Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-14
Causes of Crime

~ UCCOkIlcS I'LL Opl1BdIlO1
for me to correct the asser-
ton Of Walter A. Jones,
treasurer Of the Oldest In
habitants, Inc, who stated in
your letter column: Most
major crimes, we believe, are
committed by the mentally
unbalanced"
This fallacious reasoning
has led to more misunder-
standing than any modern
social problem. II there is
any group more maligned by
society than the mentally Ill,
I have yet to see it. Objective
statistics will show that a
minor percentage Of major
crimes is committed by true
mental patients. I am not
interested in arguing the
ramifications Of insanity YER
diets found under the law.
Mental patients seldom COM
NIT crimes. I have dealt with
such patients for almost two
decades, and my patient list
includes q higher proportion
of clergymen, judges, business
executives, lawyers, teachers,
and law-abiding citizens than
the general population sta
tistics. This myth Of cor
relating crime with mental
illness is not accepted by q
vast majority Of psychiatric
and psychoanalytic experts.
Like most other myths in our
society 1t has become a cliche
which has led to at least as
much human misery as rae
ism or anti-Semitism. 1t is
more cruel because while So
ciety recognizes the fact that
no family is completely free
Of mental illness, it places q
penalty on people who can
not answer their accusers. II
Mr.. Jones statement were
correct it would mean that
three out Of every five per-
sons walking the street today
would be apt to commit q
crime.
This is in no way an at
tempt to disagree with the
spirit of the remainder Of Mr..
Jones' letter. It is my belief
that in attempting to correct
one unfortunate situation he
is advancing a belief which
has no scientific or humane
validity.
DIR. Vincent ]. DAILY,
President, American Society
Of Psychoanalysts,
President, American Associa-
ton for Social Psychiatry.
Walter Jones said 1--WE do
not condone crime by anyone
or any group and crime can
not be justified by race, color
or creed" With that, I
heartily agree. Mr.. Jones
also says There are those
who claim the Mallory and
investigation laws aid crimi-
mails but we feel that these
laws protect the innocent and
that with proper use they add
to the efficiency Of the
police" With that I disagree
vehemently.
There is no Mallory 'law",
but in 1857 the Supreme
Court arbitrarily decided that
z and a half hours was too
long for the police to hold
one Andrew r. Mallory prior
to arraignment, and that
therefore his confession was
invalidated. This had the ef-
feet Of setting free a vicious
rapist and potential muir
derer, because Mallory'S vic
tim, a young matron, could
not identify Mallory for the
reason that he had a handler
chief tied over his face and
threatened to cut her throat
with a knife If she cried for
help or tried to remove the
handkerchief from his face to
identify him. After regain
ing his freedom, Mallory re-
sumed his life Of crime and
is now serving Is years in
the Eastern Penitentiary OF
Pennsylvania for beating,
robbing and attempting to
rape a young colored matron
in Philadelphia.
In some Of our States q
suspect may be held for AZ
hours before arraignment;
in others "a hours; in still
others, and in England, a
suspect may be held IL hours
prior to arraignment. For the
Supreme Court to interpret
the intent of Congress which
wrote the Federal Criminal
Code with no time limit set
other than no unreasonable
delay, in such manner chat
7 and one-half hours was
too long, therefore freeing q
vicious rapist who had al
ready been found guilty by q
jury Of IL and sentenced to
electrocution, was itself Q