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courts. The work of many volunteers giving a little time has been taken over in many instances by salaried, full-time officers to the great improvement of the probation work, both in quantity and quality. The number of salaried probation officers shows a net increase of ten. The total number of persons cared for part or all of the year by probation officers increased by 2,429 or 8.9 per cent. The number actually on probation at the end of the year increased by 974, or 8.9 per cent. More cities, counties, towns and villages used probation than during the preceding year or any previous year. Investigations by probation officers and money collections of all kinds increased.

The number of persons placed on probation divided between children and adults for each year since the Commission has collected complete statistics is shown in the following table:

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It is seen that in eight years' time 103,674 persons received the benefits of probation. Chart No. II, which follows, makes clear this remarkable growth.

NEW POSITIONS CREATED

During 1915 there were sixteen new salaried probation officers' positions created in the State as follows: a woman probation officer for the city of Ithaca; an additional woman probation officer for the Magistrates Courts, First Division, New York City; five additional male probation officers for the New York City Childrens Court; five new probation officers, two women and three men, added to the staff of the Buffalo City Court; the position of county probation officer established for Orange county; the position of

county probation officer established in Westchester county; Polish speaking male probation officer added to the staff of the Erie county probation office; an additional county probation officer serving under the title of county detective provided for the Bronx County Court. During the year the positions of seven women probation officers were abolished in the New York City Magistrates Courts, Second Division. There was a net gain of nine new positions during the year. In addition to the above, five probation officers were appointed to positions newly created during the previous year, and there were eight appointments to succeed salaried officers.

Better salaries than before were established for most of the new positions created during the past year. A minimum of $1,200 is now paid to all probation officers starting work in New York City. The same was paid to the male probation officers appointed in the City Court of Buffalo. Salaries from $900 to $1,500 were provided for the new positions of county probation officer established last year.

Thirty-five probation officers received salary increases during the past year.

Fifty-seven new volunteer probation officers were appointed and eight resigned.

The following table shows the steady increase in the number of salaried officers serving at the end of each fiscal year. The totals include only those publicly salaried for probation work and not those detailed from other branches of the public service:

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The only cities in the State of 20,000 population or over not as yet employing salaried probation officers are as follows: Schenectady, Troy, Niagara Falls, Elmira, New Rochelle, Oswego, Cohoes, Rome and Gloversville.

Of the sixty-two counties of the State, thirty-three now employ salaried county probation officers.*

COURTS USING PROBATION

Of the persons placed on probation during the past year, the following table shows the distribution by groups of courts:

NUMBER OF PERSONS PLACED ON PROBATION DURING THE YEAR BY GROUPS OF COURTS

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From the above it is seen that 62 per cent. of all cases are from the courts of New York City; 29.2 per cent. were received from other city courts; 6.1 per cent. from county and Supreme courts outside New York City and only 2.7 per cent, from the courts of towns and villages. The great bulk of cases comes from the cities principally the larger cities. This is probably not because of the disproportionately greater percentage of criminality in the larger cities, but because of the fact that crime and delinquency is more looked after in the cities, especially in so far as the use of probation is concerned. The probation system began in the cities and has been chiefly developed there. The Commission has constantly labored to extend the probation service to the smaller cities and rural districts of the State, believing that on account of the suc cessful development of the work in the cities the need has now become greatest in the rural districts.

*Three counties, Kings, Queens and Bronx employed county detectives detailed as probation

officers.

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