a special department of volunteer service is maintained. Volunteers are used in the Milwaukee Juvenile Court which reports that good results are obtained when the volunteers work under the direct supervision of paid officers. Trained volunteers or friendly visitors do most of the follow-up work in connection with the probation cases. In the St. Paul Juvenile Court, volun- teer officers are relied upon to furnish most of the supervision of children on probation. The system has not been found altogether satisfactory. The Louisville Juvenile Court uses the services of volunteers connected with the Children's Protective Association. This >i utilization maintains its own office, but works in close coopera- tion with the probation officers of the court. Several courts report good results in boys' cases by using the Boy Scout organization. The probation officers in the Kansas City Juvenile Court make use of a Boys' Hotel. Boys on probation, where the home environ- ment is not good, are placed in this hotel. The boys are closely supervised by a competent man and are required either to work or go to school. The hotel has a night school for working boys and is located in the best residential section of the city. THE RELATION OF JUDGES TO SUPERVISION The relations of judges to probationers differs greatly in vari- ous courts. In many courts the entire care of probationers is in the hands of the probation officers. In the Chicago Juvenile Court, except in cases returned to court for commitment, the probation officers determine the length of the probation period and make the final discharge. The same is true in the Phila- delphia Municipal Court. In the Boston Juvenile Court probationers are discharged by the judge. In the Denver Juvenile Court boys report every other Saturday morning to the judge. PAKT IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS On the basis of the facts brought out in this study, the Com- mittee offers the following conclusions and recommendations as to the relative values of the various methods of supervision. The attempt is here made to set forth a rational program for super- vising probationers. As was stated at the start, the fact must not be lost sight of that probation is individual treatment, that it is difficult to make general rules. The varying situations which confront probation officers in their work must be taken into account. An ideal system cannot be carried out if probation officers do not receive proper support and cooperation from their judges or from others with whom they must work; if they are not given proper offices, equip- ment, expense money, and adequate salaries; and if an insufficient number of officers is provided. This last condition seems to be the rule rather than the exception throughout the country. Probation has met with approval and success and has been increasingly used in dealing with court cases without a corres- ponding increase in the staff of workers. Probation officers in many courts are each attempting to supervise from one hundred to four hundred probationers in addition to special work. The situation is especially serious in the courts dealing with ad silt cases in the larger cities; these are the courts which handle non- support and other family problems, and the most difficult criminal cases. The children's courts, however, and courts in smellier places are suffering more or less from the same evil of over-loaded pro- bation staffs. The situation is full of menace to the successful development of the probation system. Facts must be faced and serious efforts put forth in every community where this condition exists to secure an adequate number of officers. As this study is confined to the subject of methods of super- vising persons upon probation, it is possible to refer but briefly to other important duties of probation officers which are related to the supervision of probationers. Preliminary investigation is one of these. Thorough and satisfactory probation work is diiii- cult if not impossible without a proper investigation of the facts and circumstances in each case at the start. This should be made 55 before a person is placed upon probation. There is a certain advantage in having the investigation made by the officer who subsequently supervises the probationer, but in a large probation staff this is not always practicable. Too great emphasis cannot be placed upon the importance of having the salient facts regard- ing the probationer, his family, his past history, and his present environment, in the hands of the probation officer when he begins his supervisory work. The making of investigations preliminary to court action has a very important bearing upon the selection of proper persons for probation, which is a prerequisite to successful work by the pro- bation officer. If persons are placed on probation who are hard- ened offenders or who for other reasons need institutional treat- ment and who will not or cannot cooperate with the probation officer in his efforts to help them, no methods can be devised which will make the probation plan successful. The placing of unfit persons on probation can usually be avoided if the probation officer is given an opportunity to investigate and recommend to the judge. If, however, an investigation cannot be made in advance of the placing of a person on probation, it is important that the officer make a thorough investigation as soon as possible after he receives the probationer. Investigation reports to a judge should be treated as confi- dential communications and should not be made public. Placing a probation officer on the witness stand in the trial of a person who may be placed under his supervision is open to serious criticism. Another important factor in probation work Avhich has a direct, bearing on successful supervision is the keeping of complete work- able case records. The important facts secured in the preliminary investigation should be permanently recorded and filed for con- venient reference while dealing with the case. All subsequent important data should be recorded and a chronological record of reports, visits and all other happenings in the case should be entered on a convenient blank. Everything that occurs in the supervision of a case, including the dates of all reports and visits and all important information obtained, should be entered in the field note-book or upon cards to be transferred to the permanent case history blanks. All records and blanks used in supervising a 56 case should be filed in a folder or envelope for convenient refer- ence. A proper system of receipts and ledger accounts should be used for all financial transactions. The importance of complete records in the proper supervision of cases is often overlooked by probation officers. The proper supervision of the work of the individual probation officers by a chief probation officer and also by the judge of the court is another most important matter in developing a proper system of case supervision. Regular reports to the chief probation officer or the court are necessary. Frequent consultation of pro- bation officers with their supervising chiefs regarding troublesome probationers and the various details of their work is most essen- tial. The cordial cooperation of the various members of the pro- bation staff is also necessary. Weekly conferences by members of the staff at which common problems and difficult, probation cases are discussed are desirable. Sufficiently long periods of probation to enable a probation offi- cer to work out constructive plans are necessary. Usually one year is required to secure effective results. The period necessary to accomplish the best results depends, however, upon the circum- stances of each individual case. For this reason, the indeterminate period of probation is being increasingly used. Under this system no period of probation is fixed in advance other than the maximum provided by law. The probationer earns his discharge which is determined by the court depending upon his progress and gener- ally upon the recommendation of the probation officer. This plan is recommended for all courts. Another essential factor of any successful probation system is vigorous enforcement of the conditions of probation. Complaints should be promptly investigated; violations dealt with promptly. The power of the court should be invoked for reprimand and for punishment when the welfare of the probationer as well as the protection of society and the moral effect upon other probationers demand this. Probation is to some extent a sifting process. Unfitness for probation cannot always be determined at the start. The officer must do his best with the material which he receives from the court, but as soon as he is firmly convinced of the unfit- ness of the probationer for further probationary treatment ther? should be no hesitancy about returning the case to court. 57 It is an important cliity of probation officers to see to it that everything possible is done to secure the return of absconders or those who seek to escape supervision. While the apprehension and arrest of adults in these cases is usually performed by the police, probation officers should give the police all the assistance possible. Many officers delay, too long in following up such cases and too readily wash their hands of all responsibility. The number of probationers which an officer should have under his supervision at one time is an important consideration. It depends upon a number of factors: The class of probationers, the distance they live from the probation office, work which the officer may have to perform in addition to supervision, and other circumstances. In general, officers handling children are given fewer cases to supervise, but this may largely be due to the fact that adult probation has not been developed as intensively as juvenile probation. Many adult cases, particularly those involv- ing domestic relations, require as much attention as children's cases. The probation officers of New York State by unanimous vote at their annual State Conference in 1917, recommended as a stand- ard that not more than an average of fifty cases should be under the supervision of a probation officer at any one time, assuming that the officer is giving his entire time to the supervision of these cases. If the officer also makes preliminary investigations or has special duties, such as attendance at court, clerical or preventive work, the number of cases should be less than fifty. It is recom- mended that this standard be adopted generally throughout the country. Coming to actual methods in the supervision of cases, the recom- mendations which follow are made on the assumption that proba- tion officers are working under approximately the conditions above described, namely: that they have a reasonable number of prop- erly selected probationers and that they are able to give them adequate attention. x. FIRST INTERVIEW As soon as possible after the court places either a child or an adult on probation, it is important that the probation officer should see the probationer entirely alone and explain carefully the general and special conditions of probation. A probation 5S card should be given to the probationer at this time which shall state the conditions of probation and serve as a constant reminder of them. 2. FIRST VISITS The next step in supervision should in most cases be a visit to the probationer's home to be made as soon as possible after proba- tion begins. This should be followed by visits to other places to secure as much additional information as possible and to get in touch with all who may cooperate. 