Prisons (treatment of crime) : return to an address of the Honourable House of Commons, dated 11 April, 1899, for copy of report of the Chairman of Commissioners of Prisons upon the treatment of crime in the United States.

  • Ruggles-Brise, Evelyn, 1857-1935.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prisons (treatment of crime) : return to an address of the Honourable House of Commons, dated 11 April, 1899, for copy of report of the Chairman of Commissioners of Prisons upon the treatment of crime in the United States. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    “ Massachusetts, in his inaugural address, recommended that the “ Probation System be adopted in the Courts throughout the “ Commonwealth. “ The Legislature approved the recommendation of the “ Governor, and, May 28th 1891, an Act appointing Probation “ Officers through the State became a law, Chapter 356, Acts “ and Resolves 1891. “ In the Central Court at Boston, six assistants (one a woman) “ were appointed to assist the Chief Probation Officer, the city “ being divided into districts, each assistant being assigned a “ district, their duty being to visit weekly each person in their “ charge and report once a month to the Chief Probation Officer, “ in writing, the conduct of each probater. “ All arrests for the 24 hours ending at 7 o’clock, a.m., are “ transferred to the City prison. “ The probation officer visits the prison daily at 7 o’clock, a.m., “ talks with each prisoner, ascertaining the facts of his connection “ with the offence charged, his address, his former record (if any) “ and any information of benefit to the prisoner, keeping in mind “ the good of the Commonwealth. “ The records of drunkenness are looked over, former arrests “ recorded and given to the presiding Judge for reference when “ the prisoner is called. “ The assistant probation officers (in the cases of drunkenness) “ visit the homes each morning, reporting to the Judge, when the “ prisoner is called, facts ascertained at the homes. If the “ prisoner provides for his family and has steady work, although “ addicted to drink, having been previously arrested, the fact that “ the family are dependent upon him for support is taken into “ consideration by the Judge, and the prisoner is usually placed “ on probation. The probation officer, by weekly visits to the “ home, is able to report intelligently his conduct during pro- “ bation. “ If the probationer persists in drinking, he is arrested by the “ probation officer and surrendered to the Court and sentenced. “ If the person arrested is found to abuse or neglect his family, “ although his first arrest, he is sentenced. When the person “ arrested lives in another town, and his statements to the Court “ are doubtful, the case is continued long enough to write to the “ probation officer of the city or town for information. The “ probation officer through daily intercourse with the prisoners “ becomes familiar with the faces, and few old offenders pass “ through, the Court without being recognised, although giving “ different names and addresses. “ The probation officers are appointed by the Court, their “ duties in the Court on investigations being of such a nature “ that they must be exempt from political influence and wholly “ unbiassed.