News  MPS celebrates nearly two centuries of service

It was on an August day in 1841 when John Augustus, a Boston bootmaker also known as the “Father of Probation,” convinced a judge to release “a drunkard” to his care. The first probationer returned to the court 30 days later sober and employed.

The Probation law was enacted 37 years later in 1878 by the Massachusetts Legislature— making the Bay State the first Probation Service in the nation.

As MPS recognizes its staff, work, and achievements, we also reflect on Mr. Augustus whose impactful work and mission continue to influence probation departments throughout the country and abroad.

MPS Little Known Fact:

John Augustus, Father of Probation, was involved in Boston’s abolitionist movement.

Mr. Augustus was known as the “Shoemaker Philanthropist,” according to the National Park Service which features the Father of Probation on its site. The Park Service recognizes him for “dedicating his life to prison reform, the temperance movement, and anti-slavery causes."

An article in “The Liberator” newspaper confirms Mr. Augustus served in the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in 1839. Records also show that he donated money at the New England Anti-Slavery Convention in June 1841.