New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-04
CRIMINAL RECORDS POOR
Foreiqn Crimino|cgiSts, It Is
Said. RidiCuIe Our System.
EXPERT VISITS THE T0MBS
Special Committee Appointed to
Consider Feasibility of Having
Central Registration Bureau.

4 meeting called by the Committee on
Defective Delinquents of the Prison Asso-
citation was held at No 1876 East 18th street
on Wednesday afternoon. The matter
under discussion was better methods Of re-
cording the history Of delinquents. Every
one present agreed that more complete
histories were advisable. and the question
as TO WAYS and means furnished most ot
the material for discussion. In setting forth
the need Orlando +. Lewis, Of the Prison
Association. said:
Tho United States is called by foreign
crimlnologists the land Of no criminal sta
tistics Even our expert statisticians would
hardly disclaim that unenviable notoriety.
DepIores Absence Of Statistics.
I'VE are in a sad way in at least two re-
spects. Our courts are unable TO deter
mine the past records Of Offenders more than
IN mart. with the result that, even with the
best intentions. inadequate, too severe or
innroper sentences are often imposed. Our
! prisons and reformatories, more and moro
coming TO be tested by the careers OF their
| released or discharged inmates, are unable
70 trace their graduates more than In part
The indeterIninate sentence. parole ana pro-
bation. all are unable TO justify themselves
save on general principles, because If the
absence Of adequate statistics. The absence
Of statistics makes impossible the gathering
! OF important social facts and deductions
! therefrom
The gathering Of such statistics is not
an impossible task in land that has gwen
10 the world the reformatory plan, the
children's court. the indeterm!nate SEN
tence. the development OF the principles OF
parole and probation. Such statistics are
a necessity. Such records must be the test
OF our own work. We are now carrying on
our correctional work very largely on
faith"
I Mr.. Lewis and others brought out the fact
that while every correctional institution
kept some sort Of record OF Its inmates
these were not so co-ordinated as TO give
the continued and complete history OF each
case.
For instance" said Hastings II. Hart,
the chairman OF the meeting, "a boy may
go 20 the Protectory twice; then TO the
House of Refuge and afterward 10 the
Island. and, unles. the records can be in
terchanged. each institution has 70 start at
the beginning 10 ind out about the boy"
! Frank Moore. superintendent OF the Rah-
way IN. J) Reformatory. said in his eX-
perience he had had little difficulty In get
ting the boy himself 10 tell where ne had
been before and what his record was. He
added that In the few cases where the boy
did not tell those in charge knew. anyway.
as the boys behavior would show whether
he was accustomed 20 institutional NE
3 Resides" said Mr. Moore. character
'blabs.'"
Instances were cited where boys had con-
fessed TO crimes they hadn't committed IN
order 70 exchange long term In the re-
form school for a few months in prison.
The advisabillty OF identification as well
az names being recorded called forth the
interesting prediction that the time would
surelv come, though delayed by our Ideals
o. democracy, when every citizen would be
on record, thumb prints and all.
Miss Elizabeth Farrell, an inspector OF
uneraded classes for the Department or
Education, urged that the truant school
record OF a bov under sixteen be considered
2 school rather than a criminal record. She
said MANY children were sent to reforma-
tory institutions when not they but their
uarents were al fault. Mr.. Lewis pointed
cut that the New York law no" provided
that the record Of a child as juvenile
6elinouent shall not be counted against him
II. subsequent proceedings.
DIR. George IL Parker. who has been ex-
aiming men and boys In the Tombs In