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5<br />

• the view that imprisonment was unsuitable for juveniles even in<br />

the case of very serious acts of delinquency;<br />

• reformatories and industrial schools should be combined into a<br />

system of approved schools; and<br />

• after-care should be regarded as an essential part of the approved<br />

school system.<br />

The Committee gave consideration to whether whipping as a court<br />

sentence should be abolished (the penalty was rarely used in<br />

Northern Ireland) and decided that it should be retained but used<br />

infrequently as they had no doubts that in most cases it had<br />

damaging effects. In coming to this decision they were swayed by the<br />

opinion of Sir Cyril Burt, the psychologist, who felt that in some cases,<br />

involving the most vicious offenders, it could be useful.<br />

The Lynn Committee recognised the value of supervision of young<br />

offenders in the community. At that time there were just 10<br />

probation officers in Northern Ireland, half of whom were based in<br />

Belfast. Of the Belfast probation officers 3 were women. One other<br />

remaining officer was employed as a court missionary and another<br />

was employed by the Catholic Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. All<br />

the officers were employed on a part time basis and needed another<br />

form of occupation to support themselves. The scales of<br />

remuneration were low even by the standards of the day. Caseloads<br />

were high. A part time senior probation officer had a caseload of 70<br />

and a part time probation officer had a caseload of 37. Pre-war<br />

probation officers had a calling that was often based on religious<br />

conviction, concerned especially with the evil effects of drink. The<br />

cornerstone of their beliefs was that each offender had dignity,<br />

worth and, above all, could be reformed.<br />

The Lynn Report made significant recommendations regarding the<br />

organisation, appointment, numbers, training and improved<br />

remuneration of probation officers. It visualised a secular, public,<br />

professional body that had outgrown its charitable origins and would<br />

have a significant part to play in supervising child offenders. The<br />

Committee had a vision of the future that moved the emphasis of the<br />

50 YEARS OF CHILD CARE IN NORTHERN IRELAND<br />

107

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