In the biennial report of the president of the association, Mr. E. R. Harper, says: “The working of convicts on the public roads has attracted the attention of the world, and fully demonstrated that it is feasible and highly beneficial to so handle the men. It would have been difficult some few years ago to believe that penitentiary convicts could be placed in camps, in the wild and rugged sections of our state, in the mountains, the most ideal situation for safe ‘get-aways,’ without a guard or gun in camp, and yet not have wholesale escapes. But penitentiary prisoners, upwards of 300 in number, have been so handled during the past three or four years, under just such conditions, with the most gratifying results—a long step, indeed, in the right direction. And this condition was brought about partly through the work and influence of this association. “However, to make such progress in these matters as ought to be, additional assistance is essential, mainly in the way of new laws. The most needful just now are: A law giving the trial judge the right to parole first offenders; an amendment to the present law regarding the feeding of jail prisoners, doing away with the possibility, if not the probability, of exorbitant and unnecessary expenses to the counties; a law providing for working jail prisoners on the highways, and for the work allowing them some little compensation to go toward the support of dependent ones. Measures to cover these essential matters have been introduced in the present legislature, and we earnestly hope for their enactment into law. “Still in the future, but we trust not too far, Colorado should take the next important step and allow each penitentiary prisoner something for work done, so that it can either go toward assisting those depending on him, or be accumulated to his credit, in order that he may have at least a little with which to get out into the world of action and usefulness again. When that condition prevails, very much, if not all, of this association’s work will be accomplished; and its charitable force can be directed in some other channel of service.” Though called in November, 1910, to take charge of the work of the Associated Charities of Denver, Colo., W. E. Collett has continued to act as general secretary of the prison association, serving in that capacity without pay. THE PLEDGE AND OTHER WORK OF A CITY COURT One of the features of the probation system, as practiced during the past year by Judge James A. Collins, of the City Court[2] of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been the required “taking of the pledge” in a number of cases of persons found guilty of drunkenness. In his annual report for 1910 Judge Collins says: