THE DELINQUENT

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1922, Page 16

THE DELINQUENT

INFANTILE AND SICK SOULS A STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY. A worker for; years among prisoner*, and a humane observer of human nature, Mist B. Baughan, of Christchurch, is one who is well able to speak on the interesting topic of the psychology of the delinquent. Therefore, her lecture under the auspices of the W.E.A- at Christchurch drew a large attendance of those who wish well tc their fellow humans who are sadly and unfortunately placed. In her introductory remarks (says the "Lyttelton Times") Miss Baughan said that during recent years great improvements had been made ( in most parts of the world in the methods of dealing with prisoners. - However, she was sorry to say that New Zealand had pot effected such great improvements as some other countries, notably, America. She was perfectly x satisfied that a large number of delinquents were delinquents because they were in a state of arrested mental dvelopmentl Delinquents could be divided into three classes, those whe were mentally abnormal or sub-normal, those who were morally infantile and sick* souls. She did not think that the first class, those who were mentally defective,'had been' treated properly in New Zealand. There were no special homes for them, and as soon as they came out of prison they committed the same offence over q,gain, were sent back to gaol, and so the thing went on. A • mental defective should nevei be sent to gaol. There should be a half-way institution between the gaol and the asylum for mentallydefective delinquents. Such delinquents often did,well under protection, but in the rough and tumble, of life they simply could not go straight. They needed special care and treatment. The official* of the Prisons Department were anxious that something should be done for prisoners who were menially affected, but, as one official had said to her, it seemed impossible to get any legislator to take sa interest in the question. In our prison system no provision was made for testing, the mental capacity of delinquents, and she was horrified to learn that our magistrates did not have:to pass any examination in psychology. (Laughter.) In the interests* Qf true justice it was important to decide the mental capacity of all offenders, and for this purpose an expert in psychology should be attached to the Prisons Department; The officials of the Department were, not against such' »n appointment, and they were anrious thai a little more interest should be taken in the subject by the general.public. ■ , „ . Referring to the second class of delinquents, the morally infantile, Mias Baughan said that the trouble with these people was that the-development* of their consciences had been arrested early in life. In ( some respects, there-" fore, they were like youpg children, and in some things could, not' distinguish between right and wiong. The drunkard did not believe it wass wrong to get drank, and in his heart of heart* the thief did not believe that it was wrong to steal, iln the same way many of the delinquents who were .guilty of false pretence* were unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and they were really the victims of their own delusions. A good, deal of fraud could,be saved if the Go-, vernment would appoint a competent Xrt in psychology to examine young dere and prescribe proper treatment for them. Sheidid not know that much could be done- for old offenders,, but something could certainly be done for the young: Such delinquents needed to realise that someone wu taking* an interest in them, and.was endeavouring to help them. It waa appalling the number who wrote to her to say that no one seemed to care for them. The result was that when they came out of gaol no one knew then) or cared for them, except their old associates. It was no wonder, therefore, that they drifted into crime'again.. ■

With regard to the sick souls Miss. ißaughan said that such .delinquents were maturely developed but some great temptation or tragedy had fallen on them. What had happened' to them might hap.pen to anyone, and no one could but sympathise with them. Such delinquents also wanted to realise that someone waa taking a friendly interest in them. In summing up her remarks Miss Baughan said that if we were going to do any good in the work on behalf of delinquents we must help them when they came out of gaol. At present there was no organisation in New Zealand for this purpose and except for the. efforts of small, scattered sectarian organisations, such as the Salvation .Army, nothing was done to help discharged prisoners. She knew of prisoners who had come out with half a crown in their pockets, nowhere to go, no work to go to and no friends. There was no organisation to get them,work or shepherd them, and the "black sheep needed a great deal of shepherding. Was it any wonder then that they went back to the only people who would have anything to do with them, the people who wanted to drag them down! Simply from a monetary point of Tiew it would pay New Zealand to help her prisoners when they were dischargea from gaol, conclusion Miss Baughan said that the whole problem of the delinquent required much more attention on the part of the intelligent section of the community than it had hitherto received in New Zealand.