3. PLAN OF PROBATION Following the preliminary visits the probation officer should formulate a plan of probation. This should include a plan for supervision and contact with the probationer, suggestions as to the probationer's work, recreation and mode of life. These are subject to modification as probation progresses. 4. SUBSEQUENT HOME VISITS In general homes or places of residence of probationers should be visited once in two weeks ; the frequency of the home visit must, however, depend to some extent upon the circumstances in the individual case. When special efforts are being made to recon- struct a home, as in certain children's and domestic relations cases, or when for other reasons especially close supervision is desirable, certain homes should be visited once a week or even oftener. If the probationer is believed to be doing badly special visits may be necessary. Less frequent visits may be needed when probationers are doing exceptionally well and for other reasons. If homes of proba- tioners are located at a distance from the probation office or are otherwise inaccessible, or if the probation officer is over-loaded with cases or special work, the proposed standard of bi-weekly visits must necessarily be relaxed in selected cases. Occasionally a probationer should not be visited at all. The regular home visit, however, is a precaution and an opportunity which should not generally be omitted even if the probation officer believes that there is no information that he can secure by continued visits, or that his influence is not needed in a given home. It is the great opportunity of the probation officer to learn the truth about 59 the probationer's conduct, to gain the cooperation of those who are most likely to be sincerely interested in his welfare, and to strengthen and develop the good influences which usually center around the home. Visits should not be too hurried. The results sought cannot be obtained in that way. As many members of the family as pos- sible should be seen and in some instances the mother, father or wife of the probationer should be seen alone. The probationer, of course, should be seen if possible, sometimes alone and some- times together with his family. Facts about the whole family should be secured as, for instance: work, wages, health, recrea- tions, hours, habits, home conditions and neighborhood conditions. Important new facts should be noted down and appear upon the cuxe record. The officer should use tact in obtaining information, should go as a friendly visitor, and should endeavor to make His visits welcome. Nowhere does the personality of the probation officer count more than in a home visit. Visits should be made, if possible, when those members of the family \vhom it is most important to see are most likely to be at home. Visits should not be annuonced in advance, though in special instances, in order to meet the probationer or some member of the family whom it is otherwise difficult to find, an appointment may be made. Sometimes it is important to see the probationer at his homeland sometimes it is more important to see his mother, father or wife. As it is difficult to find male members of the family at home in the daytime, evening visits are at times essen- tial. They may be advisable also in certain cases where daytime visits are found to be causing injurious neighborhood gossip. The officer should select with care those homes where evening visits are most essential and should spend, if possible, one evening each week in making them. E. OTHER VISITS Visits to other places than the home are necessary. The needs of the individual and the attitude of the persons visited must determine the frequency of these visits. Relatives should fre- quently be visited to obtain information and special cooperation. Friends and acquaintances should be visited in some instances 60 for the same reasons. Neighbors should be visited only if neces- sary or when a neighbor is also a friend. Visits to neighbors should be made with great care not to injure the reputation of the probationer or his family or start injurious gossip. Boarding- house keepers, janitors and tradesmen sometimes give valuable information. Places which the probationer is accustomed to fre- quent, where friends or acquaintances of the probationer may be seen, often repay visits. Employers should be visited when they are cooperating or know the probationer's history. They should be visited occasionally in other cases if this can be done without jeopardizing the probationer's employment. In making visits to employers, as well as to neighbors, acquaintances and sometimes even to friends and relatives, as far as possible information con- cerning offenses committed or the relation of the officer to the probationer should not be given. In many of these visits, information is the principal object sought. In other visits special cooperation or assistance is desired. Where this is the case, it is important to arouse interest and gain the good-will of the person visited by a most tactful and friendly approach. , 6. REPORTING ' Except in special instances, every probationer should be required to report to the probation officer once each week, if pos- sible, at least for the first six months of probation. Thereafter, selected probationers who are doing well and whose supervision can safely be relaxed, may be permitted to report once in two weeks. Sometimes, where the term of probation is long, reports may be allowed once in three weeks toward the end of the pro- bation period. Certain classes of probationers, especially children where neglect of parents rather than delinquency prevails and per- sons who for physical reasons are unable to report may not be required to report at all. On the other hand, some probationers should report once a week throughout their whole probation period, and occasionally where special discipline or supervision is required should report oftener. The probationer's residence must be taken into consideration in requiring reports. There is, of course, a limit to the distance which a probationer should be required to travel to see his officer. 61 If it is impossible for the officer to arrange a reporting station within reasonable distance of his probationer, written reports should be substituted for personal reports and more frequent home visits made. When it is necessary to use written reports instead of personal reports a special blank should be furnished to the probationer with instructions for filling it out. This should be sent to the officer once a week, and should be endorsed by a responsible rela- tive or other person who will assist the officer in supervision. Keceipts for money paid at home under court orders, or money paid as restitution or fines should be required. Weekly written reports on attendance and conduct should be received from teachers. Weekly reports from parents on blanks furnished by the probation officer are useful, particularly in cases of incorrigible children. The place for receiving reports is important. They should not be received in a court-room or a police station* in any case and if possible not in any room adjoining either of the above. They should be received in private and all publicity should be avoided. An outer waiting room and an inner office where the probation officer and the probationer may meet entirely alone are required. Sometimes the use of several offices by one officer is desirable. Arrangements may be made to secure rooms in schoolhouses, set- tlement houses, or private business offices. If several officers use one office they should receive reports at different hours. In large cities, or wherever a considerable area is served by several proba- tion officers working together, the district system is advisable. Where this is established, the probation officer should receive his reports in one or more offices located in his district. Every possible precaution should be exercised to prevent pro- bationers from mingling or meeting each other before, during, or after reporting. To avoid this the probation officer must exercise constant vigilance. Probationers should be instructed to come at different hours on the reporting day or night. Half- hour periods may be fixed and every effort should be made to require probationers to report promptly within the periods assigned. If probationers must wait to report, they should be 62 under observation while waiting; they should be instructed not to come to or leave the probation office in company with other pro- bationers and not to converse with others while waiting. Children and adults should never report at the same time and place; male and female probationers should not report together. Probation officers should not attempt to receive too many pro- bationers in one evening. In this way reports become hurried and perfunctory and probationers assemble. Two or more even- ings each week may be required unless some probationers can report in the daytime. Interviews with probationers should be long enough for a good- heart-to-heart talk. Some probationers can be disposed of more quickly than others, but at least ten minutes per case is usually needed.' The successful probation officer knows best how to adapt his interviews to the needs of the probationer. Every interview should promote mutual acquaintance and if possible friendliness. Firmness, but not 'severity, should prevail. Inquiry regarding work, recreation, habits, home conditions and many other matters touching on the probationer's conduct and progress should be made. The information secured from reporting depends upon the probation officer's tact, resourcefulness and ability in asking questions. All information secured should be checked up after- wards by the home visit, the telephone call, or otherwise. A record of all reports together with any important information secured should be entered on the probation case history. The probationer's report is an opportunity for the officer to get acquainted and to bring friendly personal influence to bear, for making the probationer understand that probation means business, for giving helpful advice, and for planning and applying the many personal services which the particular case demands. A study of each probationer to learn his special aptitudes and what special needs and deficiencies the probation officer can help to supply, should be made in connection with the reporting. Stereotyped advice, admonitions, orders or threats usually fail of their objects," establishing a friendly basis of contact, kindly counsel and per- sonal service, generally bring results. 