TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 10

TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES.

an act only partially ' successful: Tho British Government lias issued as a Blue-hook a. report for the year 190G concerning certified inebriate reformatories established under the . Inebriates Acts, 1879I'JttO. It appears from it that 404'pei : son 3' tvero admitted to-reformatories during the' year ended,December-31, IOOG. Of thianumber 110. were 'men and 294 women. Forty- - six were committed.from Assizes and Courts of Quarter Sessions under section lof the ' ■Act, and 358 were seiit'cncerl from Petty' Sessional Courts, or-from Higher Courts on' iiiJictmont,: under section 2. Taking uothisco-'-tions. together, the total number of committa.ls has slightly decreased when, compared" with the number of cases admitted during " cither of the two previous years, tlie' being 443 in 1905 and 418 in 1904. ' Tlio'Uβ-"''" " crease, is niaiuly due to tho smaller numlier' ' >t wonißii sent to ; reformatories, 2S fewer be-" ; nig dealt \yith under section l'an'd 3S'fewer ' ' under section- 2., "The committals of moil,' : ' .in tho other'hand, ' show ; considerable ill- '"'''' .crenso,- a greater' number having -beeh'ad-- '"■'' ■.nittod during'l9oG than in any/previous'year.'''! i; -HO, against^9i: in. 1905 and 3S in 1004- '•'■•■' '-« 1 lie .figures show that aV?atcr-comparative' , '-' if.iecrcase in •committals -occurred-ilnder the arst (cnmiiial) section of the Act;than under'' 11, ' the second (police court) section. , ' After in- "•'!■■ ■:■ arcasmg; steadily,up .to 75 ;in;1903, "and ro-'" ■' mauiingipractically stationary for thrcdyeaiis)' , •i' l there was a sudden drop to 4G during the year--''" -'• under review.' ■On the other: hand, this dif- n> ■ ■erentiation bbtween ;the two sections'shows ' ..- that the total mumber of committals under- ■'■(■ ■section, 2;/although .slightly less tliaii-last' -M , renr, is. only reduced-by a>..number ; which- >■••<■•=■ is small, enougli-tq be.n'cglectedi.as no more ' '' than a 'variation -to be.-pceasionally lexpectcd' ■ . •is a matter of course. >■ At the'same time, ■' tlie decrease in, of women•• ie . ■■ igain evident in-,■^marked.clegroe, and sec»,>. j-ion 2 is only saved .-from a .material decrease ■ ■• )y the larger, number, of;, male .casos com-. : .-'■■ nittod to rol'oniiatory.reare.-' .- Oii.thewliolo,' . ■■ therefore, so far. as admissions'duriiig-11906'■■-u-c concerned, the following poiiits.'-.the-re-', - . Ijort states, require. notice:—(1) The general' ~-. f ; cerease in committals under section l> of. the •Vet; and (2). the.increase. in ; ,tlie number of ~'."■ men and decreaso in,..the number of women''••>• committed.under.section,.2.- .. ■■ , : . ir [ !, ■ USE MADE OF-THE-ACT.' '■'■-.;.■ -. ' There have been 364 : . committals undelscetion 1 since the Act bf 1S»8 6ame" into ' iictivo..operation... -An, analysis of ..the, dif■oront.oll'ences- by habitual, driinicards, which!". ...- led to the.,reformatory sentence, being: im--: pdsed shows tho j following ,'.rcsjilt:—Man-'■•". ' .laughter, 1'; neglecting children in ajinaimcr'.' t ,,.'.' liknly to cause tliem : : unneceasaryVsuffcring, ,',v '291; attempted.siiicido;'2S; S7 j ','.' ''] obtaining money., .by,, false. i '.;i)fe,te i nces,'-'l l |''.:' , ' 'rrami, 1; assault,'. 7; .malicious-ovowiding" 2: .- J-irsbn, 1; inaijcious "damagoy.iJ.-V*'cpfrijniitting aj, ', ' 1 '(Jony,'V; I';' "soliciting sui-!"' ? cido," ; 1. .. "'..Those.' figures. "demoilstTatc, that'; .'.'.'' the chief,,use.hitherto .made ortHe'Csectiori'' ''' !ms l)ecii''in4.lip.',coninii^al.'of.,'.perfonsVc6u-'' 7 !,f v-icted, of iieglect'.,or';,,'cruclty''to cjnldreijV in.''.! '. (•onseij'uuiice of drunkeiiiiess—a, '„' ~ is mainly, diicy says tlie rcport,ytp.the,)'j.i;iuE'(;T' '■''. v.-orthy and apprbjjriate.actibh'of'tlieNjifijqnaj •• : '•'■■ Society , for .the l;rey;ch'ttoii ,of ; V'Cnielty*"ito ■' Children, arid'toj'tliß.enqrKy. of its '(Itrfpto'r,,. , ' .'.. .\lr. Robert J..]'a'rr,,' : This Society; afterio'me;.',' I .' , yeare of experience, is fully, .satisfied as\W'"'' '" tlio; utility of, the Act ■■from; 'tlip,-.cluldren's'!..:',' point of ,yieiv/ The tories arej'able to' 'speak' with' rioVuncertain-!,?'-"' voice as ; to the'■ advantage 'of the, newer'ine-.i'' ilibcl' in its! influence on the"mother.' )iie or two'cxcßptioiis all - Jl l)oen sent ;to : reforniat6ries'at.,tlib in'starice of v' , " ■ the National/Society have, proved quiet;'arid, v "'".'. amenable.' ! ';,' None.' of them. whVit sbbcf - lias' ''"' ixhibited the least ,: tendency ! -to "craelty; or . s.^' ! - lesire to noglCctlierchjldren." Oirthe coil- 'T'-',' trary, regret for the injury they'have'K\us&i'Y' - ! ' ami anxiety for-the'welfare-of thcir'-'pffsprin'!': 1 '•' -' ! ■are constantly evidori't." l ' -None' of,'these' : w'p- '..'*■ men would be 'cruel we're.'she , 'liot;drunken; '.\'f,~ therefore the substitution; of ■ curative liic^''"'''? thods, directed against" drunkenness:-as'the' ! 'i ; ' cause, in'place' 'of more puriishment-for'the ■:'■s effect of'the drunkenness,'-' is ' rational, hu-' 1 -' -': mane,-and-tho course , most-likely to .benefit - '' •bothmotheVSiWcliildren; -■ ' ■>•

