The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-06-04
HOME MADE CRIMINALS

| The federal government spends
twenty million dollars annually to ex
terminate insect and animal pests
yet not dollar is spent in studying
the human pest-tho criminal This
statement was made by Roland Molly
neux at conference on a proposed
Federal Office of Prisons" held by
the national committee on prison la
Dor at the home of Mrs John H. FLAG
Ter in New York. Mr. Molyneux con
tends that as great results would fol
low the scientific study of the crimi
nal as attend the research conducted
by the department Of agriculture
DR.. Frank Moore confirmed thia
contention by his personal experience
as superintendent Of the New Jersey
reformatory. He referred to a study
he had conducted as the causes which
bring young men into the reforma
tory OF $50 men received at the in.
stltulion in one year about 70 pei
cent were from INDECENT families
where poveAty was very great and
where the first lesson in crime had
been given by the mother who had
suggested that her son go out and pro
cure fuel; so per cent of the prison.
ers were from illiterate families wherd
the child had even been encouraged
by the parent to avoid the truant of.
Ecer; SO per cent were from broken
families, death or divorce having bro.
ken up the home; and 33 per cent
were feeble minded and while
the law required the age for admis-
sion to be from sixteen to thirty, the
average age being twenty-one, the av.
erage mental age of this group was
live years. The problem of the men
tally deficient was later discussed by
Mrs. Bodman. who urged the need for
special study of the relation Of mon
tai deficiency and crime.
The beneficial results obtained by
study of the prisoner were brought
out strongly by DR.. Moore who cited
instances CT boys who in the reforma
tory had received training adapted
to their individual needs and who,
upon release, had proved themselves
valuable members Of the community.
The growing need that an office DO
established too undertake. study of the
federal prisoners was pointed out by
George Gordon Battle, who held that
owing to the increasing duties Of the
department of justice which at pres
ent controls the federal prisons and
prisoners, it is impossible for this
the increasing number of federal
department to do justice to these
prisoners.
John Manning, who represented or
ganized labor at the conference stat
ed that the workingmen of the coun
try were behind this movement for
the federal office Of prisons, as
through the office could be worked
out intelligent methods of employing
the prisoner, largely out Of doors, on
roads and farms. ''The prisoner
should receive pay for this labor, 4"
declared Mr.. Manning, land at the
end of his sentence he should come
back into socitey, feeling that he has
paid his debt to society and society ita
obligation to him"
Other speakers urged the need for
better sanitation in the prisons and
for broad study into the cause OF
crime, while in bringing the discus
sion to close DR.. E. Stage Whitil
made clear that the federal office
would have powers Of Investigation
into every penal institution wherein
federal prisoner is or has been con.
fined. This will turn the limelight on
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