Evening star., 1925-01-30
Crime Study Urged.
Mental Hygiene Declared I'm
portant Factor.
To the Editor of The Stsr

|
| To the Editor of The Star:
| The subject of crime has been very
much in the public mind during the
past year, and. following the Loeb
/ Leopold episode, has received increas-
ing attention on the part of the daily
press and other organs of public
| opinion. Recent editorials have en-
| phasized the need of study and re
! search In crime. and there can be no
doubt OF the seriousness of the pub
| lie interest In a solution of this Inn
| portant social problem. I wonder II
| your readers know of the particular
thought and attention given to the
problem by the national committee
for mental hygiene?
Probably the most significant study
was that conducted at Sing Sing
| prison in New York State in 1915
/ when several hundred prisoners were
| carefully examined by a psychiatrist
with special training and a wide ex-
perience in the psychopathology of
crime. OF sos men. So per cent were
found to be mentally diseased, feeble
| minded or otherwise abnormal. The
| findings of the psychiatrist and his
their bearings upon the criminal con-
duct of these prisoners so impressed
the State authorities inviting the
study. that, in the reconstruction of
/ the prison, IL was decided to build a
special structure for the psychiatric
| clinic recommended by him for the
future classifica tion, study and treat
ment of the inmates. The clinic has
become in effect the central factor in
the reorganization of Sing Sing
prison.
Since then the national committee
has examined and studied approx
| mately 10000 prisoners in its SURVEYS
of penal and correctional institutions
| in various States. These studies have
shown that as many as so per cent of
these prisoners are classifiable in
terms OF deviation from average
normal mental health, and are suffer
ing from conditions that have every
thing to do with their criminal be-
havior.
The national committee for mental
hygiene heartily agrees with those
who advocate scientific research into
the nature and causes of crime, but it
believes that much can be accom-
plished with the knowledge already
at hand. Its surveys and studies have
demonstrated the immeasureable
value OF the ''psychiatric approach" to
an understanding of criminal and de-
! linquent conduct, and the establish
ment OF psychiatric clinics in several
juvenile and municipal courts in the
country bears witness to the influence
| OF these studies upon legal proceed
ures. But misunderstanding Of the
| purport of such studies on the part
/ n haH
traditions based upon q purely penal
conception OF crime has operated TO
retard the progress OF this very i'm
| portant and so far most hopeful de-
| velopm~nt that has yet taken place
in the field Of criminology. An equal
lack OF understanding on the part OF
| the public Is also responsible for this
| slow progress, and the now historic
| Chicago case. in which the unfortu-
nate method Of presentation required
by an inadequate law served 10 dis
credit psychiatric testimony, has
helped little to enlishten public
| opinion.
Leaving aside, however, the much
mooted question of the alienist's
service in connection with criminal
| Trials, We have to face A much larger
| problem. in which the factor OF legal
responsibility and conviction is only
a minor one. We must not forget
| that the bulk of our crinninality Is
furnished by the recidivist-the re-
| peater in crime-snd IL Is this type OF
| criminal and delinquent that clogs the
wheels OF justice. creates all manner
OF social problems and costs the COM
munity SO heavily in economic terms
II is with this group Of offenders
that society must learn to deal it il
! ever hopes to achieve anything in it's
! struggle with the problem OF crime
| IL mas In recent years thought some
| what more OF reformation and little
| less of retribution, and in It's attack
upon the problem has made extensive
use Of the instrument of probation
The results have not been altogether
| satisfactory, and there has ensued q
reaction, manifesting itself most
markedly in criticisms OF sentimen-
tality and leniency on the part Of
| courts and juries in their dealings
| with prisoners. But the weakness Of
probation has been in the absence of
competent direction and advice in the
| examination and treatment of Offend
ers and the oversight OF the vitally
| important mental and emotional fac
tors that cannot be ignored in any
attempt TO understand the behavior
| OF these offenders and prescribe ade-
| The burden OF this communication
| is plea for more general develop
| ment of the psychistric clinic in con-
nectton with the courts, prisons and
correctional institutions of the coun-
try. the amendment OF laws where
| ever necessary and the passage of
| legislative appropriations to make
possible the provision of the best
mechanism that has yet been devised
for the scientific study and treatment
of persons convicted OF crime or de-
| ltnquency. An illustration of the pos
| sibilities of accomplishment In the di-
rection of an enlightened public
opinion and it's influence for progress
| in dealing with this problem has been
the recent action of Massachusetts,
Due largely to the educational efforts
of large group of professional and
lay persons especially Interested in
the problem, based upon information
| furnished by the Massachusetts, So
ciety and the national committee for
mental hygiene, the Legislature of
that State passed a law requiring the
psychiatric examination and study OF
| all prisoners sentenced to county jails
for more than thirty days.
| A short time previously Massachu-
setts passed a law requiring such ex-
| animation and study of every person
| in the State convicted of a capital Of
| Tense or charged a second time with
felony. We look forward to results
of far-reaching benefit from this
| Legislation, and earnestly believe that
| similar action In other States would
contribute not a little to the solution
| of the problem of crime and criminal
ity in the United States.
FRANKwoOD E. WILLIAMS,
| Medical Director, The National Com