A Crime Clinic

Mt Benger Mail, 20 October 1937, Page 4

A Crime Clinic

BATHURST GOAL CONVERTED THE MENTALLY DEFECTIVES Conversation of a country goal —probably Bathurst—into a special institution for the medical treatment of mentally defective criminals is contemplated by the N.S.W. State Government, Under legislation which will be dealt with this session there will be established a certain class for prisoners. They will be treated not as prisoners but as patients, and will be under the constant supervision of doctors. They will not be released at the end of their sentences, but will be. retained until medically certified as fit to mingle with the general community again. It is considered that in many cases complete cure of criminal tendencies can be effected by medical treatment. In some cases—especially sex offenders—a surgical operation may be resorted to.

Special attention is being given to the problem of sex criminal. The Government will probably ask for power to segregate this type into a separate community, which will be established in the country, cut off from communication with the rest of the population.

A section of Cabinet favours the sterilisation of these people in such a way that they will be enabled to lead normal lives in their own colony but will not reproduce their types. Whether this will be agreed to is, however, not yet certain.

A tentative bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly last session, but was not proceeded with.

It is now intended to amend and strengthen this bill, and finalise it before the end of the present Parliament.

This bill will provide that any judge or magistrate or the visiting surgeon of a prison shall report to the Minister on any prisoner ■who appears mentally defective. The prisoner will be examined by two independent doctors and later by a magistrate. If he is judged to be mentally defective he will be removed to the special institution, where he will be detained “during the Governor’s pleasure.” This will mean that he will not be released at the expiration of his sentence but will be detained under medical observation and treatment until he is judged to be mentally sound. Safeguards will be inserted in the bill to provide against abuses. Prisoners will have the right to be represented by counsel at the inquiries into their sanity. If necessary the Crown will provide them with barristers.

Relatives of patients in the special institution will be entitled to claim them after the expiration of their criminal sentence if they can prove that they can look after them, but supervision will be exercised over these cases even after they are released.

If the conditions of release are broken, the patient will be taken back to the institution.