Evening star., 1925-08-24

For that which I do, 1 allow not;
for what 1 would, that L do not, but
what / hate. that do II
Psychology had not been invented
when that confession was made St
Paul had never studied compleXes nor
recognized that it was his subcon-
scious mind which dominated his acts
more than did his conscious mind.
The science known as behavior
psychology" is only fifteen years DID,
yet the laboratory enthusiasts in Chi
cago are ready to abolish the entire
system of criminology. with its
prisons, police, courts and all methods
OF restraint and reform, and substi-
tute the novelty of the clinic In treat
ing the criminal as more or less men,
tally diseased, differing only in de-
gree from the insane who is shut up
behind bars.
In the Medico-Legal Journal of New
York not long ago appeared this para
graph:
I'm a strictly legal sense there is
no insane criminal. The act of the
insane, which in the sane would be
criminal, lacks every element of crime.
A man who has committed a
crime may become insane, either be-
fore or after conviction of crime. He
may (then) rightly be called an insane
criminal If the insanity developed
before the trial the law would suspend
his trial while the insanity continued.
If the insanity came after conviction
he should be treated as an insane
man, not as a criminal
The Chicago psychological defini-
ton assumes not merely that criminals
may become insane after the crime,
but that the fact that they have COM
nlitted a crime shows that they We're
insane; hence, being insane, they were
incapable of committing crime-their
criminal deed lacks every element of
crime" So the treatment must be
that of an insane man-therapy, not
punitive.
A man insane today may prove per-
fectly sane tomorrow. Since, in the
new psychology, all crime is evidence
of diseased mind, a murderer, not be-
ing capable of crime when he COM
mitted the murder, as his act proves,
by its horror, can defend his act by
proving that the act itself was evil
dence that he was incapable of crime.
Hence by the atrocity of his act he
can regain his liberty by confession or
by proving his deed. which demon
strates his innocence under the law
of behavior psychology" The more
horrible the deed. the greater his in
capacity to commit crime.
Psychologists are not content with
merely ascribing two personalities
DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde-but believe
that we are each composed of many
personalities, the composites of all our
ancestors, plus the influences of our
environment and subconscious reser-
voirs of thoughts and impressions.
The tendencies Of civilization in the
last century have been invariably to-
ward modifying the punishment of
criminals. Has crime decreased? The
modern theory is not 'punishment-not
vengeance-but restraint of other
crimes and reform of the criminal
through example and training. But
not until the advent of behavior
psychology" in 1910 was there any
teaching that police should not be
quick to apprehend the enemies prey
ing upon society, and that courts
should close prisons and abdicate in
favor of psychological clinics.
In the meanwhile crime increases in
America. 1t is more rampant here
than In any other civilized country.
Not the majority, but less than l in
10 murders is ferreted out and their
perpetrators convicted, and / in 10
convicted is punished in any way.
Is there not room then, suggests
the critic, for experimental therapy
by the psychologists without suspend
ing action Of police or courts upon the
per cent? There are the 80 and 9.
tCopyTight. 1925. by Paul y. collins.l