7. COOPERATION Visits should be made to all agencies where cooperation may be secured. Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Humane Societies and other organizations doing probation, protective or preventive work should give and receive much cooperation. Volunteer probation officers if carefully selected may be used with discretion to make visits and perform special services under the direction of the salaried probation officer. The assistance of volunteers is espe- cially valuable when the staff of salaried officers is inadequate and when probationers are scattered over a large area, as in rural work. Where competent volunteers are secured to visit cases less frequent visits by the salaried officer may be made but as a rule the probation officer should never turn over the entire supervision of a probationer to any volunteer. The fullest cooperation of teachers, attendance officers and school authorities should be sought in cases of school children 011 probation. School authorities should be encouraged to deal with truants without court action as long as possible. Teachers should be requested to send to the probation officer reports of attendance and conduct on blanks furnished by the officer. They should also be visited and conferences held with teachers, attendance officers, and school authorities. In general, the rule should be followed that the probation office should not undertake services for probationers or their families which other agencies are better equipped to furnish. Public or private relief agencies should be called upon to give emergency relief or regular allowances when necessary. There should be a full exchange of information. To this end, in order to promote cooperation and avoid duplication of effort, probation cases should be registered with a confidential, social service exchange if one exists. Clergymen, church visitors and Sunday school teachers who may be helpful in bringing the probationer or members of his family into church organizations, solemnizing a pledge, or secur- ing relief. Care should be exercised to see that the churches from, which cooperation is sought be of the same religious faith as that of the probationer. The potent influence of religion should be utilized as far as possible in bringing restraining and uplifting 64 influences to bear and in transforming and building up the char- acter of the probationer. Settlements, clubs and all other organizations which may help in building up the probationer's character by furnishing recrea- tion, instruction and good companionship, keeping him from harmful occupations and associations should be utilized as much as possible. 8. THE COURT AND SUPERVISION The court in placing a person on probation assumes the responsi- bility and retains the authority to deal with him subsequently. To the probation officer as the representative of the court is dele- gated the actual care of the probationer, and he usually decides whether the probationer should be brought back to court for discharge or for reprimand or sentence. Judges should be kept informed of the progress of probationers and of the work done by probation officers by means of frequent reports and consultations. Probationers should know that the judge is interested in their welfare. Monthly written reports by the probation officer on all his cases should be made to the court. As a general rule personal reporting by probationers to the judge is unnecessary and inadvisable except when a reprimand is needed or upon the completion of probation. It is recommended that probationers be discharged from pro- bation by a judge, preferably the judge who placed them on probation. The final intend ew with the judge is valuable, tending to impress the probationer with the authority and clemency of the court and to encourage and fortify him in his efforts to make good. The discharge should be made in chambers, with only the judge, the probationer and the probation officer present. Whenever pro- bationers are brought before a judge every possible effort should be made to prevent or to reduce to a minimum their meeting or assembling. 9. EMPLOYMENT Inasmuch as employment has an important influence in char- acter building special efforts to assist probationers who work to find employment or to better their positions should be made by every probation officer. Probationers should be helped as much as possible to get suitable work and to succeed in it. To this end employers should be visited, and a list of those willing to cooper- 65 ate and employ probationers should be on file in the probation office. Employers should not generally be told that employees are on probation unless known to be willing to employ probationers. Probationers should be sent only to places where good moral and physical standards are maintained, where adequate wages are paid, and where if possible there is a chance for advancement. In many cases, especially of boys and girls of working age, vocational guidance should be used. In large offices a special bureau of employment in charge of a probation officer should be established. 10. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXAMINATIONS Probation officers should endeavor to have as many of their probationers as possible examined both mentally and physically. So far as possible such examinations should be made before cases are placed on probation, both to prevent the release on probation of feeble-minded or other unfit persons and to enable the officer to understand his probationers at the start. As but few courts as yet employ trained psychologists, psychiatrists and physicians, the probation officer must take steps to secure the cooperation of physicians and experts, visiting nurses, hospitals and clinics, and should select cases to be examined where special need appears. Be should also secure proper treatment and when necessary recommend institutional care. Psychiatric clinics, supported by the public^ should be established for the examination of children and adults brought before the courts. ii. SPECIAL METHODS OF SUPERVISION The needs of individual probationers often suggest special methods of supervision. In some cases, particularly those of chil- dren, rewards as well as punishments should be used. Admissions to clubs, entertainments, baseball games, or to other wholesome recreations may prove effective. The performing of a great variety of constructive services to improve homes or to assist other members of the household, is often found to react upon the probationer more favorably than any amount of advice or disci- pline. The probationer should be helped in the management of his financial affairs, in the support of dependents, the payment of debts and the starting of savings accounts. Health and recrea- tion must not be neglected. The special services and methods 66 which probation officers may use to bring about improvement in conduct and to build up character are innumerable. These special services carried out in connection with the necessary routine of visits and reports are the most important feature of probation supervision. The officer, when his time allows, should keep in touch with certain probationers after their discharge from proba- tion by means of visits or otherwise. Much satisfaction and profit may be had from continuing the friendly relations established during the probation period. 12. SELECTION OF OFFICERS AND ASSIGNMENT OF CASES To properly perform the many arduous duties outlined above the careful selection of probation officers is of paramount import- ance. Civil service examinations, conducted by experts, in which at least 50 per cent of the rating is allowed for personality and experience, determined by an oral examination have been success- ful throughout New York State in the selection of probation officers. Only persons who have the character, ability and training which will enable them to get results through the exercise of tact, discrimination, analytical power, firmness and kindliness should seek this office. Where a choice is possible, chief probation officers should seek to assign probationers to officers who are specially qualified to deal with them. Officers differ in personality, and one officer may succeed in a certain case where another officer would be a total failure. The only rule that may be laid down in this regard is that in general men and boys of fourteen years of age or older, should be placed under the supervision of male officers and all cases of women and girls should be under the supervision of women officers. Boys under fourteen may be effectively super- vised by either men or women officers, depending on the case and the officer. In general a probationer should be dealt with by one probation officer throughout the whole probation period. However, there are circumstances which call for the assignment of a new officer. In some cases, particularly those involving domestic relations, the cooperation of both a man and a woman probation officer in dealing with various members of the family is found very effective. 