Evening Star Newspaper, October 12, 1930, Page 97

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, OCTOBER 12, Can a CRIMINAL - BY CAROL BYRD. RIMES of volence are usually com- mitted by persons”of subnormal ine- telligence who, when released, prove to be “repeaters.” This is one of the discoveries per- taining to the criminal mind and make-up made in a recent survey of 2,000 male prisoners com- mitted to the New Jersey State Prison in last three years. The survey, which was ma by the National Prison Emergency Committee, with the co-operation of the National Com- mittee on Prisons and Prison Labor, has just been completed anc the results made public by Col. Joseph D. Sears, who had general charge of it. Col. Sears is a member of the board of man- agers of the New Jersey State Prison and vice chairman of the National Prison Emergency Committee, New York City, which is engaged in studying the criminal mind and the reor- ::nnlsaflon of the Nation’s prison administra- Bigamists, bootleggers, forgers, murderers, burglars and thieves were all studied ané clas- sified and the devious workings of their minds traced and interpreted. COL. SEARS revealed the results seated in his office surrounded by charts and sheets of figures. He said: “Our study developed four classes, into which the individual prisoners were grouped. First, the ‘difficult class,’ composed of prisoriers who are recidivists, who have anti-social tendencies or who are diagnose¢ as psychopathics and constitutional defectives. This class made up & large percentage of the prison population and requires close custody and close supervision. “Then there was the ‘better class,” made up of ‘normal’ prisoners who are mentally and mmuylhletohemmdtondety. For the purpose of custody and training this class has been divided into three groups: Prisoners who because of the type of crime committed or the length of sentence require close custody, but are suitable for shop work and will prob- ably form the backbone of the prison shop organization; those who are believed to be stable an¢ trustworthy and may be employed at prison farms, road camps and so forth, where only limited security and supervision are necessary, and young prisoners who are stable and trustworthy, who have average intelligence or better and are capable of accepting trade training in various vocations at farms and shops where only minimum security is neces- sary. “Borderline feeble-minded and simple feeble- minced, which include high and low grade morons and high-grade imbeciles, made up the third general class, while the fourth class de- veloped by the study is composed of aged or senile, chronically ill and the seriously crippled. This latter group may be segregated on farms of limited security where they may be required to do no more difficult work than their in- firmities will allow. “We found that 1,376, or 68 per cent of those studied in the survey, were below average in- telligence. The study further showed that 11.1 per cent of the whole group have superior in- telligence, 6.8 per cent are high average, 12.7 per cent are average, 12.3 per cent low aver- age and the remainder, including inferior in- telligence, borderline cases and feeble-minded, amounts to 57.1 per cent. “Types of crimes committed by unintelligent prisoners differ from those of brighter minds, the survey revealed The relatively small group of average or better than average intelligonces, which constituted 31.3 per cent of the whole, produced 333 per cent of the bigamists, 42.8 per cent of the prohibition violators, 51 per cent of the false pretencers, 51.8 per cent of the forgers and utterers and 714 per cent.of the embezglers. “Men of jow intelligence are more often guilty of crimes of viclence, as is shown by the fact that the group of those below average imtelligence, which constitutes 68.8 per cent of PrisonSurveyReveals Many Inmates Are Mentally Incompe- tent to Manage Their Own Affairs While Others Can Be Aided to Win Back a Place in Society. the whole, produced 84.2 per cent of the mur- per tent of the manslaughter cases, cent of the assault and battery cases, per cent of the arson cases and 75.4 per of the cases having sex basis. criminal, while not, perhaps, insane, is so pliable, so compeltely incapable of decision that he will, without doubt, repeat his offense when released. Many of these men cannot be cured outsice of psychiatric institutions. At large they are a continual menace to society. “Cases in which the ratio between the aver- age or better than average group and the lower mentalities are approximately normal include breaking and entering, larceny, burglary and robbery. These crimes average out for the en- tire group to within a few points. “Chronic alcoholism is one of the serious contributory causes of crime. Of the 2,003 criminals committed to the State prison during the last three years 321 were chronic alcoholics and 40 were drug addicts. It is significant that none of the men committed for violation of the prohibition law were chronic alcoholics, while 46.3 per cent of the narcotic sellers were drug adéicts. “These figures were prepared by a group of experts, including State psychiatrists and psychologists They have been carefully checked and interpreted by such men as Prof. E. R. Johnstone, Drs. Edward Doll, Paul B. Means, James Quiner Holsopple, F. Lovell Bixby, Martin H. Reddan, J. W. Crane and Mr. Benjamin H. Ayres. The cata show that of all crimes, as- sault-and-battery convictions produced the largest rates of chronic alcoholics. The per- centage of such cases in the more important crimes are: “Assault and battery, 39.1 per cent; murder, 22.7 per cent; arson, 21 per cent; sex, 15.5 per cent; forgery and uttering, 14.8 per cent; embezzlement, 14.3 per cent; manslaughter, 13.3 per cent; breaking, entering and larceny, 13.2 per cent; assault with intent to kill, 12.3 per cent; burglary, 9.7 per cent. “wmu: the majority of drug addicts are g committed for selling narcotics, the rest are sent away for crimes of violence, such as breaking