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Shall Drunkards be sent to…

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Dyfynnu
Rhannu

Shall Drunkards be sent to Jail ? To the Editor of the" Llanelly Mercury." Sir,—The Government have just issued the minutes of evidence given before a Depart- mental Committee of the Home Office on the working of the Probation Act. This evidence proves that it is possible to reform drunkards and protect society without resorting to fine or imprisonment, which seldom does either. Several London magistrates gave specfic evidence as to the great value they had found the condition of Total Abstinence in reforming offenders during their probationary period. One witness, in answer to a query by the chairman, Mr. Herbert. Samuel, M.P., as to whether it had been made a condition in any of the probation orders that a probationer should abstain from intoxicants, replied "Yes," and that he bad found "this condition very beneficial." "Perhaps the worst case I have had." he said, "was a young man charged with stealing a bicycle. Drink had been at the bottom of his failure all along. He was an outcast, practically, from his father's home. Drink was the one thing which had hindered him front keeping a situation, and the magistrate bound him over not to en- ter a public-house or to drink. He has com- pleted his time now, lie has a nice little sum in the bank, and has a good situation, and when I last saw him he was full of gratitude to the magistrate who had given'him the op- portunity, end he said that one of the things that had helped him most. I was the fact that when he wanted to go into a public-house dared not, because lie was afraid, the police- man would see him." Now here is direct proofi that the pledge, with the fear of the La-fr behind it. will do what punishment, will not, do, and the time has surely come when this method should be more generally adopted. The drunkard needs sympathy, encourage- ment, and help, rather than punishment. He is not an ordinary criminal; his offence is often accidental. A thief sets out to steal, but a. drinker seldom sets out to get drunk, but. simply succumbs to a legalised system, which makes it easv for him to get drunk. If any offender is entitled to special considera- tion, it is the drunkard offender. The crucial moment to attempt his reform is when his habit has brought him. within the- power of the law,and experience now proves that the Abstinence.condition will do this more effec- tively than any other method. It further sn'res the offender the stain of convicticn. which is of vital importance 4) an offender N\-I) i ch is of vital. ii.)ipo,-t-I ii(,(, fo all ()iT(-ii(ler pt ry. The mistake which is so freauently made is to regard the first drink-caused offence as too trivial for any punishment other than a small fine or payment of costs, and the man is re- leased without any restriction being placed upon the habit which has oi),-e caused him jr, break the law. Unless restricted, urink will, in all probability, again be the cause of ins being brought into court, by which lime the drink ha bit has often got so great a. held of the man that it is difficult, and sometimes im- possible. for him to break it. Once drink has brought, a man into court, the court, should exercise to the full the power they now have under the Probation Act, and make Tota). Abstinence for at least one year a con- dition of probation in lieu of the maximum punishment. Many London stipendiavy magisfrates and some judges are doing fi and express themselves satisfied with the suits. I Rhall he pleased to forward particulars and j literalii-• on receipt of a stamped envelope.— I am. etc.. WAT,'I'EP, Tfoii. ,P.1'. I Marian House.. Leicester. 1 I

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