6T The above program, if consistently carried out, adapting the methods used to individual needs, should produce a maximum number of probation successes. It is obviously necessary to con- sider conditions as they are rather than to assume an ideal situa- tion. Many officers are today unable to carry out these standards and recommendations because of a lack of proper equipment and an insufficient number of officers. Where this is the case, it may be asked what is the officer to do. The answer is difficult. In the first place it seems essential that he should use every effort to economize his time and energies so that he may carry out as much of the ideal supervision program as possible. In the second place he should distribute the time spent on each visit and report to the best possible advantage and use more individual discrimination in visits and other work. The above program, however, should be approximated as closely as possible and the probation officer should work unceasingly to show his judges, fiscal authorities and the public that economical, efficient probation work can only be done with an adequate staff of officers and that it will pay the com- munity to furnish them. This report deals only with probation methods and endeavors to present a rational program of supervision. Many of the broader aspects of this work have necessarily been disregarded. The first duty of the probation officer, like that of a physician, is to do good case work, but this involves other duties. Probation officers should seek proper publicity, should educate the public in regard to their work so as to secure enlarged facilities and equipment, to bring about the appointment of more probation officers, and the development of a greater degree of cooperation from all possible sources. It should be possible for probation officers to do important preventive work as it comes to their attention, such as quieting neighborhood quarrels, settling dis- putes, investigating and keeping cases out of court if it be for the public good. Probation officers should study the causes of crime and delinquency and help to interpret them to the community. Probation officers should play an increasingly impo-rtant part in the broader movements of the day looking toward the improve- ment of social conditions and the prevention of delinquency and crime. 68 ACCOUNTS OF VISITS TO PROBATIONERS AND FOR- MER PROBATIONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, WITH PROBATION HISTORY NOTES FOREWORD The following accounts of visits to probationers and former probationers and their families are selected from fifty-nine com- plete reports of visits made by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the State Probation Commission. The probation histories were taken from the case records on file in the local probation offices. The various people interviewed were seen, for the most part, in their own homes and the statements they made are reproduced just as they were uttered, as far as possible. In a number of instances the probationer was seen alone and afterwards his wife or other members of the household. An effort was made to get the pro- bationer and his family to talk freely and to give their opinions of the methods used in their cases and also as observed in the cases of other probationers with whom they came in contact. All kinds of persons were seen ; some were most intelligent, others were not so, but all were able to give information out of their own expe- rience of the merits or demerits of the probation system as they had seen it. The cases selected for visiting were secured from probation officers in a number of cities throughout the State. The officers were requested to furnish typical cases of various kinds of probationers who had for the most part completed their probation terms successfully. H andL L . COUET Onondaga county. OFFENSE Petty larceny. PEOBATION BEGAN October 25, 1915, and May 17, 1916. PEOBATION ENDED October, 1916 and June, 1917. INVESTIGATION August, 1917. Probation History Both cases investigated before being placed on probation. Many home visits made. Mother was always seen and her cooperation secured. Regular reports were made. 69 Investigation Henry is at present in the army on active duty. Leonard is working for a construction company in the west. I saw the mother of these two boys and she informs me that they are both doing excellently now. She says the probation officer was very kind to her and her boys and did a great deal to bring about reformation for both. The officer visited her home many times and talked over the boys' cases with her. He would also see the boys on some of these occasions. She never had any trouble getting them to report as they always went of their own accord. They were not reluctant about it but seemed rather glad of the opportunity to go down to the office and talk things over with Mr. . He always gave them some good advice which helped to keep them straight. She thinks the experience was very good for both and believes that the reporting was especially valuable. 2 NAME P 0. COURT Onondaga County. OFFENSE Burglary. PROBATION BEGAN April 3, 1915. PROBATION ENDED May 3, 1916. INVESTIGATION August, 19 17. Probation History Investigated before being placed on probation. According to the probation officer many home visits were made in this case. The relatives were seen frequently. Man reported to the proba- tion officer every week regularly. Discharged improved. Investigation When this boy was on probation he was living with his aunt, but at present he is living with his mother nearby. I talked with both the probationer and the mother. Philip says it was a good experience for him and that he is glad he was put on probation. He came into contact with Mr. whom he considered to be one of the finest of men, and has never regretted his experience in the least. He says Mr. was very kind to him and especially helpful when he TO reported because they always talked things over and discussed various things upon which Philip needed advice. He liked the reporting and thinks it was the best part of his probation. It was this reporting which helped him most to abstain from drinking as he knew he would have to tell Mr. every week just what he had been doing. He says he never saw more than on'e boy at the office when he was reporting and all his conferences with the officer were private. He thought it was much better to report in the private office than it would have been had he had to report at the Court House. Mr. j used to come around to see him in the evening and on Sundays and he was always glad to have him come. The mother says that from the time the boy was placed on probation up to the present he has been a model son and she has no complaint to make. She gives full credit to Mr. - - for this and says the experience was a great lesson to the boy. 3 NAME A M. COURT Onondaga County. OFFENSE Grand larceny. PROBATION BEGAN April, 1916. PROBATION ENDED April, 1917. INVESTIGATION August, 19 17. Probation History Thoroughly investigated before being placed on probation. No home visits were made in this case. Probation officer knew the family. Inquiries were made from mutual friends regarding pro- bationer. Man reported regularly every week to the officer. The probation officer thinks reporting didn't do probationer much good. The knowledge that he was on probation did him good. It was an unusual case. The man was treasurer of a fra- ternal organization. Irregularities were discovered in his accounts and he was arrested. He made restitution by selling his house. Investigation The man was seen alone. He is a man of high type now employed in a responsible position. He said: " Yes I reported regularly but beyond that I needed no super- n vision. Mr. - - did not visit me. I sold my home and paid up the amount charged against me. I saw the effect of probation on others, however. It is a grand thing and I cannot say too much for it. In many cases, especially of young men, it did them no end of good to have to report weekly to Mr. - . He is a fine gentleman and his talks to the boys were just what they needed. The reporting is a great thing because it keeps the boy's memory clear regarding his obligation. I do believe that the reporting should be followed up closely by going to the homes and seeing whether the men have been lying to the officer. Reporting alone without checking it up would hurt probation as some of the men would take advantage of the trust which the officer placed in them. It would seem to me that an officer could accomplish a lot by going to the home and seeing the family. " The boys never came in groups; they never talked to each other. I never saw more than two others in the office when I was there sometimes only one. Probation is a wonderful thing for it prevents the stain of a jail term. I feel very strongly about this." 4 NAME E Y . COUKT Justice of the Peace, Onoiidaga County. OFFENSE Petty larceny. PROBATION BEGAN June 16, 1915. PROBATION ENDED June 19, 1916. INVESTIGATION August 16, 1917. Probation History Supervision in this case consisted chiefly in receiving reports each week. The man missed reporting only once. Investigation This man has joined the army and is at present in active ser- vice. I saw his mother and talked with her at some length. She says that probation was a very good thing for her boy inasmuch as he learned a lesson from it and kept out of trouble thereafter. He had never been arrested before but she thought he deserved it this time and was glad he was placed on probation. He reported regularly every week and did not seem to mind it a great deal. He enjoyed talking with the probation officer, 72 he said, and the fact that he had to report kept his scrape clearly before his mind. He avoided his former companions who had got into trouble with him and applied himself fully to his work. 5 NAME C S . COURT Onondaga County. OFFENSE Non-support. PROBATION BEGAN June 2, 1914. PROBATION ENDED December 16, 1914. INVESTIGATION August 16, 1917. Probation History This case was visited by the probation officer twice, the pro- bationer and children being seen. Probation officer helped the man to secure work. He reported to the probation office every week without missing once. Discharged with improvement. Investigation I visited this man at his home. He is working steadily now and everything is going along nicely. He is a man past middle life. He says that he did not mind reporting to the probation officer as he felt it was merely a duty and should be complied with strictly. He did not know whether the reporting did him much good or not as he said he never thought a great deal about it. It was just a case of going down and having his card marked and getting out of there as soon as possible. He saw other probationers there when he reported but never saw them talking to each other or discussing their cases. He never met the officer at his home although he understood that he came out there a couple of times in the day time. 6 NAME C A. COURT Erie County. OFFENSE Assault, second degree (shot a man in a saloon while intoxicated). PROBATION BEGAN January, 1916. PROBATION ENDED June, 1917. INVESTIGATION July 13, 1917. 