Laurel outlook., 1944-07-05
Army Salvages
Many Bad Boys
Make Good Soldiers Out of
Men Convicted of
Minor Ofenses.

WASHINGTON. - Rehabilitation
centers are Transforming many "bad
actors into good soldiers.
Maj. Perry V. Wagley of the Sixth
service command center at Fort
Sheridan estimates that 40 per cent
of military offenders are capable
of making a definite contribution to
the war effort as soldiers"
Major Wagley, who in civilian life
is superintendent of the Pontiac
State hospital, Pontiac, Mich, tells
Of the accomplishments of the re-
Mobilization centers in the current is
sue of Federal Probation, published
by the administrative office of the
U. S. courts in cooperation with the
bureau of prisons.
Each service command has a re-
Mobilization center to which are sent
soldiers convicted by courts-martial
of such offenses as desertion, alb
sence without leave, mutiny and Sc
dition, drunkenness on duty, arson,
burglary, housebreaking, robbery,
larceny, embezzlement, perjury, etc.
Training same as On1tS.
Major Wagley, convinced that
"crime thrives on severe punish
ment and that retribution is not the
solution" explains that 1--WE are con-
cerned primarily with restoring to
active duty those persons who have
seen the error of their ways, and
who have a sincere desire to amend
their wrongs, and who are reason
ably safe risks for return to active
military service"
The centers are also interested in
those soldiers whose limited mental,
emotional and physical equipment
precludes an adjustment to the de-
mands of military life.
The training program at the CEN
tiers compares with the basic train
ing at replacement centers and in
units. The Fort Sheridan center for
merly was located at Fort Custer,
Mich, and while there its honor COM
pany was selected by the post COM
mander as the demonstration pla-
toon for the entire post.
Major Wagley offers these Stats
tics On 500 patients studied by the
department of psychiatry and soci-
ology:
Age: Average "a years, with a
range from Is to A.
Education: Average of Tx years.
Intelligence: From AZ (inferior) in
the army general classification test
to Isl (superior), with an average
of 81, indicating below normal men,
tai ability. Thirty-one found to be
mentally defective.
Most From Broken Homes.
Family and environmental back
ground: OF the 500 patients studied,
266 1882 per cent? came from homes
broken during childhood by divorce,
desertion, separation or death. Only
"a IA per cent? came from well-to-
do homes. In 44.6 per cent of the
cases, parental discipline during
and adolescence was con-
sidered lax. More than % per cent !
disclosed histories Of truancy from
home.
Marital status: A total of 233 (46.6
per cent? were single; 1873 (27.6 per
cent? were married; SIS I'll per cent?
were divorced; 38 Cts per cent?
were separated or deserted; SO (7.2
per cent? lived in extramarital re-
lationships.
Employment: More than 10 per
cent were unstable in their employ
ment. Many had histories of public
about rs per cent were un-
Arrest and institutional record: OF
the 500, only 100 ga per cent? were
known to have been convicted in
life.
Military offenses: The 500 were
charged with a total of 649 military
offenses, d~esertion and absence with
put leave leading all others with 369.
The final disposition Of AL cases
213 returned to active duty.