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probation effective as a deterrent from further crime. In most instances the judges of the State seem to be so using the system.

The collection of fines on the instalment plan avoids imprisonment for non-ability to pay which in effect is in no substantial way different from imprisonment for debt. It increases the revenues of the city or the county. and what is more important, gives the probation officer an opportunity to influence and direct the offender le paying his fine. The amounts collected for fines have increased each year and the practice should be still further extended.

The collection of money for family support overshadows the other collections in importance and is perhaps the most essential feature in the solution of domestic relations cases. Thousands of families are each year supported without recourse to public or private charity through the operations of the probation system. Its work has assumed tremendous proportions in the larger cities. In the city of Buffalo all family support money is handled directly by the probation officers. In the Domestic Relations Courts of New York City moneys are collected and paid out at the offices of the department of charities, the probation officers visiting the cass, and co-operating with the department of charities in the investigations and in securing the prompt enforcement of the court orders. In addition to the $102,988.85 actually handled by probation officers last year and paid over to the support of the wives and children of probationers, very much larger sums, as are shown in the table below, were collected by the department of charities in cases under the supervision of probation officers. A still larger sum was paid by probationers directly to their wives under the orders of the court and the supervision of the probation offiThese amounts are shown in the table which follows:

cers.

MONEY PAID BY PROBATIONERS FOR FAMILY SUPPORT UNDER
COURT ORDERS

Collected from probationers and paid to bene ciaries by proba'ion officers..
Collected from probatione s and paid to beneficiaries by the Department of
Charities, Nex York City Migist ates' Coar s, First Division.

Collected from probationers and paid to beneficiaries by the Department of
Charities. New York City Magistrates' Courts, Second Division.
Paid by probationers direct to beneâciaries under court orders..

$102,988 85

50,435 71

112,095 84 157,340 69

To al..

$422,862 09

I

*Not complete. No record of these payments is kept in certain courts.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE

Important developments affecting the probation work have occurred in many courts throughout the State. A brief account of the more important is here given:

NEW YORK CITY

The probation work of all the courts has been increasing and better standards are being established. The effort to standardize the salaries of all probation officers in the city has been largely successful. A minimum salary of $1,200 has been fixed for both men and women probation officers starting work. Approximately two-thirds of the officers after passing a promotion examination have had their salaries increased to $1,500 and all who have passed the examination are granted an increase by the city budget for 1916. Additional officers have been provided in several courts to meet urgent needs.

The work of the New York City Parole Commission established last year to have jurisdiction over all persons paroled from the Penitentiary, Reformatory and Work-house, will have an important relation to probation work. At the close of the year the commission was employing seven parol officers. Close co-operation should exist between these officers and the probation officers. The State Probation Commission has been represented at conferences called by the mayor to propose plans for bringing about closer co-ordination between the probation and the parole work. We believe that everything possible should be done to bring about some degree of co-ordination without in any way handicapping either branch of work.

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The bringing of all the Magistrates Courts of the city under one board of magistrates under the direction of Chief City Magistrate McAdoo, doing away with the two divisions, will bring about among other gains a unification and standardization of the probation work. The budget for 1916 provides for a chief probation officer for the entire city, with two positions of deputy chief probation officer. With an experienced and able chief probation officer in charge of the entire work, great improvements may be expected next year.

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During the past year the work of the first division (Manhattan and Bronx), has been thoroughly systematized. A new record system has been established. The men work with admirable esprit de corps. In the Night Court for Women and in the Domestic Relations Court women probation officers are in attendance at all times. An excellent system of co-operation with representatives of private organizations has been worked out by Miss Alice C. Smith, probation officer in charge in the Night Court.

An investigation by the Commission shows that the collection of money in non-support cases which is directly carried on by the department of charities is closely watched by the probation officers and good co-operation exists. The centralized plan for all the officers, aside from the Night Court and the Domestic Relations Court, has proven thoroughly effective.

During the past year probation work in the second division. (Brooklyn, Queens and Richmond), has been badly disorganized by the dropping of eleven women probation officers and the failure to appoint four additional men probation officers provided for by the board of estimate and apportionment. The result has been the overworking of probation officers, especially in the Domestic Relations Court, where three persons are attempting to do the work of seven. The Commission stated its belief last year that there had been too many women probation officers employed in these courts and not enough men, and that therefore substituting men for women officers was in the interest of efficiency, so that men only should handle men's cases. The dropping of so many women officers without adequate provision for taking over their work was, however, unfortunate. At the close of the year the prospects for a normal development of the work are brighter. Four new male officers, following the settlement of the controversy regarding the women's positions, have been appointed. A gradual centralization of probation work so far as consistent with the great geographical distance to be covered is recommended.

Children's Court

By amendments to the Inferior Criminal Courts Act of the city of New York, the Children's Court became on July 1st entirely separate from the adult court of Special Sessions, except

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