73 Probation History After a thorough preliminary investigation probation was granted on the grounds of this being defendant's first offense. Case was under intensive supervision for one year and five months. Visits were made four times to the home where the wife was inter- viewed as to the man's progress. Although the man lived outside the city he was required to report every week to the probation officer. He missed only one report during the first year. After the first year he was allowed to report once in two weeks and for the last two months of his probation, once a month. He was taken back by his former employer. He paid $150 restitution to the complainant for his injuries, as ordered by the court, in small instalments during his probation. Investigation I interviewed this man alone in the probation office. He is an exceedingly intelligent, well educated, fine spirited man. He states that he has been getting along finely ; has recently been ele- vated to foreman of his department in a manufacturing establish- ment. He has let liquor entirely alone since he was put on pro- bation. Seems to greatly appreciate what was done for him. Mr. - - was asked to give his version of " reporting." He said : " Well, I hated it like h but it was good for me. The discipline was what I needed. Yes, it did me a lot of good." Asked to "explain what he hated about reporting, he said it was chiefly the waiting and being seen by other probationers. He did not mind talking with his probation officer ; in fact he was very glad to do it. He was glad to have his advice. He said : " I told him (the probation officer) everything. I thought it was best to do so. I wanted to get out of it as soon as I could." He related how he had once, while on probation, got into a fight in a moving picture house in which another man who was under the influence of liquor was the aggressor. He knocked this man down. When he next came to report to the probation officer he told him about this, thinking he might hear of it in some other way and it might cause him trouble. "A probation officer will soon find out whether a man is telling him the truth if he is onto his job," he said. He thought that 74 probationers in most cases want to tell the truth ; that they appre- ciate what is being done for them and the helpful and kindly attitude of the probation officer. He himself showed a remarkable appreciation and kindly feeling towards his probation officer. Said he would do anything in the world for him in return for all the help he had given him. He said that the few probationers who rebel at reporting and are surly about it ought to have the screws tightened. They ought to be made to report oftener. A probationer who would go out and commit an offense while on probation never should have been placed on probation. In all his reporting, he never knew probationers to discuss their crimes or to have an injurious influence over each other ; usually he saw them with their heads hung, not wanting to talk to their fellows. He was only once spoken to by another probationer while waiting to report. The man said to him : " Didn't I see you in the jail ? " He said: " Yes." That was all there was to the con- versation. Regarding home visits he thought they were desirable and said that he and his wife were always glad to see the probation officer. "Why?" "Because they liked him personally." He thought home visits were objectionable if the neighbors became aware that the probation officer was calling. In that case he thought they should be dispensed with; that the probationer should tell the officer of that fact and arrange to meet him elsewhere. For real information as to how a probationer is behaving him- self he suggests that the officer go to a nearby saloon keeper, see fellow employees, wife and family, but not the neighbors. He thought emphatically that the success of probation depends upon the probation officer's personality. 7. NAME W H . COURT Erie County Supreme. OFFENSE Abandonment. PROBATION BEGAN November 24, 1915. PROBATION ENDED November 23, 1916. INVESTIGATION July 27, 1917. 75 Probation History This man abandoned his wife and two children, ages six and eight, in very destitute circumstances. A thorough investigation was made before he was placed on probation. The probation offi- cer was inclined to recommend commitment as he had deserted his family five times. His wife was pregnant when abandoned this time. He also drank to excess. Thorough probation supervision was given to the case, the first three months by Mr. - - and then for two months under Mrs. - in order that she might help in the home, but for the greater part of the time under Mr. - . Ten visits were made to the home by the probation officers. On these visits, the wife and children were seen, but not the man. He got work and kept steadily employed and paid $5 per week to his wife as ordered by the court, bringing receipts to the probation officer. He reported regularly once a week for the first four months and then twice a week to the end of his probation period. Constructive work was done with the family. The probation officer got the couple reconciled after the first month at which time the two older children were taken out of an orphan asylum where they had been placed at the time the mother was deserted as she was about to have a baby. The couple went to housekeeping again. The probation officer stated that the man " took probation seriously," and proved to be " one of my best probationers." Investigation I saw the wife at home with her two children. She said, " He never drinks liquor any more, only beer. He is real fond of the children. I have had trouble with him only once since being off probation (November, 1916). He got in with a bad crowd and got to drinking, but that was nothing so bad as before. No, he hasn't shown any sign of wanting to leave me again. He is much better than he was." The woman in talking further said that the improvement was entirely due to the court experience and pro- bation. She now wishes that she had made a complaint before. Eegarding visits, she said that the officer came to see them almost every month, but never saw the man on these calls. She told her husband once that the officer had been there and he didn't like it " Why does he have to come out here," he said. 76 Regarding reporting, she had the following to say : " He didn't like to go down there and report at all, but it did him good. He is a man that always had his own way. It is a good thing for him to meet the probation officer; it helped to keep him straight." 8 NAME G M . COURT Erie County. OFFENSE Attempted grand larceny. PROBATION BEGAN April J, 1914. PROBATION ENDED May 21, 1915. INVESTIGATION July 28, 1917. Probation History This was a boy who lived with his parents and got into trouble through bad associates and drink. He was working in a pool room at night which brought him into bad company. Probation officer required him to give up this work against his will and seek other employment. Also required him to sign a pledge. Officer made seventeen visits to the home. Usually saw the mother on these visits and obtained the full cooperation of both parents. Boy was required to report to the probation officer weekly while in the city. For the last part of his probationary period he obtained work in another town. He was then required to report by letter. Investigation Boy was seen alone at his home. He said: "I have had no more trouble. I am working and not drinking anything. Drink caused all the trouble." As to reporting, he said : "It was all right. I knew I had to do it so I did. A man will do lots of things when he has to and will not mind it. It holds a man from doing things which he would otherwise do." As to visiting he said that the officer came every month to his home but he saw him only once or twice on these occasions. He said : "A mother will take an interest if she is a real mother and will help the officer and tell him about you." He said he didn't suppose the probation would be so strict. He was made to feel that he had to be careful and report promptly. 77 Said the officer made him give up his job in the pool room on account of the associations. He admitted that these were bad but said he didn't like to give up the job because it paid good money. 9 NAME A N" . COUET Erie County Supreme. OFFENSE Abandonment. PROBATION BEGAN November 20, 1914. PROBATION ENDED March 31, 1916. INVESTIGATION July 27, 1917. Probation History This was the case of a young man, thirty years old, who had abandoned his wife and two children, aged five and three years, leaving them in destitute circumstances. He left the city and was gone for several months. His wife got out a warrant and on his return he was arrested. He had been married five years. The marriage was forced and very unhappy. Previously, in April, 1911, he had been arrested for non-support and placed on probation in the City Court. Under the abandonment charge he was convicted and after a thorough investigation by the probation officer he was placed on probation and required to pay the probation officer $5 a week for the support of his wife. They desired a separation and it was allowed. The probation officer made ten visits to the home. In these visits the wife and children were always seen, but the man was usually away at work. He was employed as head bell-boy in the hotel. The probation officer brought about a reconciliation of the couple. The man was required to report every week at the probation office up to the last three months of his probation period when he was required to report every two weeks. He missed only one report in all this time. After the couple was reconciled, the probation officer arranged for payment of his full wages direct to the wife. He was discharged apparently greatly improved. Investigation The wife was seen at her home which was clean and prosperous looking. She stated that her husband was doing very well, that she had had no trouble since he was discharged from probation. 