Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-28

III man proves himself by repeated crimes
and other indications to be a hopcessIy In.
durable criminal and a danger To society, hs
should be pairiussly eradicated from the world
In some cases sterilization is useful because It
cures the individual and prevents him from
leaving descendants with similar defects TO
his own.
THE inmates of our penal institutions may
be divided into three classes: Those who
should not be there at all and should never
have been confined, those who should be
treated with the hope of cure. and those who
should be eradicated.
'ln the frs, class have individuals who
punished largely through techncalites OF
the law and do not belong in penal Institutions.
In the second class have those who. under
proper physical treatment, environment and
education, may be benefited and trained to be-
useful citizens. In the third class have
those mental. moral and physical detectives
suffering from atavistic traits and to whom no
manner Of treatment or punishment will be O.
the slightest benefit.
For the safety of humanity and posterity
believe that this latter class should be eradl.
Gated. Not only do believe this as applied to
criminals, so termed. but to a large class OF
idiots and insane. absolutely ncurable. upon
whom the State is now expanding vast sums
OF money and needless sympathy. Some day
we may be intelligent enough to say that the
world will be better off for tho nonexstence {.
these unfortunate creatures.
IF the right to pass upon the life or a Grim.
inal Is given to judiciary body, is 1t not
consistent to ask that properly constituted
National board or Health be vested With Slmi.
ahle?"
ut appears. doctor. that your prison would
be a hospital and college combined There are
practical men in this city who argue that such
comfortable institution would be direct In
centive to the commission of many kinds OF
crime. They say that the knowledge that
prison is cold. miserable place and that they
will have long and hard time there If they
G. wrong. has been the means of lettering
many of them from crime. Can you deny that
nf.1,t, ts date
II believe that punishment is OF no real value
as a deterrent, said DR.. Lee. II am convinced
Of that from observation AMI study Il the
criminal is no. capable OF looking forward and
analyzing the immediate and remote conse-
Quences OF his act He is almost monomaniao
ill that all other ideas are excluded except the
accomplishment of the act on which he has
set his mind II Is this mental abp orraality
that makes him true criminal. A normal man
does not commit the acts for which nearly all
the criminals are sent to prison, because he can
realize the consequences OF thu act and all Its
bearings
at may be true although have no proof
OF it, that the we'll known severity of certain
Judge has had the effect OF keeping some
criminals away from his jurisdiction, but the
criminals go somewhere else and severity
either In prison the bench, has effect
in diminishing the total amount OF crime.
ut is an exaggeration to say that scientific
men wish to make prisons pleasant places. A
man should be subject TO rigid discipline with
view to curing his defects. But tho notion
held by some people that he should be KEPT
In cold cell and given bad and insufficient
food Is barbarous and relic OF the ancient In,
sitution Of torture.
Our penal institutions, they are usuall,
conducted only serve to maintain and increase
the criminal class, whereas they might perform
valuable service TO society by curing
criminals OF their defects.