MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 8

MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

It seems somewhat strange that no provision has been made in New Zealand lor an institution to which a certain class ol mental defectives can be committed. Tho Act of 1928 defined as mentally defective persons who suffer from, mental deficiency associated with anti-social conduct, and who by reason of such deficiency require supervision for their own protection or in the public interest. Frequently such cases are not detected until a crime has been committed, and until an institute is provided the only way of protecting the public is by incarcerating the offender in prison. It is true that such prisoners are kept under special observation and that their sentences are reviewed by the Prisons Board, which has among its members the DirectorGeneral of Mental Hospitals. There is a reasonable chance therefore of the transfer to mental hospitals of such cases as are fitting, but it seems a long and expensive way to proceed to the treatment necessary. Usually such offenders are strong enough ■physically to do manual labour, and it .s essential for any chance of recovery that they live an open-air life. It would seem desirable that an institution should be made available to which they could be sent direct, and where the work they performed would at least prevent them being a burden upon the State. Moreover, were such an institution available it might be possible to send to it for observation and treatment individuals known to have anti-, social tendencies before they have had the opportunity of developing those tendencies into actual offences. This is a very important phase of the problem because tho committal of sexual crimes may mean lasting and untold effect upon the victims of the degenerate or weakminded. Segregation or even punishment of the latter does not minimise the evil they may have done, especially in regard to offences against children. It is eminently a case where prevention must take precedence of any attempts at a cure.