Show r APPROVE PSYCHOLOGY LOGY AS 1 L CURE FOR CRIME CRIMEs Laboratory Work Is s Displacing v Brass Knuckles nut es an and Rope CHICAGO Aug ill ai AP AP The The psychologist and the policeman make a battery against criminals which experts anticipate eventually will reduce outlaws to a no-hit no game in American cities Through the Laboratory Laboratory Labo Labo- of the Municipal Court of Chicago the old-line old shelled hard-shelled whose faith was in brass knuckles and the hangman's rope gradually is being replaced by exponents of ot a new dispensation who regard crime as an effect of psychic irregularities and work for tor its eradication through science rather rather- than shotguns and sentences A brief summary of ot the major conclusion of ot the laboratory directors directors tors based on the eleven years' years history of ot the institution is the statement that the whole American system of criminal jurisprudence is long overdue at the Junk pile For the present order in criminal criminal criminal crimi crimi- nal procedure they would substitute substitute substitute tute a scheme based upon the accepted accepted ac ac- fundamentals of psychology wherein tae offender Is a patient instead of ot a prisoner The laboratory is of ot the municipal court which is unique as the largest court count in in the world In 1924 there went on this courts court's docket civil and criminal cases for tor the consideration tion Uon of or its thirty seven Justices Chief Justice Harry Olson establIshed established established the laboratory after twenty years years' experience er as assistant prosecutor prose prose- rn taj l sr tutor and criminal court Judge in Cook county to test his hypothesis that crime Is fundamentally a problem of ot the mental and emotional emotional emotional emo emo- disorders As prosecutor of or thousands of ot criminals he had observed observed ob- ob t served that most offenders were here repeaters and that a large majority majority major major- ity of men sentenced to the gallows suffered various degrees of ot mental debility Dr William J. J Hickson widely known criminal psychologist and his wife Mrs Marie Hickson have been directors of ot the laboratory since tits its foundation in 1914 As the largest clearing house for tor criminal mental defectives In the world the clinic attracts police magistrates and students of criminology crimin- crimin logy from all parts of ot the world Its records constitute a veritable gold mine of ot source material mr psychologists Thousands of ot personal personal personal per per- histories correlated with records have been characterized characterized charac charac- by reputable authorities as the largest body of data ta on crime which ever has been put together under scientific auspices Here are the conclusions Dr Hickson draws from his eleven years' years experience in the laboratory 1 Mental debility Is the primary primary primary prim prim- ary factor in crime and the elimination elimination elimina elimina- tion of ot the the criminal Is a problem more In psychology than Chan in the ef efficient efficient et- et administration of ot thousands of ot police with quick trigger ringers ring- ring ers 2 Virtually all criminals criminals- are short-changed short on mental equipment or emotional stability l' l 3 In reference to the number of offenses 90 per cent of ot the crime i in Chicago is attributable to some form or of mental debility usually not apparent to laymen 4 In more than 80 per cent of oj the criminally inclined In mental menta weaklings weaklIng the th delinquency is manifested manifested manifested mani mani- b before tole the period of cease 6 Crime could be completely wiped out In one generation by properly caring caring- for youths of criminal criminal crimi crimi- nal Inclinations 6 A large majority of persons convicted of ot major crimes such as murder robbery and assault have been in court Ourt previously some many times for some minor offense In Inmost Inmost Inmost most cases they have been fined sentenced to short snort terms erms or put on probation only to return soon to face some more serious charge 7 is not a deter- deter rant to crime in the eyes bf f most criminals ti 8 Criminal inclinations In mental mental mental men men- tal weaklings is a dominant dominan Impulse impulse impulse im Im- im- im pulse quite as irresistible as th the healthy social impulses of norma normal individuals and the criminal be because because because be- be cause of his debility does not re regard regard re- re gard Bard punishment as retribution but merely as a a. conspiracy of ot society to rob him of ot his right sight to self sel expression degree of viciousness and brutality In revolting crimes Is in ina ina a a. fixed relation to the degree and nature of the mental derangement |