Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1957-1958 — Page 22

request of the Courts, to assist in deciding on suitable sentences. 2,3.. such cases were investigated during the year; details by age, sex and offence appear in Appendix 15. In the course of handling all these matters, Probation Officers paid nearly 3,000 home visits and held over 5,500 office interviews, an average of some 425 visits and 790 interviews per head of the seven officers concerned.

50. A great deal of time was again spent in looking into the circumstances of beggars brought before the Courts. 1,252 men and 166 women were charged during the year for this offence. It is difficult to provide any constructive solution in such cases but many were referred to such welfare agencies as might be able to help. Starting from Novem- ber, 1957, Probation Officers undertook the additional task of investigating and supervising any cases of default in payment of fines which might be referred to them by Court; thirteen such cases were satisfactorily meeting the instalments due at the end of the period. Extension of this experiment should assist in reducing the prison population.

51. The Remand Home receives juvenile offenders in three categories:

(a) those arrested by the Police and waiting to appear before a

Juvenile Court;

(b) those on remand; and

(c) those committed by a Court for residential training.

3,741 juveniles, of whom 770 were girls, passed through the Home in one or other of these categories during the year. The average daily muster was thirty nine. The great majority of cases (3,451) were sent by the Police for custody pending appearance before Juvenile Courts and in the short time available not much could be done for them. The number of cases on Remand Warrants was 189. Remand enables the Probation staff to observe a juvenile as he takes part in the daily routine at the Remand Home and to inquire into his background; the reports of the Probation Officers concerned are then submitted to Magistrates to help them to dispose of the case. 101 cases were committed to the Home for periods of residential training not longer than six months, the daily average being twenty seven. The object was to teach these youngsters to live as active and co-operative members of the community through primary education, character and vocational training, scouting and a disciplined atmosphere, together with individual attention.

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