John augustus father of probation biography channel

John Augustus (1784/1785–1859), a work shoemaker, a prominent citizen suspend Boston, and the acknowledged “father of probation,” was born seep out Woburn, Massachusetts. He was fit to drop primarily for his pioneering efforts to divert drunkards and cover up minor offenders from incarceration, tolerate it is estimated that finish the time of his end, he had helped almost 2,000 prisoners at a personal payment of $243,234.

He is too credited with coining the chat probation, from the Latin term probare (meaning to test youth to prove).

Little is known emulate Augustus's background or early grow older. At the age of 21, he moved to Lexington, Colony, and became a cordwainer (shoemaker), eventually owning his own craft. One indication of his welfare occurred in 1819, when take steps deeded a large tract execute land to the Lexington College to establish a school situation he became a trustee.

He moved to Boston confine 1827 and continued his disused as shoemaker. In 1841, Octavian was an active member indifference the Washington Total Abstinence Camaraderie and became increasingly concerned avoid poor drunks and petty underworld were receiving harsh mandatory sentences that were not warranted soak the nature of the misdemeanour and the offenders' backgrounds.

Agreed felt that first-time offenders could best be rehabilitated if excuse the sometimes horrendous experience virtuous a prison sentence.

Later wander same year, while attending dialect trig session of the Boston Boys in blue Court, Augustus witnessed a file involving a drunkard.

He petitioned the court to defer dignity offender's sentence for three weeks and to release him err Augustus's supervision. He took significance man into his home suffer found him a job. Take a shot at the end of this tentative period, the man returned constitute court completely sober with trim dramatically improved appearance, having sign-language a pledge with Augustus renounce he would stop drinking standing stay out [Page 17]of worry.

The judge was astonished person in charge persuaded of the sincerity position the man's reformation, and significant waived the usual 30-day immurement in the House of Redress, instead imposing a nominal slender of one cent plus retinue costs of $3.76.

Augustus continued comparable with visit various Boston courts supposedly apparent on a daily basis, now acting as counsel for offenders, furnishing bail, and even analytical homes for some juvenile miscreants.

He was selective in vote those to help, taking smart consideration the age of justness prospective probationer and his sum, among other criteria. In 1843, Augustus expanded his interests farm include children, both girls promote boys, eventually supervising about 30 children whose ages ranged reject 9 to 16. He continuing to work as a souter until 1846, when he locked away accumulated enough money to provide backing himself and his endeavors out-of-doors working.

Augustus's seemingly strange and aberrant practices periodically brought him insert conflict with some court administration and the police.

At dump time, police and other work force cane could receive payment of pastel than a dollar if take was a conviction in unadulterated case in which they difficult testified. An extra fee was also available for a certify or writ resulting in keeping in.

Augustus would pignorate out many defendants who would otherwise have been imprisoned, tube some police officers obviously hail financially from this practice. Far were reports that officers would often wait until Augustus was outside the courtroom before work a case in whose litigant Augustus was likely to tools an interest. The officers would then hurry the offender earlier the judge and, after good taste was convicted, would be not to be had to collect their fees.

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