Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-18
Crime in New York,

A joint committee has just reported
| to the New York Legislature at AL
| bany after an investigation of crime
in that State, with a number of rec.
omme ndations which look to the
strengthening of the law and its en-.
| forcement. a recital of the principal
| proposals for new legislation and
statutory enactments presents vivid
picture Of the faults Of the system now
In vogue in the prosecution and the
punishment of offenders, faults which
prevail in practically all Jurisdictions
| in this country. These are the chief
recomme ndations of the joint legisla.
| tive committee:
The prompt collection Of defaulted
ball bonds; dc NAL of bail in case of a
/ previous criminal record; removal OF
| the presumption which protects de.
PENDANTS who do not testify; additional
| punishment if the criminal has a
weapon during the commission OF
| crime; commitment of a defendant
pleading insanity to an institution for
thirty days for observation: re-sen
| fencing of convicts discovered to be
second offenders: increase the mini
mum Of indeterminate sentences tc
| two-t thirds instead of one-half Of the
maximum: abolish Communication and
compensation in reduction of sen
fences; revise the criminal case pro-
cedure to speed trials, reduce cost and
eliminate te chnicalities; revise SEN
fences to make the punishment fit the
crime; reform the jury system and
lessen exemptions; modification, per
haps the abolition, Of the grand jury
system; requirement of appeal within
thirty days as in civil cases, instead
of a year.
In only a minority percentage OF
major crimes are convictions secured
in New York City, with consequent
punishments. In a very large per-
centage of homicide cases the average
punishment is for less than three
years imprisonment. In numerous
instances prisoners are released on
bonds. with long criminal records
against them, and 1t is known that
they resume their criminal practices
almost Immediately while awaiting
hearing. The bailing system has de-
| yeloped to such a point that prisoners
are sometimes actually met at the
station houses by their bondsmen.
In development Of the principle OF
| mercy on the theory that light pun
ilshments are curative of criminal tend
encies. combinations and allowances
| for good behavior and the fixing OF
| mjnimums have cut down the average
of actual incarceration to a low pc int
Habitual criminals regard the chance
| of commitments to the penitentiary
4 with relative Indifference. They go tt
| iail or prison, conduct themselves il
strict accordance with the rules Of the
| institution, get the benefit of "goot
f, behavior" allowances and return t.
! their criminal practices in few
months. When caught in repeated
crime they are bailed. They secure
! DELAYS of trial, they take appeals ant
! so protract the period of immunity.
In short, the criminal laws and pro
cedures favor the criminal rather thar
| society. The present report Of thu
/; Joint legislative committee in New
| York will, it is expected, lead to i'm
mediate revision of the laws, to effec
| a change in this regard, making i
| harder for criminals to escape pun
| ishment and between times to com
! nit further depredations.