... he saw in the courts that he gave a five shilling donation to the Church of England Temperance Society so that 'something might be done' (Whitfield, 1998, p. 11). From activities of philanthropic individuals such as Rainer the Church of England Temperance Society appointed police court missionaries to supervise and reform individuals who had become subject to alcoholism, poverty and despair which in turn led to their petty offending. The missionaries' aim was largely to reform rather than to punish individuals and withheld the belief that people had a capacity to change. Offenders at this time were placed under informal supervision if they showed the likelihood of reform. This gave opportunity to 'prove' themselves: hence the term probation (Raynor, 2002, p. 1173). The birth of probation followed in 1887 when the Probation of First Offenders Act came into place, giving the missionaries identity and recognition for work undertaken with offenders. The ...

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