Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
Crime Commissions
Most Important Task

| To the Editor Of The Star:
Investigations and still more investi-
cations appear TO be the most impor-
tant concern Of the upper branch Of
Congress, and perhaps this Is IS It
should be.
The crime commission should be very
important If it is to be all It's name
implies. To ascertain the real cause,
its economic cause and effect, and to
make the proper recommendations as to
the cause and cure Is the important
question.
Nav we ask, What Is crime? Who are
criminals? What Is the purpose OF
punishment? How shall 1t be most
beneflcially administered for the vio-
! lator of the law and for society itself?
These fundamental questions should
be answered in q broad and compre-
hensive way, dealing with the economic
conditions as they exist, which should
include the monstrous iniquities of the
awful catastrophe, the World War; its
aftermath, mass production, the enor-
nous waste and destruction OF property
during the war, the unemployment
problems, prohibition enforcement, or
the lack of 1t. and the consequences.
This should furnish some of the
background for the legislative work
awful tax burdens that are constantly
increasing and the still greater danger
of the contamination and pollution OF
society. May I call attention to our
penal institutions under existing cono1-
lions and the menacing consequences
that necessarily result, which, think,
is due to the lack Of proper study by
those In authority? The proper sta
tistics, in many ways, are not available,
but for this brief letter we may approx
mate them for the purposes OF Illus
| tration.
OF the number that are sent to our
Federal prisons and penal institutions
and this may be true Of the States
| there are about 80 per cent that are by
| training, business and habits criminals.
| Whether from choice or necessity Is the
| important question here. There are
about 40 per cent that are morons,
| weaklings and are the victims Of
stronger or master minds and essen
Then there are 80 per cent that are
sent to prison that have been framed
| UP by jealousy, emnity and malice,
commercially or politically, and are
really not criminals at all In the legal
or moral sense.
Let us see what happens when they
60 TO prison or penal institutions.
1IlCy uES Gil IlSIOcu UOScGLICIt dIlO GIlc
rules and regulations are made for the
first 30 per cent, the worst ones. The
other two classes. aggregating 70 per
cent, are brought to the lowest level.
Like a chain, the strength is the weak
est link: q battleship fleet the speed Is
that of the slowest vessel. This, of
course, is very bad, but by no means
the worst feature.
The first 80 per cent become the
teachers and instructors of the others,
by reason of their superior intelligence
and a large number emerge from prison
much more proficient In crime than
when they entered, instilled with hatred
to the Government and society, with
! out any fitness for life's struggles: with
a cheap suit, transportation home, four
or five dollars, with the mark Of Cain"
upon them, to meet the sneers and jeers
Of society, with no Job or a chance for
one And what will they most likely
do under such circumstances? What, In
| fact, would you do?
When more than two hundred thou
sand are annually poured into society.
what Is bound to be the result? VIII
not this process contaminate society
and increase crime at an enormoue
rate?
| Is this not an important subject for
! the crime commission?
L. H. KEENAN,.