THE PROTECTION OF SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 3

THE PROTECTION OF SOCIETY.

.; OUE aEFOEMATORY SYSTEM.- ■ Sir,—lt is : stated in the press"-that a sentence of ten years' imprisonment ■ lately passed at Napier has '. evoked- soine. adverse enticism. It appears to me that there is no' ground for criticism' of the : judgo, : norf aa things are, of the 'sentence; but tnattue'ro is ground for criticisur'of our "peual" system, which rendera/BUch a', sentence not only possible hut inevitable. 'Society has a-right t<o protect itself from persons .who commit senous offences, and at present tbo only way of.even partially securing this protection is by imprisoning the pttencld- fdr a long term in a. gaol in which ''punishment is the chief aim. And here/is the iniquity of the whole system. It is now no longer a theory but a firmly-established fact that a man is made what he is by the "iron laws of hferodity and environment." /■ He is not responsible for either of these "efficient'causes." Some may dispute the statcmont with regard to environment, but they must remember that every cause is itself the effect, of a prior cause. All must admit the statement is true of the earlier years of lifo, and it;is then that 4he mind often takes a direction that it miuntains through life. We act as-if man were responsible, ind if his inherited or ac-, quired tendencies drive him to run counter' to the canons of behaviour which 'experience has taught us to consider desirable-for bur particular society, we punish him. But modern criminology teaches. that it is not punishment we should aim at, but the. pro-, tection of society and the reformation'of the offender. Lot us examine our practice as exemplified by the case already mentioned. Here is a young man of twenty-two, with a talent for.music, and, probably, with a highly neurotio temperament. ,Hβ is burdened with an evil tendency. This tendency k the effect of some cause or causes. .'The man did not make the tendency out of nothing, for that is impossible, but. ho is treated as, if he had aone this impossible' thing-y-as if he had created ertl—and is sent te gaol for ten yoars. If he remains there, what will his life be? ; One long soul-de-stroying monotony, his chief occupation probably stone-breaking, with long periods of solitude, when ho will hav«; nothing to do to take his mind away from himself and his troubles. Is this treatment likely to benefit any man, let alone a man with a highlystrung, nervous temperament? The idea is soouted by medical.science. We acknowledge the necessity of developing the aesthetic side of our nature; it -is {provide,for in our schools, in our parks, gardens, picture galleries, public musical performances,''and in many other ways. If the normal mind requires thi§ culture, does pot the abnormal mind require.it more?-. But will'.the abnormal mind of this; unfortunate young man receive any consideration?■•■ Will he be allowed 'to develop h'is musical/gifts and to continue to fit himself for his. profession;, so. that ; when, he is free he will be a better musiciaW and consequently better able to earn his living? No; when he comes out of gaol he will have lost the, musical skill that is acquired and rejained only by practice; he will be a more or; less/incompctoiit' stone-breiiker,, with his evil tendency more firmly rooted than before. Society will be again unprotected, and the offender, will not bo reformed. ' .... As the judge stated he would report tfie case to the Minister for J; asticej it is possible that this man may be moved to a mental hospital. .Undoubtedly that is where he should be if these institutions are arranged so as to be able togive proper.treat,ment .to cases of .this class. If, they are notj he might juet.ae well stay.in'gaol.' ' Pr&sumably hi counsel did.not'think a/mental hospital preferable, or he would have called medical evidence to prove that crimes of this class" are/a reoognised form of 'mental disease.;. • Two mental. experts would have" settled that poirit. very quickly. '/: : '."/...', It .is deaf that our system of dealing with offenders (I. use the periphrasis for''"penal! , purposely) needs amending. The Minister for; Justice has announced his'. intention of taking the matter in , hand; and this is good news, but7a Minister can; do little until he has the public with him. The people in the Dominion must.be roused.to.take an/intclligerit interest in the subject;- It is notan easy one; it. cannot' be settled; off-hand. It requires djscussiorii—temperate /and / rea: soned distussion. : The Napier case is ..referred merely'as "a/particular case; of the goneral propositiori-r-our reformatory system needs : reform.—l '.am,' etc;,-' '■■ - *■■:'• ::;; r "*';■ ■•„•.■ '■:.■: ";.'. ~: ;.';.'".;' ■'-'■'/. .JUSTICE: ''<; Marlborough, June 297 . : : 'I^