Evening star., 1926-09-13

JCl)GE KOSALSkI.
country. If they are captured, tried.
convicted and sentenced, they come
out of Jail ready to take up their pro-
fesSion again and keep at 1t until
they are again incarcerated.
The system of preventive detention
developed during recent years in Eng
land has been found highly success
full in protecting society from the raw
ages of such professional criminal.
Penologtsts who have studied the Eng
lish law find it possessed of many
merits and the suggestion has fire.
quently been made that American
States adopt some similar plan.
preventive Detention"
given to q form of custody provided
by the prevention-o of crime act passed
by the British Parliament in 1908.
The judge has the power to pass a
sentence of penal servitude for the
particular crime charged in the in
dictment. In addition, he may pass
a further sentence, ordering the de-
tentiOn of the prisoner for not more
than 10 years after his regular penal
sentence has been completed.
This additional sentence may be i'm
posed only if the jury finds, on due
evidence, that the offender is IAN
habitual criminal" The English law
classes as 'habituals" all persons who
have been at least three times con-
vlcted Of crime since they were 10
years old and who "are persistently
leading a dishonest or criminal life"
Discussing the situation in England,
Sir Evelyn Ruggles- -Brise, chairman
of the Prison Commission for Engla nd
and Wales, said
1t is interesting to observe that as
we descend from the best to the worst
there is a proportionate increase of
crime against property until 1t can be
almost said that the professional Grim
lnal constitutes a separate and pecul-
lar class which demands a special and
peculiar treatment.
Dishonest by Choice.
His crime is not due to special
causes, such as sudden passion, drunk.
enness or temporary distress. but to
settled intention to gain a living by
dishonesty"
Parliament in passing the preven-
tive detention bill explained it's atti-
tude as follows:
'1n the case Of such persons a SEN
tence Of Imprisonment has neither a
deterrent nor refOrmatory effect
and in the interest Of society the only
thing to be done with them is to segre-
gate them from society for a long
period of time. 1t may not be neces.
sary during that period of time that
their punishment should be a severe
one. All that is wanted is that they
should be under discipline and compul
sorry segregation from the outside
world"
AT Camp Hill. on the Isle of Wight
a, prison for professional or habitual
criminals has been erected. On con-
Guiding their penal terms in the ordi-
nary prisons "habituals" are sent to
Camp Hill. Here by good conduct
they soon gain such privileges as
smoking, access to newspapers, asso-
citation at meals and a small wage
with which to make purchases at the
prison canteen.
Results Are Excellent.
AS their sentences near completion
they are allowed more and more lib
erty until such men as are qualifying
for conditional discharge are sent to
live in the parole lines" Here they
have almost complete freedom, disci-
pline is relaxed and they are tested
for return to complete liberty.
A<NeSaNeASAOAAt
f1uences and the effects of discipline
which they experience during their
stay at Camp Hill generally have a
Salutary effect on the professional
criminals. Although the interference
Of the war delayed developments, sta
tistics of the Camp Hill experiment
show excellent results.
From the time the act came into
operation in 1909 until 1921, SIT
"habituals" were sent to Camp HILL
OF these $50 were released at the time
the figures were gathered. Only 64
Of these were held until their full
terms were up. The rest were found
sufficiently reformed to be released
earlier on parole.
The most significant figures reported
by the Central Prisons Association are
that 210 of the 3S9 men released after
their preventive detention expired have
been reporting satisfactorily ever
since. In other words, 54 per cent of
the group sent to Camp Hill were
saved from a further life of profes-
sional crime.