THE HABITUAL CRIMINAL 55 



Even during what would be regarded as permanent 

 detention, holidays might at times and under favourable 

 conditions be arranged. When this was permitted, the 

 question of sterilization by consent should be considered. 



To sum up, every effort should be made by probation and 

 training to give the young first offender a fresh start. 

 Imprisonment benefits no one, and will not frighten those 

 with bad predispositions. Short punishments are, however, 

 useful in sorting out the more hopeless cases as quickly as 

 possible. Liberty is the only rehable test as to fitness to be 

 at hberty ; but when this test has failed often, the claims of 

 the public for protection must be considered. Long periods 

 of detention must then be enforced, when nothing will be 

 gained by making life uncomfortable. The result would 

 be the birth of fewer children in criminal homes, something 

 thus being done to stamp out crime in future generations. 

 Various bad quahties associated with crime would thus also 

 be somewhat lessened; including stupidity, sexual profli 

 gacy, bad temper, idleness, epilepsy, alcohohsm, and 

 bodily weakness and inefficiency. It is in the directions 

 indicated by the second and third stages of this suggested 

 method of dealing with habitual criminals that reform is 

 most needed. 



Later we shaU be considering whether our race is improv- 

 ing or deteriorating as time goes on. In this connection 

 we are naturally led to enquire what the statistics of crime 

 could tell us. Fewer persons are now being sent to prison ; 

 but this may be merely because wiser methods of dealing 

 with young offenders have been adopted. Indeed, statistics 

 indicate that indictable — that is, the more serious — offences 

 known to the poHce have iucreased since 1913. But even 

 if this be so, it may be the result of punishments being less 

 severe, and therefore less feared. Crime might increase 

 without any deterioration taking place in the natural 

 quahties of the nation. In fact, existing criminal records 

 can teU us but httle as to whether the nation is going uphiQ 

 or down in inborn quahties. 



