Evening star., 1939-10-01
Behavior Clinics Substitute
Accuracy for Haphazard.

AVA AAoPuoAAINs
Under the title Guessing
Won't Do" there appeared in the
Journal of the District of Co.
lumbia Bar Association for Sep
tember. 1899, an article by Judge
Edward M. Curran of the Police
Court. The judge renews his
advocacy Of the establishment in
the District of a behavior clinic,
which he urged in January. 1887.
Those who have looked into
this proposal are convinced that
it is sound from both economic
and humane points of view. It
appears to point the way to
more just sentences of offenders
against the law and to insure an
increase in the percentage of
those returned as useful members
of society.
The proposal is a complete de-
parture from the old idea OF let
ting the punishment fit the
crime as told in tuneful rhyme in
Gilbert and Sullivans "Mikado."
The behavior clinic idea contem-
plates having the punishment fit
the criminal as determined by a
systematic and accurate study
by those qualified to make and
interpret such study. 1t substi-
tutes accurate judgment for the
haphazard in the sentencing of
those convicted of crime.
Judge Curran believes that a
behavior clinic is as necessary
to the successful treatment of
crime as diagnosis is to the
successful treatment of a disease.
He stresses the opinion that the
punishment and treatment should
mt the needs of the offender
and not the crime. But he does
not mean to convey the idea
that criminals should be coddled.
The behavior clinic would pro-
vide the judge with a thorough
analysis of the physical and
mental condition of offenders,
without which he cannot ade-
quately pass sentence.
AS stated by Judge Curran in
his treatment of the subject,
When Judge undertakes to i'm
pose a sentence upon a person
without having before him that
persons family and personal his
tory, his education, his story of
the crime and environmental fac
tors antecedent to and contribu-
tory to the offense, together with
the social prognosis indicating
the possibility Of restoring him to
society, that judge is merely
guessing as to the proper DISPOSE
ton of the case"
Under the behavior clinic idea,
Judge Curran states that there
Is made available to the court a
thorough analysis of the Offend
er's physical and mental condi-
ton. The evaluation of the facts
known about the offenders back
ground, combined with a psy-
chiatric study of the objective
factors responsible for the indi-
vidual's behavior pattern, will as
sist the court, first, In determine
ing the type of individual the
offender is, and, second, in dis
covering the motivations for the
offenders conduct. With such a
complete diagnosis before it, the
court may then determine the
best treatment procedure to be
used In order that the offender
may be restored to society as q
law-abiding citizen"
The report to the court by the
clinic would be made only after
a discussion of each case by the
staff. This follows a sociological,
physical, psychological and psy-
chiatric examination of the Of
fender.
Civic leaders will find this plan
most interesting, as study, and
that it gives real promise Of aid
ing In the solution Of some vex-
Ing problems. This plan will fit
in with other recent reforms in
local court procedure. The re-
vised juvenile court law. the
small claims and conciliation
branch Of the Municipal Court
and the new pre-trial procedure
of the District Court are all new
departures which are regarded as
sure to be beneficial. The pro-
posed public defender and the
behavior clinic are in line for
consideration and being given q
chance to help local conditions
In the same way In which they
have proven helpful elsewhere.