78 He was working steadily, earning excellent wages at the factory. He is giving all his money to his wife. She approved strongly of the reporting system as a disciplinary method for keeping the probationer in line. She said that visits by the probation officers were always welcomed by her. The probation officer coming to che home, she said, only saw her husband twice and then he would not talk any. He would say, " How do you do," and go out. She believes that probation is the ideal method in a case like hers. The man was seen by appointment later alone. He confirmed all his wife had said. He stated that he had a good permanent position that piermits of advancement ; he gets $20 a week ; that all was happy at his home. He said, " The trouble was all my own fault; I didn't understand my wife nor she me, but now we do and there will be no more trouble. It was the probation that brought me to my senses. It brought us together and was a very good thing for me." As to reporting, he said that he approved of it. He had heard no complaint about it. He said, " I think it is the best method there is; it holds a man." He said that he heard conservation by men waiting, but never anything injurious. He spoke highly of Mrs. - 's way of talking to probationers. She was always kind and helpful and encouraging with him, but he had heard her call down two men good and hard. As to home visits, he believed that they were good if done in the right way. Mrs. - , he said, never criticised or seemed to be trying to spy on them, but just came in as if for a social call. He thought that probation was a fine method and had no criticism of the way it was carried out in his case but only praise and gratitude. 10 NAME F B . COURT Erie County. OFFENSE Grand larceny. PROBATION BEGAN January 30, 1914. PROBATION ENDED May 22, 1915. INVESTIGATION July 27, 1917. 79 Probation History This was a difficult case. A very thorough investigation was made which showed the man to be drinking to excess. He had a good wife but was separated from her. He had not done any work for three months but had been drunk most of the time. Was sleeping out under barns, covered with -vermin, and associating with the worst bums. He had had $2,000 left him by his mother sometime before and had spent most of it in riotous living. He had stolen a horse with another man, both of them being under the influence of liquor at the time. The probation officers had a difficult time to help this man. He was required to take the pledge and a reconciliation with his good wife was brought about. He did not stop drinking entirely at first and left his wife. He also attempted to pass worthless checks. He was rearrested but given another chance. According to the probation record he became steadily better and was working regularly and living with his wife at. the end of the probation period. The probation officers made fifteen visits to the home, usually seeing the man's wife and her mother. He also secured the cooperation of the priest. He secured work for the man and medical attention. Reports to the probation office were made every week with very few exceptions. Sixty reports were recorded. Investigation I saw the man alone at the probation office and had a long talk with him. He said that drink caused all the trouble. Said he was drunk most of the time for three months and was in a very bad way. Said: "I can't speak too highly of probation and of Mr. - ." He said that the probation officer got him a good job with the Telephone Company where he stayed until a short time ago, when he got another job. He said that the probation officer brought him and his wife together. He got them together at the probation office and talked matters over with them. They finally agreed to live together and have been happy since. The probation officer arranged for the man to give over the money that he still had left ($800) to his wife's care. This the man admitted was best for him as he was spending it all. His wife has since 80 bought everything for him. Said he had drank nothing since being released from probation. As to reporting, he said: "I came every week. It was no trouble. I liked to meet the officer and it did me good. A man will keep straight when he knows he has to report." He said he did not talk with any probationers at the office or see anything wrong. He usually went in and out without much waiting. The man was deeply appreciative of what had been done for him through probation. He said he'd like to be able to return it in some way. Probation had made a man of him he said. Said : " I know that if they had sent me up I'd have been ruined. I would have died from it. I never would have had the courage to come out and face my friends." 11 NAME C M . COURT Erie County Supreme. OFFENSE Petit larceny and being an accomplice in theft. PROBATION BEGAN April 19, 1915. PROBATION ENDED May 31, 1916. INVESTIGATION July 27, 1917. Probation History Investigations showed that the man was of weak character and had fallen through bad associates. He had a good wife, but there had been domestic difficulties. The probation officer worked with both man and wife advising them frequently. They were usually seen at the office. Both the man and wife called and were encour- aged and advised. Only two visits to the home were recorded. Probation officer refrained from 'calling because the man lived at his place of employment and did not want his employer to know that he was on probation. Reports were made regularly to the office- every week for seven months, then bi-weekly to the end of probation. The man was encouraged to seek better associa- tions. At the time of his discharge from probation, he was work- ing regularly and had obtained an increase in wages. Home con- ditions were greatly improved. 81 The probation officer made the following statement on the case history blank at the time of the discharge from probation : " There has been quite a transformation in this family since the man was placed on probation. At the time of his release on probation they were living in furnished rooms and possessed no furniture and were barely making ends meet. They have purchased a nice selection of furniture and their home is comfortable. The man is doing exceptionally well and I am satisfied with his conduct." Investigation Both the man and wife were seen at their home. The man was talked with alone also. Both said that everything was going well with them and that they were having no trouble. The home is evidently a happy one. They are very fond of their little boy. The man is a good steady worker. Both of them spoke in high appreciation of the probation officer's helpfulness. Regarding methods of supervision, while the man wouldn't admit that in his case supervision was greatly needed, he thought that reporting to the probation officer was important. After some conversation, I got him to talk frankly and to take an abstract view of probation. He is an intelligent man, shrewd, well-mean- ing, but perhaps weak-willed. He said, " I think they ought to report every week. If a fellow is inclined to go with bad company (his trouble^ he won't do it so quickly if he knows he has to report that week. If its only once in two weeks, he may go wrong in the meantime." The man said he never talked with any other probationers while reporting. He always waited in the hall. He thought it bad for men to mingle but saw no ill effects except once when he saw two boys talking together one, the older, seemingly a tougher lad, said " I got pulled three times, got probation," or something like that. Once in the office two men were talking together and the probation officer saw them. One was called in and disposed of and then the other one was held for some time so as to keep them apart. Regarding home visits, he said the officer came twice to see them. He thought it important to see the family. He thought home visiting was better than reporting if men could be seen at home and if the officer could come without being recognized. 82 12 NAME M S . COURT Erie County Supreme. OFFENSE Grand larceny. PROBATION BEGAN March 4, PROBATION ENDED April 29, 1915. INVESTIGATION July 27, 1917. Probation History This boy was 16 years of age, living at home with his parents. In company with several other boys he stole an automobile, riding about the city and surrounding country for several hours and finally abandoning it a short distance from where it was stolen. He had also been implicated in the theft of another automobile. He had a record for juvenile- delinquency. He came from a good home, but associated with a tough crowd. The probation officer obtained the full cooperation of the father and mother. He visited the home ten times during the probation period. He assisted the boy in securing employment. He required him to go to night school. The boy reported every week to the probation office, never missing a report. The officer required him to bring his pay envelope. He was discharged after one year and two months on probation, greatly improved. Investigation I met the boy coming from work and talked with him alone. He is a straight-forward young man, now 18 years of age, who looks you in the eye and has every appearance of being an honest, hard-working fellow. He has an excellent position in the - factory and makes good pay. When seen he was just starting a correspondence course in metallurgy. He is ambitious to advance. He says he does not mix at all any more with the old crowd. He has given them all up. He speaks very highly of probation and said frankly he believed it had saved him from a bad life. He appears to be very grateful to the probation officer for all that he did for him. He says that he got him jobs and watched over him closely. He says he is very thankful as many of the boys he went with before are now doing time. A % to reporting, he said, " I knew that I had to do it so did not 83 mind it. I liked to go down and have a chat with Mr. . When you know the officer is looking out for you, you are pretty careful what you do." As to visiting, said that he saw the probation officer several times when he came to see his father. He thought it was neces- sary to go to the home to make sure of what a fellow is doing. I saw the father alone in his tailor shop. He said, " Probation made Manuel a good boy. He is now all right in every way; makes me no trouble. He is a very good boy, but before he gof on probation he was pretty bad. He went with a bad crowd; he made it a practice to steal automobiles and go on joy-rides." As to reporting, he said he believed it was very good for the boy. He (the father) didn't have to tell him to report. He always knew when the time came and went. He said that the boy was pretty well scared and careful to obey all conditions. He knew he was being watched. The father was very appreciative of all that the officer had done and of the way he cooperated with him. Says he got the boy several jobs and got him to working steadily. He helped him to give up all his bad associates. 