Model kurateli sądowej w Polsce i jego przemiany

The court guardian has special tasks to fulfill: reclaiming criminals and preventing committing petty offences by convicts, which in effect boils down to ensuring public safety. Personal characteristics, mentality, style of work or education that the guardian possesses are conditions for effective realization of such tasks. Court guardianship may be formulated in the following models: social-professional, professional-social, controlling, educating, educating-reclaiming, therapeutic. In each of these models the guardian’s tasks are realized in different ways. The article shows the real picture of the model of court guardianship, and additionally it determines the degree to which it is accordant to the model of court guardianship defined on the basis of legal acts. In order to do this the following analyses have been done: a) of the institution of the court guardian in Poland (starting with 1919), b) of the studies concerning their preparation and competence to perform this function; the styles of supervising (granting custody); and the reclaiming work in the wards’ circle.