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Show CRIME AND ENVIRONMENT A Chicago woman was arrested recently for the 232nd time. She told the police that she had been in 62 jails and twelve penitentiaries peniten-tiaries and a search of the records confirmed her statement. During Dur-ing her career as a pickpocket she has stolen the eequivalent of a big fortune and has paid fines totaling more than twenty-five thousand dollars. A welfare worker took the time and trouble to look up the early history of the woman. It was found that the pickpocket had been abandoned by her parents before she was fivee years old. Thrown out into the world without relatives she was taken into the home of a disreputable. She grew up into womanhood without being taught morals of any kind. She received no education except ex-cept during a small part of two school years. Her associates were people lacking in education and decency. It would have been remarkable, indeed, if this child, lacking in the fundamental things to which every child is entitled, had grown up to be a useful citizen. The responsibility for this confirmed pickpocket rests chiefly on a society which did not think it important to give one child the proper guidance and help and encouragement. Crime is ninety per cent environment. |