John Augustus and Evident Change
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Marker Inscription
1785 1859 John Augustus Moved by the plight of the unfortunate in the jails and prisons of his day a humble Boston shoemaker began a great move-ment in the reformation of offenders when in 1841 he took from the court for a period of probation one who under his care and with his friendship became a man again This tablet marking the centenary of probation is inscribed to his memory by those who follow in his footsteps National Probation Association May 30 1941
Erected by National Probation Association
The Story
In 1841 a Boston shoemaker named John Augustus posted bail for a man the courts had written off, took him into his care, and watched him become 'a man again.' Moved by the misery he saw in the jails of his day, Augustus repeated the experiment hundreds of times, personally supervising offenders released to his charge. From that quiet, unofficial mercy grew the modern idea of probation. This tablet, placed on the movement's centenary in 1941, marks his memory.
Why it matters
Augustus's homegrown experiment became the foundation of the American probation system, reshaping how the nation balances punishment with the belief that people can be reformed.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Griffin Museum at Digital Silver Imaging5.7 mi away
- Cyrus Dallin Art Museum6.2 mi away · 611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- Edmund Fowle House6.2 mi away · 26;28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA
- Drive By Projects6.3 mi away · 81 Spring Street, Watertown, MA
- Smith Museum Archives6.4 mi away · 5;7 Jason Terrace, MA
- Jason Russell House6.4 mi away · 7 Jason Street, Arlington, MA
Attractions
- Harvard Square3.2 mi away
- 1899 MIT Observatory site5.8 mi away
- Heartbreak Hill (Top/End)6.3 mi away
- Arlington Center Historic District6.4 mi away
- Central Street Historical District6.4 mi away
- Pickerel Rock6.6 mi away
Food & drink
- Lexington House of Pizza9.5 mi away
- Dunkin'10.3 mi away · 10 Woburn Street, Lexington, MA
- Formosa Taipei10.4 mi away
- Bruegger's Bagels10.4 mi away
- Spirit of India10.4 mi away
- Clay Oven10.4 mi away · 1666 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA
Places to stay
- Homewood Suites4.9 mi away · 1 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- The Lodge at Brandeis10.3 mi away
- Hilton Garden Inn10.4 mi away · 450 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 52 Fourth Avenue
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 32 Fourth Avenue
- Best Western10.5 mi away · 380 Winter Street
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Related people
- · John Augustus
Related events
- · Birth of probation, 1841
- · Centenary of probation, 1941
Themes & tags
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