Pictures and Problems from London Police Courts


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Thomas Holmes served for 20 years as a police court missionary for the London courts. Police court missionaries, often sponsored by temperance unions, were the predecessors to today’s probation officers. Their role was to get convicted criminals back on the straight and narrow, and to help them stay there.

In his years in this job, Holmes got a very close look at the causes of crime, and to the difficulty people had in staying back out of the courts once in the system. Chief among the causes he observed were alcoholism (what was then called dipsomania), poverty, and domestic violence.

In this book, originally published in 1900, Holmes tells real-life stories of the people he encountered in the system and the beliefs about crime he developed as a result. Well over a century later, many of the issues still sound familiar. - Summary by Verla Viera (8 hr 39 min)

Chapters

Preface and Preface to the New Edition 4:33 Read by George Banfield
Chapter I, How I Became a Police Court Missionary 28:36 Read by Dave Campbell
Chapter II, In Lambeth Police Court 16:56
Chapter III, A Change for the Better 32:30 Read by tshoes76
Chapter IV, Husbands and Wives, Part 1 20:10 Read by jonbuder
Chapter IV, Husbands and Wives, Part 2 21:29 Read by jonbuder
Chapter V, Parents and Children, Part 1 33:22 Read by Steve C
Chapter V, Parents and Children, Part 2 26:11 Read by Steve C
Chapter VI, Record Breakers: Jane Cakebread 29:48 Read by April6090
Chapter VII, Record Breakers: Kate Henessey, Part 1 25:01 Read by Dave Campbell
Chapter VII, Record Breakers: Kate Henessey, Part 2 21:40 Read by Dave Campbell
Chapter VIII, Among Dipsomaniacs, Part 1 25:26 Read by David Muncaster
Chapter VIII, Among Dipsomaniacs, Part 2 14:57 Read by David Muncaster
Chapter IX, Criminals, Part 1 25:54 Read by jenno
Chapter IX, Criminals, Part 2 24:01 Read by jenno
Chapter IX, Criminals, Part 3 18:37 Read by jenno
Chapter X, Cranks, Part 1 18:41 Read by Dave Campbell
Chapter X, Cranks, Part 2 23:56 Read by Dave Campbell
Chapter XI, The Arcadians and Some Account of the ‘Gubbins’ 16:07 Read by Jonathan Holdsworth
Chapter XII, How the Poor Live – And Die, Part 1 24:47 Read by Peter Yearsley
Chapter XII, How the Poor Live – And Die, Part 2 22:31 Read by Peter Yearsley
Chapter XII, How the Poor Live – And Die, Part 3 15:31 Read by Peter Yearsley
Chapter XIII, The Problem of Home Workers 28:37 Read by David Muncaster