Criminal Sociology [19]
swindling ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5.4 '' '' forgery ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1.9 '' '' vagrancy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4.6 ''
The judicial statistics of France and Italy give these proportions:--
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ITALY--1866. FRANCE--1886 ASSIZE COURTS Under 14--18. 28--21. Under j l6--2
Homicide ... ... ... ... p.c. p.c. p.c. p.c. p.c. Murder(and robbery with homicide) 14 1 i 10 3 7 6 Parricide ...... ... ... ... -- 5 --8 7 5 9 Infanticide ... ... ... ... -- 1 --4 -- 6 Imprisonment ... ... ... ... -- -- -- Wilful wounding (followed by death) -- 19 24 -- 3 S Abortion ...... ... ... ... -- -- -- 1-1 Rape and indecent assault on adults}-- 1'2 '' '' children}-- 10 7 t 3 7 11 Resistance to and attacks on public functionaries ... ... ... -- 5 --6 -- 3 Incendiarism -- -- --2 3-7 3 1 False money .. .. .. . 14 -- 1 3-7 2 5 Forgery in public and private docu- ments ...... ... ... ... -- 5 --2 -- 2 --1 Extortion, highway robbery with violence ... ... ... ... 14 9 7 -- 3w 6 Specified and simple theft ... 14 19 16 41 51 Unintentional wounding ... 28 5 2 -- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total of condemned and accused 7 179 475 27 641
The French statistics for the tribunals--no complete Italian statistics being available, are as follows:--
FRANCE--1886. CORRECTIONAL TRIBUNALS.
le. Female. Offences. Under 16. 16--21 Under 16.1 16--21 per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
Resistance to authorities ... ... 2 2 2 '1 1 1 Assaults on public functionaries --8 5 --7 4 1 Vagrancy ... ... .-- 4 4 11 2 3 2 S'S Mendacity ... ... ... 4 8 4 12'- 3 6 Wilful wounding ... ... ... 5 1 18-5 300 11 Unintentional wounding ... 8 7 1 Offences against public decency .. 1 6 1 8 3 1 3 Defamation and abuse - 1 '2 1 1 1 0 Theft ... ... ... ... ... 57 5 a--4 63 54 3 Frauds on refreshment-house keepers --1 2 1 --1 6 Swindling 5 1 2 2.4 3 +2 Breach of confidence ... ... 9 1 3 7 1 2 Injury to crops and plants ... 5 --3 --3 5 Game-law offences .. ... .-- 15 1 14 2 1 l --2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total of accused
Here we have a statistical demonstration of a more frequent precocity, amongst various forms of criminality, in respect of inborn tendencies (murder and homicide, rape, incendiarism, specific thefts), or in respect of tendencies contracted by habit (simple theft, mendacity, vagrancy).
Also this characteristic of precocity is accompanied by that of relapse, which accordingly we have seen to be more frequent in the same forms of natural criminality, and which we can now tabulate in respect of its persistency in these born and habitual criminals.
It has been well said that the large number of relapsed persons who are brought to trial year after year proves that thieves ply their trade as a regular calling; the thief who has once tasted prison life is sure to return to it.[8] And again, there are very few cases in which a man or a woman who has turned thief ceases to be one. Whatever the reason may be, as a matter of fact the thief is rarely or never reformed. When you can turn an old thief into an honest worker, you may turn an old fox into a house dog.[9]
[8] Quarterly Review, 1871, ``The London Police.'' [9] Thomson, ``The Psychology of Criminals,'' Journal of Mental Science, 1870.
We must, however, read these testimonies of practical men, which could easily be multiplied, in the light of our distinction between incorrigible criminals, who are so from their birth, and such as are made incorrigible by the effect of their prison and social
The judicial statistics of France and Italy give these proportions:--
{FIX THIS TABLE!}
ITALY--1866. FRANCE--1886 ASSIZE COURTS Under 14--18. 28--21. Under j l6--2
Homicide ... ... ... ... p.c. p.c. p.c. p.c. p.c. Murder(and robbery with homicide) 14 1 i 10 3 7 6 Parricide ...... ... ... ... -- 5 --8 7 5 9 Infanticide ... ... ... ... -- 1 --4 -- 6 Imprisonment ... ... ... ... -- -- -- Wilful wounding (followed by death) -- 19 24 -- 3 S Abortion ...... ... ... ... -- -- -- 1-1 Rape and indecent assault on adults}-- 1'2 '' '' children}-- 10 7 t 3 7 11 Resistance to and attacks on public functionaries ... ... ... -- 5 --6 -- 3 Incendiarism -- -- --2 3-7 3 1 False money .. .. .. . 14 -- 1 3-7 2 5 Forgery in public and private docu- ments ...... ... ... ... -- 5 --2 -- 2 --1 Extortion, highway robbery with violence ... ... ... ... 14 9 7 -- 3w 6 Specified and simple theft ... 14 19 16 41 51 Unintentional wounding ... 28 5 2 -- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total of condemned and accused 7 179 475 27 641
The French statistics for the tribunals--no complete Italian statistics being available, are as follows:--
FRANCE--1886. CORRECTIONAL TRIBUNALS.
le. Female. Offences. Under 16. 16--21 Under 16.1 16--21 per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
Resistance to authorities ... ... 2 2 2 '1 1 1 Assaults on public functionaries --8 5 --7 4 1 Vagrancy ... ... .-- 4 4 11 2 3 2 S'S Mendacity ... ... ... 4 8 4 12'- 3 6 Wilful wounding ... ... ... 5 1 18-5 300 11 Unintentional wounding ... 8 7 1 Offences against public decency .. 1 6 1 8 3 1 3 Defamation and abuse - 1 '2 1 1 1 0 Theft ... ... ... ... ... 57 5 a--4 63 54 3 Frauds on refreshment-house keepers --1 2 1 --1 6 Swindling 5 1 2 2.4 3 +2 Breach of confidence ... ... 9 1 3 7 1 2 Injury to crops and plants ... 5 --3 --3 5 Game-law offences .. ... .-- 15 1 14 2 1 l --2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total of accused
Here we have a statistical demonstration of a more frequent precocity, amongst various forms of criminality, in respect of inborn tendencies (murder and homicide, rape, incendiarism, specific thefts), or in respect of tendencies contracted by habit (simple theft, mendacity, vagrancy).
Also this characteristic of precocity is accompanied by that of relapse, which accordingly we have seen to be more frequent in the same forms of natural criminality, and which we can now tabulate in respect of its persistency in these born and habitual criminals.
It has been well said that the large number of relapsed persons who are brought to trial year after year proves that thieves ply their trade as a regular calling; the thief who has once tasted prison life is sure to return to it.[8] And again, there are very few cases in which a man or a woman who has turned thief ceases to be one. Whatever the reason may be, as a matter of fact the thief is rarely or never reformed. When you can turn an old thief into an honest worker, you may turn an old fox into a house dog.[9]
[8] Quarterly Review, 1871, ``The London Police.'' [9] Thomson, ``The Psychology of Criminals,'' Journal of Mental Science, 1870.
We must, however, read these testimonies of practical men, which could easily be multiplied, in the light of our distinction between incorrigible criminals, who are so from their birth, and such as are made incorrigible by the effect of their prison and social