Prison and Probation

Probation officially began in 1841, when a Boston shoemaker named John Augustus began to assume responsibility for offenders who would otherwise have gone to jail (Champion, 1988, p. 1). After careful screening of prospective candidates, which included interviews and background checks, Augustus would either accept or reject offenders, post their bail, and appear with them in court. If the judge decided that the offender's behavior had changed, the potential sentence of incarceration was lifted. Augustus played

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rime committed. For instance, an offender convicted on drunk driving charges might be required by the sentencing judge to attend Alcoholic Anonymous sessions. Others are required to give time to community service, while others might be asked to make financial restitution, or make a service arrangement with the victim of their offense. Restitution and other specialized rules serve to increase the other potential functions of probation such as deterrence and crime control. Although deterrence of future crime is one of the more debatable functions of probation, there is reason to believe that it serves such a function. Probation's proponents feel that although offenders' freedoms are limited, the chance to have some freedoms and to attempt reintegration in society gives some offenders a sense of thankfulness and determination not to stray again. Critics claim that probation officers have little control over their wards, thus giving those wards ample opportunity to slip back into a life of crime. A recent study of 1,672 felons released on probation in California was not promising. "The results: 1,087 were rearrested, resulting in prison terms for a third of the original total" ("The," 1985, p. 37). If deterrence of repeat
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1664
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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