INDETERMINATE SENTENCES
his article on 'Indeterminate Sentences' in your issue of November 6, Christopher Hollis stated that the obvious answer when an offender 'has been guilty of some freak action. quite out Of tune with his general character, and is never likely to do such a thing again,' is probation.
May I disagree with this view most emphatically? Probation is, in its essence, remedial, and is designed to afford long-term treatment for those, who, for a variety of reasons. may well offend again if left to their own devices, but who are nevertheless thought to be capable of responding to the advice, assistance and friendship' of the probation officer., To place on probation' the type of offender Mr. Hollis has described would be to waste the valuable time of the already overburdened probation officer, and it would seem to be infinitely more appropriate to deal with the cis,: by way of conditional discharge or line.--Yours faithfully,
J. D. III 'Clothiers,' !Jolley, Hants
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