The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-29
A soFTENING TOWARD CRIME


 A SOFTENING TOWARD CRIME
 There seems to be growing inten- freedom of so-called political pris- oners, who were sent to jail during the war for breaking our laws. Just what the agitators expect to gain by this campaign for clemency is hard to understand. At any rate, the term political prisoners" should not be allowed to stand unchallenged. These persons broke our established laws and it is incredible that their offenses should therefore be called political. It is doubly strange that there should be this sentimental cam paign in behalf of those who tried to hinder our war preparation and undermine our morale, yet an entire absence of such concern in behalf of those who lost their health in win ming the war. It would be far more fitting and would meet with far more public approval for those who must busy themselves about something to inquire into the condition of dis abled veterans and urge public and official action to relieve any unease from which they may be suffering. It is far easier to contemplate with complacency those who languish in jail for sedition than to countenance any sort of neglect of brave men in jured on the field of battle, or suf- fering from illness incurred in their country's service.
 Indeed, there appears to be we'll defined tendency on the part of per sons of position and influence in every state to place more emphasis upon the rescue of criminals from deserved punishment than upon the correction of conditions leading to criminality. There is far more need of reform within our penal institu- .tions than there is for leniency to- ward those proved guilty of serious crimes. It is said, and doubtless with much truth, that our prisons tend to make criminals. The real remedy then is to apply to the management of our prisons such principles and pol icies as are counseled by successful experience and the discoveries of so- ciologists and others who have given careful and scientific study to pen ology.
 Every prisoner sent to our bastiles should receive thorough physical and mental examination, not to find out how we'll he is adapted for work ing in some private mine or camp, but to discover, if possible, the cause of his criminal tendency and to work out some means for its correction. What those who take the sentimen- tai side of the question fail to under stand is that crime is frequently pathological, and that each convict and each prisoner should be treated as a clinical case with the purpose of effecting cure, if possible. There is no great hue and cry to release pa tients from hospitals, because it is known that hospitals strive to effect cures and that thereupon the release is automatic. A similar principle should be applied to the conduct of our penal institutions, insofar as such application is in line with good judgment and expert opinion.
 The legitimate outlet for sympathy towards our criminal unfortunates is along two lines. The first is to ame- liorate, as far as possible, the outside environments which tend to produce criminals. The second is to make such scientific study of each convict. and prisoner as will locate if possible the souAce of his trouble, cure him if possible, and give him such attention as his case demands, if incurable. Sentiment should play the same part in the treatment of criminals that sentiment plays in the treatment of cases in hospitals, no mora no less