The Founders of Probation: Historical Review and Modern Implications

The Founders of Probation
Introduction
The concept of probation has had a long history. The foundations of probations can be traced back to the English judicial system. During the reign of King Henry VIII, the kind of punishment being extended to offenders was very harsh (Schaefer & Brewer, 2022). These harsh punishments precipitated the need for a revolution in the justice system. In the United States, the idea of probation started in the 19th century in Massachusetts (Schaefer & Brewer, 2022). This paper will focus on the founders and foundations of probation. The paper will provide a historical review of the topic and discuss current issues surrounding the topic. In addition, the paper will discuss the modern implications of the topic.
Historical Review
The foundations of probations can be traced back to the English criminal law of the middle ages. During this era, harsh punishments were extended to adults and children for various offenses. In most cases, the offenses were minor. Evidence shows that sentences such as mutilation, flogging and execution were very common during this age (Schaefer & Brewer, 2022). To put this in perspective, let us briefly analyze the punishments extended during the reign of King Henry VIII. During his reign, at least 200 offenses were punishable by death (Schaefer & Brewer, 2022). Most of these offenses were minor. Due to the harsh nature of these punishments, a revolution in the judicial system became inevitable. Slow but sure changes were implemented in the judicial sector to ensure that harsh penalties were eliminated. Certain progressive segments of English society championed these changes. Judges and other members of the English judicial system were also at the forefront of advocating changes (Morash et al., 2019). Additionally, the clergy also played an instrumental role. Due to the moves made by these entities, it became inevitable to have a review of the justice system. Eventually, the concept of probation was birthed. Courts would release offenders because of good behavior (Morash et al., 2019). As a result of good behavior, an offender was allowed to secure a pardon or a lesser sentence.
In the United States, the founders of probation can be traced back to the state of Massachusetts. John Augustus is recognized as the father of probation in the United States (Morash et al., 2019). He is credited with being the first true probation officer. In Massachusetts, various practices were being developed that led to the concept of probation. The first practice was referred to as security for good behavior. Here, the accused person would pay a specified fee to the jury. This fee would act as collateral for good behavior. Further, the concept of doing away with mandatory penalties was granted to the judges. These two concepts form some excellent historical background upon which modern probation was founded.
Current Issues
The concept of probation has had its advantages and disadvantages. Evidence reveals that 1 in 72 individuals was on probation in the United States at the end of 2018 (Morash et al., 2019). This figure shows that probation has become popular in the United States. The most significant number of people under probation are supervised using the C & S mode...