The Omaha guide., 1934-03-03
EDITORIAL
NEGRO CRIME AND EDUCATION
BY Kenneth z. Barnhart
(FrOm The OppOrtunity)

Is There a Crime Wave?-President Hoover's re-
search committee on Social Trends, which has just pub
lshod its findings in two volumer under this title, states
that they can find no evidence of a crime wave sweeping
over the country. They found that the number of arrests
and Of court cases per 100000 population has increased
moderately from 1900 to 1881, with about the same rate
Of crime for both major and minor offenses between 1900
and 1920. It then began to rise considerably until 1926; it
fell somewhat in 1927; then rose to a new high peak in
1929, and has been falling since 1929. Since 1920 a large
part of the increase n crime was due to traffic class
which have increased at about the same rate as auto re-
gistratiOnS, and to increases in violations of the liquor
Jaw since it went into effect. However, the arrests and
prosecutions for major crimes, such as homicide, robbery
burglary, and aggravated assault have not increased as
drunkenness and other violations of the liquor laws, drug
laws, traffic and motor vehicle laws. The increase in Grim
inal laws between 1900 and 1880 was at the average an
nual rate Of from one to two per cent. The number OF Grim
inal laws will undoubtedly increase, but with a tendency
toward a decreased rate, partly because Of q growing pub
lie sentiment against regulations, and also because Of the
substitution Of flexible administrative regulations for
Do Negroes Commit More Crimes Than Whites?-
1t is often pointed out that Negroes commit more crime
than white people in proportion to the number Of Negro
es in the total population. A Negro writer, Ira De A.. Reid,
has recently shown that the per cent of Negroes in Sing
Sing has grown from 6 per cent in 1875, to IA per cent in
1920, and "a per cent in 1881. Negroes are often commit
led to penal institutions for a larger percentage OF GER
tain crimes than whites, such as homicide, assault, carry
ing concealed weapons, and larceny, but commit a smaller
percentage of such crimes as drunkenness, violating Ill
quor laws and drug laws, and robbery. However, accord
ing to DR.. Glenn Andrews, State Prison Inspector of Ala
bama, the number of persons sent to jaHs in this state be-
tween 1915 and 1927 showed a net increase OF 1865 white
persons, or 1856 per cent, and for the same period a net de-
crease of 391 Negroes, or 2 per cent. in 1929 we still
find an increase for whites and a decrease for Negroes.
Why So Many Negroes Are Sent to Jail-The fact
that more Negroes are often committed to jail than white
persons does not mean that more Negroes commit crime
than white persons. 1t must be member that usually
Negroes are less able to employ expert lawyers than the
white race. It is also true that the Negro is given the lar
.gest percentage Of his Imprisonment for crimes which
call for a fine which he is often unable to pay. This is es-
pecially true during the depression. Furthermore, it will
hardly be questioned that the Negro is more likely to be
convicted in many courts than the white race. Often, too,
the police are more suspicious Of the Negro than the
white man, and hence arrest him more frequently. In
some cases innocent Negroes are actually Framed"
In his study of 900 Criminal Careers" DR.. Glueck
saws. Gwen if they Negroes) are more criminal, which
i omen To doubt, the causes lie in the social structure for
which the white American is primarily responsible" We
- coming to realize more and more that it is not race,
nrinoarilv. which explains criminal behavior, but rather
economic. political, social, educational and other environ
mental factors. We do not know positively yet to what ex-
tent mental factors play a part in the commission OF crime
hit we do know that mental tests given to all prisoners IN
Sine Sing in 1890 showed that only 25 per cent Of them
were Of normal mentality. Unfortunately, such tests are
not. given in all penal institutions.
More Crime Committed by Ignorant-Most crime
;o committed bv i~literate or poorly educated persons. The
rocords IF all penal institutions show that few prisoners
hava received more than a fifth grade education, and
manv have received none at all. The opportunities for
making a comfortable living are small for the i~literate
nerrons. and the one who has only a fifth grade educa-
fion. Hence the temptation to commit crime is greater for