The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-01-29
The Problem of Crime.

The Problem of Crime.
1t is not intended in this article to
discuss the scientific aspects of criminal
life in ANY exhaustive manner, nor
even infinitely to review the investiga-
tons of DR.. Maudsley, Legrand du
Saulle, Dumesuil, and others, which
have resulted in establishing the exist
ence and heredity of criminal neurosis
that is to saw, of an hereditable type
of nervous degeneration, winch has Its
special exponents in criminal acts and
predisposes to their commission-but
on the other hand, to state the posi-
tions of medical psychologists as they
relate to the existing system of crimi-
nal Jurisprudence.
In certain forms, such as kleptoma-
MIA. and homicidal and suicidal mania,
the neurotic nature of criminal acts
has long since received proper recogni-
ton, and their heredity has been fully
accepted. Exponents of transitory
insanity having its predisposing as well
as its exciting causes, the second has
been identified as generally coexisting
with distinct epileptic paroxysms,
while the third pertains to a more
obscure although definitely hereditary
type of nervous perversiOn, which can
not be classified as epileptic.
In estimating such it must be OBJ
served that, In addition to transient
disturbances of the intelligence, which
are in the nature of paroxysms, the
progressive degeneration of the nerv-
ous centres exercises general and
continuous influence in Transforming
and modifying habitual mental and
emotional states of its victim. The
existence of what Is termed the crimi-
nal neurosis, as the physiological basis
of the criminal activities recorded BY
penal and police ststisticians, while it
is consistent with the presumption of a
certain moral responsibility on the
part Of habitual criminals, reduces them
in q general way to the same category
as lunatics, and would prescribe very
similar treatment at the hands of
society-a treatment having in view
their ultimate recovery, in the same
manner as an alienist physician has in
view the ultimate recovery of his
patient, but one in which the period of
seclusion is wholly dependent on such
recovery of moral sanity.
As it affects police administration,
it calls up the question whether it is
worth the while, after repeated con-
viction has established the habitual
criminality of person, to carry on
the farce of enlarging such person
only to enact the tragedy over again,
and whether it would not be better, as
it would surely be more scientific, to
restrain such person indefinitely, OF
until medical examiners should sane
ton his liberation from custody. In
harmony with the results of modern
science, after several convictions have
demonstrated the existence of crimi-
nal habit, the convict should be re-
garded as beyond the jurisdiction of
prescribed periods of restraint, and
either secluded as an mcurable, or
until medically adjudged to be con-
valescent.
Before scientific principles can be
applied IN this department, they must
be applied to the prison regimen, with
the intention of converting prisons
; :Iom eIsnes u .oI'1ls ih.o ssyiums
l1 u anu auaP,eo 70 advance tne
Pnysical ana mentai conoltioh OF tneir
i !. es-uisciPnnary, put not punl-
ave; aPPiyng al the results OF modern
SCIENCE 10 the physical nutrition OF the
prisoners, under dlscrlminative and
enlightened medical masters, ana
bringing 70 Dear a.! known agencies tor
the restoration OF the lost or d,sordered
moral functions. In the Ieilengtang-
mss near Berlin certain principles are
IN operation that might pc prchtably
coPied, Two man tneorems nelng that
a prisoner must NOT De reminded, by
with prisoners, that he Is
under restraint, and that the prison
must render him capable OF seifsup-
port. The prisoner Is, therefore, often
paying ms way permitted to develop
ms Iacu!ties IN manu1acturing Tor the
market.ln any department OF industry
Or art tor which he may have an apti-
tude, the prison authorities assist
ing as agents IN dlsposlng OF his wares.
some OF the PRISONERS thus accumulate
capital in the course OF
their seclusion: Every incentive is
held out for the culture of sincerity
and veraclfy; the prisoners attend
ance on reiigious services IS not COM
but rests with himself, on the
sround tnat comPuislon would act as
'timuiant TO hypocrisy; ne reads such
books as he pfeases, under certain
restrictions as to purity and elevation,
'e they religious, historical, scientific,
" works of fiction; and his associa-
ions are wholly with keepers carefully
elected for their function, not taken
rom Inc fdnks OF ighoIdnt PoAticAl