/■/. , UNREAUSEDTpSSIBiLITIES; 1 ■ ; .;.. Vi ' /; '" The rep'or.t proceeds':r-:','Although' it is,ex- ..." , cecdingly satisfactoft.'tb' ',be;':'able v to : direct ' ', attention to'the value..of'section 1 oi the ; . Act in its application to cruelty'to children, it is disappointing to' note the 'comparatively small advantage' which has beeri-derived from jits application in other directions. After the r 29l\ "cruelty-to-children" committals, arc, de-.,,. ~ ducted from tho totalj only 73 remaiii'.as ttie, ']'!' ' figure' representing' , persons i sentenced ' for"'- . other ofFqiices.■■;'! : 'This'latter .numher,'therq- i! "'- ;;v fore, represents , all'the general iise-"which ha's't" " : - been made, of 't-hef section' ih ; question'" during: "■■:"■' 'something like ; .sevon years, arid ! would have' .I■ '■• been .thoonly.usd , but for the action l of , the , """' children's society. c '~ This"' l resultVcan.not" be.'• ■'}'' considered; , by; any'stretch '.■ of imgitiation, ! ' "■'■•■ one'which is , commensurate with the possibili-" i'- I '-. ■ ties' of the section; nor : can it be '"'considered ;''■''■•■ iii any way satisfactory'in face ofthb'-large; '■'■ ' "' amount of ■prevontable-crime'lmown l ' to' ; -be' '■' •'• cbhimitted every "year-by ,-habi(ual"drunlv-'' : "'■•' ards." The report; suggests' that 'the , neces-JJ ,,, " sity _for l indictment'>to Assizcs'-'or"Quarter ,, -'' • Sessions in certain classes of cases isf.^anitii-■■>■•" portant" influence militating 'against commit- ■''■ tal to reformatories."■ i '' v '"i v- '■•••'. "■ .>:"'■'::■.■: ■ As to; the' committals under sectioni-2 of •''■'" the Act.it is mentioned that during .thoifive. , '■"■■■'•' ; yeafs 19004 : aiviaverage.of'less'.vthan 35' r men''.i"i>!"■■ dealt' with,; and the. 91. men■ committed '■ '' ■ .'{hiring.,l9os came.r'sbmewhat'as- a surprise, ■/.'•; ■ filled all thb;available space, and caused'the'' '■"• Brentry .managers to ; extend., their-.accom- , ••: :■ modation for men toithe extreme-limit, off -' : ■■ possibility. ■•■-, -The 110iriieri!admitted 'during' ■'.•'. 1906 kept.all.the original beds occupied:tlur---- : ing the year, -and ultimately .'filled up the - additiouaL space.- provided.,iby ;..the ; J3rcntry ■■ i Board. /-During thorlaSt three months itr ■■'•■.: ■ was.necessary, to-rehise between 20 .and, 30 '■ male cases on account .of absence of.,accom-.-i.,,., modatiqn. -, : Had; it, ; bee,n possible to'irccqive I:-.-';.'. those cases there.>vould, havp-.-been-Jittle.or ;•;., no.decrease in ..thei total'■, admissions■;■ under,. ■: ,■' .section .-2.,. -rTlits, growing.,tendency, on' " : .tlie ■ : 'part of.:committing,iauthoritics^.to.-apply..the,.,.':■■■, Act'.to males, is/.perhaps the;most, sat-isfnctoryn« :-.-. sign of .progress .which has-been evident dur-;.-. r ing -1906,, but .-.the, difficulty-, ;\yhich, lins beou, > ~; oxperieimcd. in finding '-~.accommodation.;for:-. ■ .- men cannot-bo: regarded: as' anything butiox- ; tremelj-.unsatisfactory.;- Admission to.a re-- ..-.-.., formatory for both sexes should,bo,as easily, ;.< obtained as admission to prison, and until this is so there will always--be<'apparent.justi->t'.,-'.' : ficatiou for the complaint-,that,managers.of ,;._. ; . : - refonnatories'do'il'ot'malte the work ehsy for .',,,,;.. magistrates: , ;; In' this case,', '~.. . managers, of existing ' reformatories., are] ( ,• , hardly to'blame.', ;) Taken in cpnjunctipn '.with', "...;. the increase in 'tho.number of.mcricpmmittbd',,'.;,' '"" the decrease of 35'.in the' number',of:women',;'.',,.-.', is not of any great significance. ;: . 1 '".;;; ; ;.'' : , '' ■'.;;„. , DISeOURAdEJIENTS FOR-MAGIS-';:,- -, r; ,; ■. .... ; , -, ..TBATES:. .-.-..-:,■ ~-.''.: , : -;■.-, ,•;<.- ■ '.Tho report proceeds te, point put/some im- t..::. pnrtant difiicuk-ics assoqintcd. witlv-.thc.ad- , ■:;•;.: ministration ■,0f,..th0 ' Aft which, disc'ouragje; ~ ■ magistrates from the .full, excrcise-of , .-..-; powers. ..The circumstances, surrounding the.;: ■ . very worst, .quasi-insane drunkards render .-:-,. tho qualifications comparatively. .;-., easy of proof,,hut thejcpllpfltion-of,-evidence: /.:'■>; in.regard to those who 'are-less jnsanb or-..1055. , ■-~ bad: is .sometimes'inorq diflicuit. , ,. r Th'o'.oxpr-.vi ».■'• ciso'of the Act is. consequently .more or.loss J, , i;il .. limited (so.far'as,section 2 is c'bncbfnejj);tO|' : ■the lowest 'stratum of the,class,, and-.all others, ,' n ,v manage to escape' in various '-, ways.''.. "Pa'rlja- ;. ; , niont intended the. measure, to,provide.!facili-,''; ...'. ties for, : the rational..trea'tm'ont,.of,'Jiahit'ual. \

