In 18 cases of drunkenness, under the supervision of the probation
officer, pledges were taken, and all but three have kept the same
faithfully. In 15 cases of country girls coming to Indianapolis and
falling into bad company, resulting in their arrest, arrangements were
made, by this officer, for the return of these girls to their homes in
various parts of the state. In the balance of these cases investigation
disclosed that the defendants were more sinned against than sinning and
the cases were dismissed.
_Restitution._
The criminal code is absolutely silent upon the question of recovery
for loss or damage to property and injuries to the person growing out
of criminal acts except that in cases of malicious trespass the court
may fine a defendant a sum equal to twice the amount of the property
damaged. To fine a person double the value of the property damaged and
because of his failure to pay the same, place the additional burden on
the citizen of supporting him in the workhouse or jail seems in itself
an absurdity.
As a part of the probation plan the court requires every person charged
with any offense involving the loss or damage to property and injuries
to the person to make full and complete restitution to the injured
party before the final disposition of the case. Upon a proper showing
that restitution has been made the court is then in a position to take
such action as the other facts in the case justify. Under this plan
more than $1,800 in restitution has been recovered and turned over to
the proper parties.
_Results._
The results of the operation of any system of justice are not to be
measured by dollars and cents.
During the year 1910 the court disposed of more than 15,000 cases.
Notwithstanding this tremendous volume of business there was a saving
to the county in the cost of feeding prisoners in the county jail of
$1,393.61 and in the maintenance of the workhouse, $4,631.95.
Yet the reduction by fifty per cent. of the number of commitments
of persons to the workhouse, jail and correctional department of
the woman’s prison speaks with far greater force in favor of the
probation system than any saving in dollars and cents, for of greater
significance to the community is the moral uplift.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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