A good citizen is not an expense to the State, and the proverb “Once a criminal always a criminal,” is not true, for they can and are reformed. Crime is not on the increase, and the reform educational system is appreciated by the people, while the court only fixes the penalty. Idleness increases the troubles in our land, and the Gospel of our Saviour should be the study of the human race. There was a long discussion on his paper, principally about the heredity cause.
H. E. ALLISON, M. D., STATE HOSPITAL FOR CRIMINAL INSANE, MATTAWAN, N. Y., FISHKILL-ON-HUDSON,
Spoke of “Preventative Heredity of Crime.” He considered 10 per cent. a very strong factor. They had received at the Asylum 175 twelve-year-old boys from the Elmira Reformatory. But this does not agree with Mr. Torrance, but there might be a larger percentage in a little older growth.
There has been great progress in the care and treatment of the insane. Our population now (Sept, 1900,) is 765 in N. Y. State Asylum, Mattawan; and soon we will need two institutions, for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd term insane must be classified. In a short time we shall have from 1,200 to 1,500, as they are to be taken from all the institutions of the State that they may have proper treatment as well as reform. The life men in the New York prisons is 25 per cent. of the prison roll, and we need two institutions, one for the convict insane, and one for the insane, charged with crime. We have now over 300 detained after the expiration of their term.
T. J. CHARLTON, SUPT. REFORMATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS, PLAINFIELD, INDIANA,
Spoke of the commitments on the charge of heredity, as being so few in that State, less than three per cent.
CAPTAIN C. S. TREMBY, U. S. N.,
Spoke of the discipline, etc., in the Spanish war, and especially at Santiago, of the extreme kindness in the discipline to the Spanish prisoners. The naval discipline seemed to him of a much better class and showed better work.
In the U. S. Naval Prison there is one-third time off for good behavior. This went into effect by direction of the court.