and entering, burglary and robbery. There have been only 40 acdicts committed to the State prison in New Jersey during the last three years. Modern psychiatry regards chronic alcoholism and drug addiction as con- ditions that can be treated. The National Prison Emergency Committee is evolving plans for the better care of such cases. “Forgers were the healt!:iost group of crimi- nals inearcerated in the prison, according to the survey. Physical examination of prisoners in lc'.len-yhmdeuaoonutheyareeom- mitted in order that they may be properly em- 1930. ME Col. Joseph D. Sears, a member of the Board of Managers of the New Jersey State Prison. ployed during their term. Next to the forgers, 88.8 per cent of whom were pronounced fit for any kid of work by the doctors, stand the boot- legers, 85.7 per cent of whom were physically fit. “Other classes of crime ranked as follows: Assault with intent to kill, 80 per cent; bur- glary and robbery, 77.9 per cent; breaking and entering, 75.9 per cent; arson, 73.6 per cent; sexual crimes, 71.7 per cent; embezzlement, 71.4 per cent; assault and battery, 66.8 per cent; murder, 65.3 per cent; manslaughter, 65 per cent; selling narcotics, 34.1 per cent. The fact that burglars are healthier than murderers bears a very direct implication for those who wish to see a better organized prison system. One of the major problems of prison administration is to find work that is suitable for all prisoners. Many must be treated before they are useful even in jail, but if that can be done they will be better members of the com- munity when they return to society. “There is, as I said, a type of criminal of sub- normal intelligence for whom there is dittle hope such success., The released prisoner faces o hard fight when he mempt&n,rwublfib him- iachgeved self in society, but many strong-willod.individuals .have BACK™? o of regeneration. This is the man who belongs in the anti-social group. He is determined to get even with society. Men of this group have long criminal records, bad associates, vicious habits, are lazy, drug addicts or chronic alcoholics. “A short time ago a professional burglar came up for parole,” continued Col. Sears. “He had been an expert burglar; in fact, stood at the top of his ‘profession.” The only flaw in his other- wise perfect record as a burglar was the fact that he had been caught and had served five sentences. He had been caught in the act of manufacturing burglars’ tools while sitting tn a wheel chair during his convalescence from a serious operation. “Can the State expect much from an indi- vidual like this? “There is another case I recall which might g0 to prove the old saying, ‘Once a criminal, always a criminal’ This cate came up some three or four years ago, when the officials of s State requested the officials of another State to ‘forget’ a detainer warrant which had been served against a man who was serving a term in the prison. The letters received included one from the Governor of the State where the sén- tence was being served. The statement was made that the man, while serving the sentence, had had a change of attitude; that he had written a considerable amount of music of & lighter vein which had brought him & large profit. This had been credited to his account in a bank outside the prison; in fact, the bank account amounted to many thousands of dollars. “It wa$ further stated that on release this prisoner would be given a position at a very high salary with a company producing popular songs. Despite the fact that the man had a long record as a safe cracker and had served a num- ber of terms in prison, the board which received this request was of the opinion that the evi- dence of his likelihood of success had been dem- onstrated and conveniently ‘forgot’ the detainer warrant. “He had a large amount of money from the sale of his music; he had a job paying him a very handsome sum, but within six months he cracked a safe In a rural community near his place of residence. He was clearly an individual with defective mentality. He had enjoyable work, was drawing high pay, had thousands of dollars in the bank or in securities, and yet he went back to his oid trade! "rlnnmdspoeenehcungtomdeeplyw the causes of crime. It is sufficient to say that lack of respect for law, lack of parental super- vision and discipline in the home and a disre- gard for the rights of others all play a large part. When we realize that nearly one-hailf of 1 per cent of the population of the United shmhmprhmnwmcfimemrh‘theyefi, we may gather that the situation is serious. “It is perfectly true that crime prevention should be carried on in the home, the school and in connection with the juvenile courts, but as far as thote of us who have custody of this large army of lawbreakers who have already been convicted of serious crimes are concerned, we must try to prevent the recurrence of crime by our treatment and supervision of the pris- oners. We must also try to learn the reasons why crime is committed, and especially the rea- sons for the recommission of crime. uIN the old days the question, like many others of the time, was very simply dis- posed of. The offender was either hanged, de- ported or fined. Under these conditions there was no prison problem. Modern civilization will not tolerate either the hanging or the deporta-~ tion. Pines, as a rule, are unjust, as the rich can pay and the poor cannot. “The second method is also simple, and that is to build high walls, supply plenty of guards and sufficient ammunition, and for the term of the prisoner’s confinement he will not trouble the community. But 92 per cent of the prison- ers now committed to prison re-enter society, and under such a plan just mentioned, you may be sure they will be better and more skillful burglars, more daring highwaymen and more expert safe crackers. is capable of working and learning a chance to enter soclety with sufficient skill and ability cope with those who haye made a success of things wiiéfe"he Tas Previousty tattea. - - (Copyright, 1930.)