12. Mentally defective and suffering from heart disease. Thus, out of
twelve only two were normal individuals. Yet the ten were free to go as
they liked, and to bring up defective children.
"It is well known," said Dr. Potts, "that a large number of the inmates
of penitentiaries are feeble-minded women."
We see, then, that a great many poor imbeciles are regularly sent to
prison as criminals. On that point allow me to put in the evidence
of Sir Robert Anderson, late of Scotland Yard. Speaking of the
feeble-minded, Sir Robert said (I quote again from the London Press):
My deliberate, conviction is that our present prison methods and prison
discipline are absolutely brutal to these poor persons. People say the
law of Moses is brutal, but it is not so brutal as the present criminal
system of England.
No one who has not been behind the scenes can understand in any measure
the misery and cruelty of it. It is "seven days' hard labour," "a
month's hard labour," time after time for these poor creatures, who
ought to be dealt with like children. In prison they spend their
miserable lives. Out of gaol they add to the number of their own
species, and commit offences which send them back once more.
Our magistrates simply send them for another month or six months. But it
is not the magistrates' fault. It is the fault of the law. And this goes
on in what promises to be the most intellectually conceited age since
God made man upon earth. Surely we might have some pity for these poor
creatures! If we have no pity for them we should have regard for the
public.
That is the testimony of the late head of the Criminal Investigation
Department: an Assistant Commissioner of Police, and Barrister at Law.
Let us now return to Dr. Potts, of Birmingham, for a moment. In the
speech above quoted Dr. Potts gave the causes of mental defects--which
are the causes that lead these poor creatures to immorality and to
crime, as follows: