Evening star., 1938-09-21
Letters to The Star
Mentally Deficient Children
Need Segregation.
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
CONCERNING the article in The Star
about the easy release Of criminals
from Industrial Home School, there Is
one phase of the question which has not
been taken into consideration. That is
the fact that q certain number (about
Is per cent? of the children confined at
that institution are definitely feeble
minded and therefore not responsible
for their conduct. They are placed there
by the court, without consideration for
their mental deficiency, in an environ-
ment of delinquency. Their associates
Of q higher order of mentality educate
the poor subnormals In ways Of crime,
and there is no escape for that special
group. The court has at present no al
Tentative because there is not money
enough for proper placement OF delin-
quent children who are also feeble
minded. But some time, after enough
murders of innocent and useful citizens
have been committed by feeble-minded
persons, enough rape has been done,
enough hold-ups and crimes Of all kinds
have been perpetrated the public will
demand separate housing with perma-
nent supervision and segregation, and
sterilization when necessary, for the
feeble-minded delinquents. We will
waken to the fact that 1t will cost less
in the long run properly to care for such
persons from the beginning Of their be-
havior irregularities. Our smart crimi-
mails, our clever crooks, our shrewd MUIR
derers we shall probably always have,
but we could at least protect the feeble
minded from being turned loose. hand1-
capped by low mentality and un-
equipped by training on . poor, unsus-
pecting public. Much has been written
down the years about the care Of mental
ly defective children. but 1t has never
been suggested that we permit them to
spend their childhood exposed continue
ously to ways of Grim. I quote only one
passage; it is from Walter E. Fernald,
one Of the abfest writer's in this field:
If we are adequately to manage the IN
dividual defective, we must recognize ms
condition while ne is child, protect him
from evil influences, train and educate
him according to his capacity; and when
he has reached adult life, continue to
give him the friendly help and guidance
he needs" Are We doing this tor the
feeble-minded children at Industrial
Home School? Occupational training
should be provided for all children at
this institution who are mentally able 10
profit by such training. Those unable
because of their low order Of mentality
to take such training should be placed
permanently apart from delinquents. Tho
present Industrial Home School, though
its buildings are old, has been modern
lied and beautified during the past
decade. It should be kept as is and its
inmates exposed to the so-called city's
temptations-these are real-hfe situa.
tions, and q part Of the training for self
reliance of adult life (after wedding out
those 50 handicapped that they should
never be free from supervision. 1t Is not
a new model group Of buildings we need
for housing these children, deprived a.
they are Of parental affection and nor
NAL home life, but training Of q positive
constructive nature. leading to qualifica-
tions for self-maintenance. A. A.