THE BORDER LINE.

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1925, Page 2

THE BORDER LINE.

BETWEEN SANITY AND INSANITY. PROBLEM- OP 'CRIMINOLOGY. An interesting aspect of criminology was touched upon by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), when dealing with a case in the Supreme Court at Wellington in which a young, man was charged with forgery. His Honour referred to liis observations when inspecting the Borstal institutions in the South Island recently. It was found now that no fewer than half the young men there were mental defectives not necessarily mad, but showing sonic mental weakness., In the case before the Court it was obvious that a young man who forged a degree, which could be readily tested by any employer, was not in possession of his full mental faculties. The same experience was being found in America, where a large percentage of such crime was committed by persons who "could not possibly be all there," although being quite rational. Lack of common sense, or whatever it was termed, was responsible for a number -bf young people coming before the .Court. "That was our experience in regard to half those who came before the Prisons Board, and we are d'oing nil Ave can to help them make good," concluded His Honour. . . "They are not mad, but they lack something, and are in a sense mental defectives, and d'on't realise what they are doing.'' "Probation in this country," observed Mr T. M. Wilford, "has been a great success, and I have found very few instances in my experience where a man who has been admitted to probation on his first offence, has come before the Court again."

"This is. another of those cases in which there is a lack of common sense," said His Honour when dealing later with the case 'of a young woman who had pleaded guilty to breaking, entering, and theft. "Our people in New Zealand will have to do something in cases like this I see from the report of the commission that there are a great number of mental cases in this country, more than there should be according to its population It is a sad thing to see a woman in this position."