13 NAME J C . COURT Buffalo City. OFFENSE Public intoxication. PROBATION BEGAN April 29, 1915. PROBATION ENDED May 1, 1916. INVESTIGATION July 30, 1917. Probation History Man had a wife and son. Investigation showed that the man had been unusually cruel to hi-s wife before being placed on pro- bation and had neglected to support her. When placed on proba- tion he was required to pay his wages to his wife. During his probation term he paid a total of $949.32 to his wife, and behaved himself in every way. The probation officer visited the home twelve times. The man reported regularly every week without missing. Investigation Visited the home and talked with the wife. She said : " Every- thing is fine now. He treats me all right, but once in a while he 84 is grouchy. Before I had him put on probation he was very mean to me and often hurt me ; but while he was on probation he was good to me and turned over all his money, or at least all he said he earned. I could not tell how much he earned for he was sick a lot. He never liked to report but he never missed a day. He didn't like it because there were two other men who worked under him who were also on probation and he was ashamed. Mr. is a fine man; he has called here several times and was always ready to help if I needed it. " The reporting was what made Jimmie go straight. He knew he had to report every week and knew what to expect if he failed to do it. Mr. never saw my husband here at home; he always saw him on reporting nights and talked to him." 14 NAME T J . COURT Buffalo City. OFFENSE Non-support. PROBATION BEGAN August 2, 1916. PROBATION ENDED March 30, 1917. INVESTIGATION July 30, 19 17. Probation History Placed on probation and required to pay $2.50 weekly for the support of his wife. He was visited by the probation officer six times and reported every week, making his payments regularly. The probation history record shows that the couple were recon- ciled and the man saved money while on probation. Discharged with improvement. Investigation Saw the wife. The man was away at work. He is doing well now, has stopped drinking and is behaving himself. Pays her regularly each week and is saving some money. " It was just what he needed. He didn't mind going down to report and it was those Tuesday night trips which kept him straight. He had to go down and tell whether he was drinking or not and how much money he was earning and saving. He didn't mind the trips down and he always came home early after he reported. I don't think he drank any while on probation." 85 15 NAME R F . COURT Buffalo City. OFFENSE Disorderly conduct. PROBATION BEGAN September 24, 1914. PROBATION ENDED December 30, 1914. INVESTIGATION July 30, 1917. Probation History Was placed on probation for three months, required to pay his wages to his wife. Reported to the probation officer every week with one exception. Discharged improved. Investigation Saw man at his home ; very intelligent, high type of man. The offense consisted of his slapping his wife. He is sober and a hard worker; is a contracting painter and has a good business. He owns his own home. They have a very neat, attractive home. The wife was neatly dressed and of refined appearance. The man said : "I was not a bad man ; this was the only time I ever got into trouble and then it was the fault of a woman who lived downstairs. No, I didn't dread the reporting. Mr. - is a fine man and I always enjoyed talking to him. I do think that it would be better if the hours were arranged differently so as not to inconvenience men who work nights. " Probation, to my mind, is the finest institution which has been developed in the last century. I cannot say too much in its praise. I liked all of the officers I met and will be glad to meet any of them again. My wife and I are very happy now and I don't believe she has any cause to complain." 16 NAME H Y . COURT Syracuse Children's. OFFENSE Juvenile delinquency. PROBATION BEGAN March, 1917. PROBATION TO END Indefinite. INVESTIGATION August 15, 1917. 86 Probation History The records show that thorough supervision has been main- tained in this case. Twelve home visits have been made in five months. The school, church and playground have also been visited. Reports to the probation office have been made every week. Case reported as doing well. Investigation Upon visiting this home with the probation officer we found the housekeeper said she never ha,s to urge her to go down on Friday from his work while we were there so we talked with all of the family. The little girl is reporting regularly and the housekeeper says she is doing very well. The probation officer got the child to take an interest in the playground and this has meant a lot in the con- duct of the case. The little girl says she likes to report and the housekeeper said she never has to urge her to go down on Friday afternoon. The probation officer has urged the child to give up her former companions and this has been done. The officer plans to visit this house every week as it is a case which needs constant supervision. The effects of the officer's work are already shown in the improved conduct of the child. 17 NAME S - family. C'OUKT Syracuse Children's. OFFENSE Improper guardianship. PROBATION BEGAN March 9, 1917. PROBATION TO END Indefinite. INVESTIGATION August 15, 1917. Probation History The case was thoroughly investigated before being placed on probation. Many visits have been made by the probation officer, averaging two a week. The mother and some of the children were seen. The school and church also have been visited and the attendance of all the children at Sunday School secured. The father was assisted in getting employment. Medical attention was secured through a visiting nurse. The oldest girl, Hazel, has been reporting for the family regularly each week. 87 Investigation This is a case where the whole family is practically on proba- tion. There are four girls and one boy besides the father and mother. One of the girls, the oldest one, was brought in for improper guardianship. She is now working at a grocery store and is doing well. With Miss - - I visited the home and found it in bad condition, but I am informed by the probation officer that it is in much better condition now than it was when she began her work. The mother was working in a restaurant downtown as cleaning woman and the father was out of work at the time of our visit. They live in an upstairs flat at the back of a store, and the owner of the flat, who is also the storekeeper, informed us that he intended to put the family out as they had not paid their rent. The father said he had a promise of a position on a farm and intended to move his family out there. This appeared to be a good solution of the whole matter and the probation officer urged him to close the deal. We talked with the members of the family and then went to see the girl at the grocery store. She is reporting regularly and says she likes to come down. It is her only chance to tell Miss of her troubles at home and apparently they are numerous. This home requires a visit every week and sometimes twice a week, but the probation officer is handling it very well and is keeping in close touch with the family. 18 NAME W W . COURT Syracuse Children's. OFFENSE Ungovernable child. PROBATION BEGAN May 1, 1917. PROBATION TO END May 1, 1918. INVESTIGATION August 1.5, 1917. Probation History An investigation was made previous to being placed on pro- bation. The case was placed under the care of a male volunteer who made several visits to the home. The school had been visited also. Regular reports to the salaried probation officer have been received weekly. 88 Investigation In company with Miss - I visited this home. The boy is still on probation. His reports to the probation officer have been regular and apparently everything was going well. On our visit to the home we found that this was not true. The boy has been misbehaving recently, has stolen money, and refuses to obey his mother. His father has left home so the boy and mother are alone. The boy's wages were essential to the up-keep of the house. We talked with the probationer and he said he had left his position because the work was too heavy for him. At present he is out of work. I talked with him about reporting and he said that he liked to go down to see Miss - . She was always nice to him and 'talked in a friendly manner. He said he had not told her he had quit his job because that had happened very recently. His mother said that she thought the reporting was a good thing for him but she was afraid he was lying to the probation officer. She was very glad Miss - - had come out to the home and hoped she would do something. This case seems to show that although the reporting had been regular and although the boy had said everything was going all right, the reverse was true, and had it not been for the home visit the probation officer would have been left in the dark regarding the true conduct of her probationer. It seems to emphasize the fact that whereas reporting is valuable from the standpoint of discipline, it is essential that it be followed up by visits to the home to ascertain true conditions. 