PROBATION OFFICERS
SIR,—A young friend of mine has recently taken a good honours degree in Sociology at London Univer- sity. She did this with a view to becoming a probation officer. She is over twenty-one, and longing to start her training. The powers that be advised her to take a job in a probation hostel, where she would gain valuable experience until she reached the age of twenty-two, when her training as a probation officer would start. Her work at the hostel consists in house- work, counting articles for the laundry, and similar activities. She is denied access to the case histories of the girls on probation and is only given informa- tion which the Warden considers suitable. My friend is feeling acutely frustrated and is seriously thinking of going out to help refugees and abandoning all thoughts of becoming a probation officer.
During the First World War I did a Social Science Certificate at the London School of Economics, and was allowed by the then Home Secretary to do the practical side of my training under the Tower Bridge and Bow Street Probation Officers, though I was under twenty-one. I attended court cases and was allowed to bottle-wash for the two probation officers.
Why, sir, need the starting age for probation officers now be postponed to twenty-three? I wonder if Mr. Butler was aware of this waste of talent? and venture to hope that the next Home Secretary will consider this very real problem.—Yours faithfully,
V. H. CAINE
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