[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 43 (Thursday, March 6, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1600-S1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     100TH ANNIVERSARY PASSAGE OF THE FEDERAL PROBATION ACT OF 1925

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today we honor the 100th anniversary of 
the Federal Probation Act of 1925, the pivotal law that established our 
Federal probation system, thereby helping to reduce unnecessary 
detention and crime. This is a prime example of criminal justice reform 
designed to make our communities safer and allow offenders a second 
chance to reintegrate into society.
  Probation, like many other criminal justice reforms, did not happen 
overnight. Some Federal judges were in favor of a probationary system, 
seeing it as an alternative to the sometimes-harsh penalties they felt 
constrained to impose. Other Federal judges were against probation, 
believing it too lenient. Congress could not reach agreement on a 
national plan. While the first Federal probation bills were introduced 
in Congress in 1909, it was not until 1925--after more than 30 bills 
had been introduced--that the Federal Probation Act came to fruition.
  Since passage, we have seen the life-changing effects of probation as 
an alternative to prison. This is especially true for past offenders 
suffering from substance abuse and mental health challenges. Our 
probation system provides these individuals with structured supervision 
and access to treatment programs that offer the tools they need to lead 
productive lives.
  In the United States alone, approximately 90,700 dedicated probation 
officers and correctional treatment specialists work every day to 
reduce recidivism and promote public safety. I want to thank them for 
their hard work and dedicated service.
  Last December, on the sixth anniversary of the First Step Act, 
another landmark piece of criminal justice reform legislation, I 
highlighted that most people who are incarcerated will ultimately be 
released, so we must prepare them for a successful reentry. The First 
Step Act is bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to 
make our justice system fairer and our

[[Page S1601]]

communities safer by changing sentencing laws and providing 
opportunities for incarcerated people to prepare to reenter society 
successfully.
  I was proud to champion this landmark legislation alongside Senators 
Grassley, Booker, and Lee. It took months of bipartisan negotiation and 
compromise. But the result was a historic victory that significantly 
improved our justice system.
  I can safely say that the Federal Probation Act laid the groundwork 
100 years ago for legislation like the First Step Act.
  Today, we are all responsible for advancing this work through the 
passage of fair and effective criminal justice reforms. And I would 
like to thank the Administrative Office for the Courts' Office of 
Probation and Pretrial Services and the Federal Probation and Pretrial 
Services Officers Association for their continued partnership in 
leading this work. It is an honor to celebrate 100 years of this 
pivotal law.

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