19 NAME A T . COURT Newburgh Recorder's. OFFENSE Non-support. PROBATION BEGAN March 15, 1915. PROBATION ENDED March 15, 1916. INVESTIGATION August 23, 1917. Probation History Placed on probation to pay $10 per week for the support of his wife and several children. This was paid regularly every week. Close supervision was given to the case. Thirty-nine home 89 visits were made, the money being taken to the wife by the pro- bation officer as she was unable to come to the office and leave her children. The officer secured employment for the man and visited the employer frequently. The man was required to report to the officer every week except when out of town. Twenty^one office reports were made. Investigation The man, his wife and little girl were seen at their home. The wife talked freely and stated that prior to probation she had had a very hard time getting the man to support her. This was before the days of a probation officer in Newburgh and she said she went repeatedly before the Eecorder and asked him to help her with her husband. He talked to the husband on numerous occasions but said he could do nothing except send him away. She said : " That wouldn't have done me any good for then he would have been away all the time, so I just had to put up with it and get along the best way I could. I worked and took in washings for a while and we managed to live. When Recorder - was elected I went to him, thinking I could secure help from the new man. He was as helpless as the former Recorder, although he did his best. Shortly after this the probation officer was appointed and T immediately had my husband put on proba- tion. Since that time we have been getting along very well. Arthur has been working steadily and has paid his money for support regularly. The probation officer used to pay it to me at the office but he knew it was hard for me to come up there Satur- day nights to get that money, so he told me he would bring it down to the home here. I appreciated his kindness in doing this." I asked her what she thought of the reporting plan. She replied: "I think the reporting is a very fine thing for when Arthur had to do it he never forgot he was on probation, but I do think that the reporting should be followed up by the probation officer visiting the home, for unless you do this the men will lie to the officer and the wife will suffer accordingly. I cannot say too much about probation for it has meant a great deal to me. The probation officer has been exceedingly kind, and has always had our welfare at heart." I talked with the husband regarding the reporting and he said 90 that occasionally he met other fellows at Mr. - 's office, and he knew one or two of them. He never became acquainted with any while there, however, but he has seen them talking to each other. He said he didn't mind the reporting. It was merely a duty which he had to perform and he took his medicine. He is very glad he was placed on probation for now he has given up drinking and is leading a more regular life. He does not have to work so hard and is able to save a little money now and then. He used to see the probation officer both at the office and when the officer came to the home. At the office he usually talked with the officer for some time and gave a full account of what he had been doing during the past week. The officer then made suggestions to him which he was glad to accept. At the present time the probationer is working steadily. He is a skilled mechanic and is making good wages, the greater part of which he turns over to his wife each week. 20 NAME J F . COURT Newburgh Recorder's. OFFENSE Disorderly conduct. PROBATION BEGAN January 21, 1916. PROBATION ENDED October 5, 1916. INVESTIGATION August 23, 1917. Probation History Investigated after being placed on probation. Ten home visits were made, the wife and sister usually being seen. The man was required to report every week regularly. (Thirty-five reports made.) Required to pay family support directly to his wife. Investigation Saw probationer and wife. They are doing well and have a nice, clean home. The man is making from $6 to $8 per day. The wife says there was never much the matter with her husband except that he drank heavily. The man says he has stopped all the drinking and doesn't have any desire to use liquor any more. The wife said that she had hard work living with him when he was drinking and he didn't want to go to work, but once he was 91 on probation he straightened up and worked hard. He was good to her and didn't drink. The man said : " I think the reporting was a good thing. I used to go down there to the City Hall and sometimes I'd see other fellows waiting to report but I never got acquainted with them. Mr. - and I would sort of talk things over and I'd tell him what I'd been doing that week and whether I had been drinking or not." 21 NAME G K . COURT Newburgh Recorder's. OFFENSE Assault, third degree. PROBATION BEGAN March 18, 1916. PROBATION ENDED March 18, 1917. INVESTIGATION August 23, 1917. Probation History Case investigated after being placed on probation. Ordered to pay $3,50 per week for support of family, which was paid regu- larly. The officer had a good deal of trouble with this case. The man was rearrested twice for drinking and quarreling with his family. Finally he separated from his wife. Thirteen home visits were made during the year on probation. The man's friend who worketl in the shop with him was also seen. He was required to report to the officer every week at first; later he was allowed to report less often. Thirty-nine reports were made. He was discharged with improvement. Investigation Saw the wife and daughter. Probationer much improved. Has a fine garden, two acres, and is working steadily. The wife said: " Probation was a fine thing for George. We had an awful time before he was arrested but now we have no trouble and he has stopped drinking. He is working very hard now, both at the shop and at home in the garden. He didn't mind the reporting and it did him a lot of good to have to go down there to report every week. He was ashamed of himself but if he hadn't had to report I don't believe he would have changed any. When Mr. - talked to him and called him down he always remembered it and 92 when he came to see us at the house George always braced up. He knew he had to report or he'd land in jail again so it kept him straight." 22 NAME H S . COURT Westchester County. OFFENSE Burglary, third degree. PROBATION BEGAN January 23, 1917. PROBATION TO END July 23, 1919. INVESTIGATION August 28, 1917. Probation History Thoroughly investigated before being placed on probation. The boy has a good home. Visited by the officer eight or nine times. Eequired to report regularly at the probation office once a month. Investigation I first visited Herman's brother Tom, who works in the City Hall. He is a fine type of fellow and is very much interested in Herman's probation experience. He always sees the probation officer when he comes to town and tells him how his brother is getting along. He says that at present the boy is working and intends to study mechanical engineering. He has had a course in architecture, but as that trade is very slow at present he is going to take up the mechanical end of it. He says the probation officer has encour- aged the boy to do this and has asked him to attend a trade school. Regarding the reporting, Tom said that he thought it was a good thing for his brother. The boy is apt to be diffident and rather shy about meeting people because of his stuttering, but the officer understands him and the talks which the boy has with the officer are very encouraging to him. He thinks a great deal of good is accomplished this way. Tom did not know much about the home visiting for he says he is never there when the officer comes, although he knows the officer has been there very frequently, probably once a month. He has heard his mother and sister speak of this and on one occa- sion he happened in just as the probation officer was leaving. 93 I saw the sister at the home. She says that Herman is doing all right and is working every day. She directed me to his place of employment at a garage in the outskirts of the city. I found him there and as he was not working at that time T was ahle to talk with him. He has taken a great liking to the probation officer and feels that he is about the best friend he has. He says he has encouraged him in school work and he can see now how much it has meant to him. He likes to report and has never missed up to the present time. As to home visits, he does not know much about them because his mother or sister usually talks with the officer. He thinks the reporting is fine ; he gets a lot of good out of it, especially from the long talks he has with the officer. He says he never meets any other boys over there. 23 NAME E W . COURT Westchester County. OFFENSE Abandonment. PROBATION BEGAN July 14, 1916. PROBATION TO END July 14, 1918. INVESTIGATION August 28, 1917. Probation History Investigated before being placed on probation. Officer has visited the'mother's home and the boyf at his place of employment six or seven times. The lawyer in the case, who is looking after the boy, has also been visited. Reports to the probation office have been made irregularly as the probationer in P Six or seven reports have been made. Investigation Went to barber shop and saw probationer. Good type of man. Is making $13 per week and pays $7 to his wife. Has to support himself and help support his mother on the other $6. For that reason the officer has allowed him to report by letter recently but formerly he reported once a month in person. It cost about $1 to make the trip and took him five hours. The man says everything is o. K. now. Will probably go back to live with his wife again soon. He says the officer is a fine man and is v^ry strict. When 94 he was reporting lie used to spend about one hour in the probation office and the officer went over everything very carefully, question- ing him about work, payments, habits, the way he spent his spare time and his relations at home. " I think the reporting was a good thing for me and, if I could afford it, I'd like to go over every month as I used to. I liked to report and always came away from W - feeling better than when I went. Mr. - - always encouraged me and it meant a lot to talk things over with him and get his advice on different things. I had a chance to go to Plattsburgh and make $35 a week but Mr. - - thought I'd better stay here, so of course I stayed. The reports were better for me than the visits I had with Mr. - - here in the shop when he came to P . I could get closer to him in the office at the Court House and could tell him a lot more than I could here. He used to talk to my brother and my mother. Also when I had to report, and even now when I have to report by letter, it always makes me remember that I was in trouble once so I don't think I'll ever get in bad again. It was a first offense and my experi- ence on probation has taught me a big lesson." 11-23-18-2000 (53-1636) THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO 5O CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. FED 3 TftHf LD 21-100m-8,'34 YC 35895 393172 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY