CHAP. 170.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled ‘fan act to
authorize the judge of any court, police justice, or justice of the peace,
in cities of forty thousand inhabitants and over, to continue the case
and admit to bail any person brought before him charged with being
an habitual drunkard, with failing to support his wife or children,
with being a vagrant or an idler able to work, and who is liable to
become a charge upon the corporation, and to commit such person to
the supervision of an ofiicer to be known as a probation officer; to
provide for the appointment and compensation of such probation offi-
cer, and to invest him with full police power while in the discharge of
his duties,” so as to cover cities of fifteen thousand inhabitants and
over.

Approved March 13, 1912.

1. Fe it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
an act entitled ‘fan act to authorize the judge of any court,
police justice, or justice of the peace in cities of forty thousand
inhabitants and over, to continue the case and admit to bail
any person brought before him charged with being an habitual
drunkard, with failing to support his wife or children, with
being a vagrant or an idler able to work, and who is liable to
become a charge upon the corporation, and to commit such
person to the supervision of an officer to be known as a pro-
bation officer; to provide for the appointment and compensa-
tion of such probation officer, and to invest him with full po-
lice power while in the discharge of his duties,” be amended and
re-enacted so as to read:

$1. It shall be the duty of the chief of police or of the pro-
bation officer hereinafter provided for in any-city of the State
having fifteen thousand inhabitants and over, when in his
opinion, a person in his jurisdiction is a confirmed drunkard,
or is guilty of failure to support his family, to admonish said
person, and if, after said admonition, there is not amendment,
to bring such person before the court charged with being an
habitual drunkard, or with failing to support his family, as the
case may be.

$2. That whenever any person is brought before the judge
of any court, or any police justice in any city of this State,
charged with being an habitual drunkard, or with failing to
support his wife or children, and satistactory evidence is pro-
duced that such person is guilty of the offense charged, or is
such person as above described, such judge or police justice
may, in his discretion, continue the case for final determina-
tion to some later day, to be fixed by him, and bail the ac-
cused for his appearance on such day, with or without security,
and the said judge or police justice may commit the said per-
son to the supervision of the chief of police or of an oflhicer
known as probation officer whose appointment is hereinaiter
provided for, under such directions, rules and regulations as
the said judge or police justice may give, direct and prescribe.

§3. The said judge or police justice of any city in this State
may, on the recommendation of the State board of charities
and corrections, designate some discreet and proper person,
either a constable or police officer of said city, as he may think
proper, to be known as the probation officer of such city. The
compensation of said probation officer shall be prescribed by
the city council, and in all cases shall be paid out of the treas-
ury of the city for which he is appointed. Where no such ap-
pointment is made, the chief of police shall be, and he is hereby,
authorized and required to act as said probation officer.

§4. The said probation officer shall ascertain the name and
address and such facts in relation to the antecedent history and
environment of the person or persons committed to his charge
as may enable him to determine what corrective measures will
be proper in the case, and shall exercise a constant super-
vision over the conduct of such person or persons, and make re-
port to the judge or police justice, whenever he shall deem it
necessary, or be required to do so, and he shall use every ef-
fort to encourage and stimulate such person to a reformation.
Whenever said chief of police or probation officer shall become
satisfied that such person is violating the directions, rules and
regulations, given or prescribed by the judge or police justice,
as the case may be, for his conduct, said chief of police or pro-
bation officer shall have authority to arrest such person without
warrant and carry him before the judge or police justice before
whom he was first brought, or some other judge or police jus-
tice acting in said city; and such judge or police justice may,
in his discretion, declare the recognizance forfeited or, in his
discretion, extend the time of probation under like conditions
as are above described. Every probation officer appointed as
aforesaid is hereby invested with all powers and authority of
a police officer or of a constable while in the discharge of his
duties.

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$5. A man who, after having been placed under the proba-
tion officer for non-support, still declines to provide for his
family, or who while under the probation officer leaves the city,
shall be apprehended and, upon conviction, sentenced to the
State convict road force until such time as he shall agree to
support his family, when he shall be returned to the city, and
placed under a probation officer as before. A man under the
probation officer as a drunkard who, after being so placed, con-
tinues to drink, shall be sentenced: to the said road force where
he shall remain until he gives evidence satisfactory to the su-
perintendent of the pentitentiary and the sergeant of the camp
in which he works that he has reformed, when he shall be dis-
charged from the camp, but shall continue in the custody of
the probation officer of the city in which he has residence, until
discharged by the court.

$6. Drunkards committed to the convict road force shall be
dealt with in all respects as other prisoners except, first, they
shall not, unless as punishment for attempt to escape, be com-
pelled to wear the chain; second, they shall be examined upon
their entrance into the camp by the physician, and said physi-
cian shall report the result of said examination to the sergeant
in charge of the camp, with the view of enabling the said ser-
geant to give to the said drunkard such work as will not do the
said drunkard physical harm.

$7. In the event that the cities of the State or any of them
should establish workhouses or city farms on which prisoners
are put to work, persons convicted of non-support or declared
to be confirmed drunkards, under the provisions of this act,
may be committed to said farms or workhouses instead of to
the convict road force.

In the event that the cities of the State or any of them
should establish said work houses or city farms, persons ad-
dicted to any drug habit may be placed on probation and com-
mitted to said farms instead of to the jails.

§8. All probation officers shall report to the State board of
charities and corrections. The form of such report shall be
prescribed by the said board. |

S9. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed.