Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in March of 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed into law the Probation Act, making that sentencing option available in the Federal courts. Six months later, on September 22, the first Federal probation officers were appointed, taking on the crucial dual task of promoting rehabilitation and protecting public safety. On this 90th anniversary, we pay our respects to the probation officers who serve the public, helping to keep our communities safe. The advent of probation at the Federal level was driven by the success and spread of probation by individual States. Between 1909 and 1925, some 34 bills were introduced to establish a Federal probation law. President Coolidge, who as Governor of Massachusetts was familiar with probation at the State level, provided key support for the law's final passage. A significant impetus for the law's eventual enactment was the fact that the National Prohibition Act of 1919 made Federal criminals out of many non-violent, otherwise law-abiding Americans. Under the auspices of the U.S. Courts, Probation and Pretrial Services has been operating a Federal re-entry court since 2008, along with programs aimed at addiction recovery. Among those first Federal probation officers was George Grover, who, 20 years before the Probation Act became the first state-authorized probation officer in Maine, serving Cumberland County. Mr. Grover was a vigorous advocate of probation as an alternative to incarceration.…”