drunkards,! but in, practice', it 'seems that, iio , ■ persons ciui'bd.dcalt witli. under its/provision's,! . unUss they'are also criminals, hardened pri-' son habitues, or mentally defective.<,:..;,.■.■.•..,.... If reformatories are to, clcgcjipratfl, ih'to Jplafcds':',. for the more ■detention of. irrefoi-mables'.,'. and ; "; are not to'li'o intended.to dearalso ivitli hope-.... ful cases, thoii the present'.conditions, gpyerh-,',",'-.ing. tho process of eoniinittaT.serve their'piif-' pose.. But;-if tliprAct; was ;' reform of 'the refor'mable as -weli'asithje tie- -' tontiori' of; the irrofoVmabjo, then , the', co'ndi-. ' tions governing the;process,of committal,are;.'.

. proving too .disftdvaiitageously;..'selj;ctiy i e!.to S permit of even an approximate realisation of , the scheme."' , .;_"' ; ;,.]"'... •.,.'.• | The advantage of the application of .the Act. to the apparently hopeless;. and irreformnbio ; class is, however,'insisted "upon. ...In cVisos,; even where the chances of pernisinniit bunAfit are extremely sinall,,the report lrconiiiienda ' recommittal, as keeping- the individual, degradation, and at least allowing chance of improveuieut.,.. .... . '.' . .; '».'