PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION One of the most potent influences in prevention is, of course, public education. As in public health, the only effective way to educate the public is by spreading broadcast the knowledge now available to which the public is entitled. Unfortunately, in this era of advertising, everyone is becoming suspicious of propaganda conducted under the guise of public education. It is, therefore, necessary to force upon the public something more than offhand opinions and prejudices. Ultimate progress depends upon the strict adherence to facts. For example, during recent years considerable propaganda has been adopted to prove that feeble-mindedness is one of the principal causes of criminality. It has been contended that if we detect and segregate the feeble-minded early in life, we can reduce crime by one-third to one-half, if not more. This belief was based upon the finding that in certain institutions from one-fourth to one-third of the institutional population was rated feeble-minded by intelligence tests. This contention was given a most favorable reception, and for a time promised to induce a more scientific attitude on the part of officials toward the various phenomena of crime, and also to arouse a greater interest in and support of the institutional care of the feeble-minded. Certain officials-police, prosecutors, attorneys, prison authorities, in short, all who were brought in close contact with the criminal population-were reluctant to accept these statements, but their attitude was ascribed to natural conservatism. More recent work has shown that while figures for the institutions were undoubtedly correct, the interpretation placed upon them was not correct, because it failed to take into account the nature of the population from which the prisoners came. From information now available in regard to the intelligence distribution throughout the United States it appears that the prison populations are probably fairly representative, so far as intelligence goes, of the communities from which they come. It may be true, therefore, that a quarter of the persons in a given institution are feeble-minded, but, in order to reduce crime by 25 per cent. not only would 25 per cent. of the prison population have to be committed to an institution for the feeble-minded, but 25 per cent. of the population from which they came would have to be segregated, which is clearly ridiculous. This illustrates one of the dangers of the proposed methods, even when applied to a worthy purpose. Nothing could be more desirable than the scientific treatment of criminals and the application of psychological, psychiatric, and other mental methods to criminals and delin quents. But it is a mistake to make the success of such a venture depend upon arousing the public's interest by unwarranted statements. In the business world, where an effect is desired for a short time, such methods may be legitimate, but in the case of treatment of crime, where we are building for generations ahead, they are nothing short of dangerous. The psychology of salesmanship has no place in the sphere of science. The reaction in the public mind of arousing interest on the basis of statements which are only partly true causes a loss of confidence which retards progress more than initial conservatism. RESEARCH Where shall the facts and information be obtained upon which a campaign of public education may be based? Obviously, in an experimental subject, such as criminology, and one in which science is just beginning to make itself felt, concrete information is extremely scanty. In order to keep pace with the progressive demands of modern community life and the growing public interest, provision must be made for investigation and research into the nature and treatment of delinquency and crime. Such scientific research requires the same arrangements as any other sort of scientific investigation. In the first place, there must be properly trained and equipped experts. They must have a place in which to work which is officially designated the laboratory, and in which are provided all the necessary paraphernalia for scientific research. This is not the place to enter into detailed statements as to the exact size or arrangement of such laboratories or staff. These depend largely upon the resources which the community makes available for the purpose and the interest which it arouses. Since scientific research is at best an uncertain matter, a liberal allowance or margin of safety is advisable in order to insure a minimum of return. There are no rules for this work, and there is, as yet, no standard. It would be better, however, for Cleveland not to venture into this field at all unless the start can be made on a scale commensurate not only with the size and importance of the city, but with the size and menace of the problem. A research laboratory or institution, properly staffed and equipped, could conduct scientific investigations into behavior problems for the police, schools, public health bureaus, courts, jails, correctional and penal institutions, and the numerous public and private social agencies. In another part of this section of the survey there is a brief account of a psychological analysis of the population of the Cleveland workhouse. It will be seen from this analysis that the workhouse has a large number of low-grade feeble-minded men. Reference to the chart will show that the number is out of proportion to the rest of the community. Clearly, here is a problem for mental science for the student of the pathology of human behavior. We are spending several hundred million dollars in the United States annually in dealing with the end results of criminality and behavior disorders. Probably not $500,000 is being spent in a scientific attack upon the causes.1 TRAINING OF WORKERS AND EXPERTS The plan outlined thus far has discussed: (a) The workers for practical daily routine; (b) the research institution and staff, where new knowledge may be sought and gained; and (c) the dissemination of information to train and direct public opinion. There is left one more item to round out the scheme, and that is a provision for the training of workers and experts who are to take their places in the ranks. Whenever a community has been aroused on the subject of mental problems, and particularly behavior problems, and has finally decided to establish scientific work, the perplexing question presents itself: “Where shall we find the workers?" It must be admitted that the workers available for immediate employment in this field are limited in number. This is, however, not to be wondered at, nor is it an indication that the subject does not appeal to scientific minds. Rather it is a manifestation of one of the many vicious circles in our social organization. There must be a demand for this work and a realization on the part of the public of its importance great enough to insure a career for the workers. This, in turn, depends upon the attainment of results of a concrete and practical sort, to stimulate public interest. Many who might have been glad to devote their lives to this science have been compelled to seek other fields by a failure to obtain either opportunity or remuneration enough. In order permanently to break up this vicious circle and to make the scheme outlined here quite clear, we must, therefore, add a provision for the training of workers and experts. This training should be given in the 1 It is as well, perhaps, to state here that the term "scientific," as used repeatedly in this report, is not used as applied to the worker in the exact sciences. The scientist referred to here is not a man manipulating test-tubes and galvanometers alone. The investigation of behavior problems requires scientists equipped to deal not only with the methods of exact science, but also those who are capable of devoting themselves to problems of education and social organization. main under the auspices of a research laboratory, as we suggested, and in connection with the schools and universities of the community. Such training should be offered, in the first place, to physicians, lawyers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, administrators, and public officials. A flexible curriculum should permit these different classes of professional workers to obtain the training needed to make their particular contact with the problem of delinquency. In order to do this it might be desirable to utilize existing departments of the university, perhaps the medical school. The latter is preferable to the law school, but close correlation between the law school and such work in the medical school is essential. In addition, special courses should be offered to social workers, parole and probation officers, police officers, teachers, and nurses. Here again the curriculum might be so arranged that police officers, for instance, should receive a brief and intensive training, whereas social workers and probation officers should receive a more extended training. A scheme such as this, furthermore, makes possible part time graduate work or special investigations, just as now a properly qualified student may enter a laboratory for post-graduate study on a special topic. When an organization of this sort has functioned long enough to produce the first graduates, the community can equip itself in such a way as undoubtedly to reap the benefit in a continually lessened cost of administration of criminal justice; and not the least of the benefits to be expected from such an organization is that other communities, no less anxious to improve their crime statistics than Cleveland, and no better off for staff or special workers, will turn to Cleveland for their personnel. Recommendations 1. If possible, a privately supported institute or clinic should be established either independently or, preferably, in connection with Western Reserve University. 2. The object of the institute should be: (a) Investigation of the nature and treatment of human behavior difficulties. (b) The training and education of special workers and experts in the field of behavior problems. 3. The institute should have a staff comprehensive enough to include the methods of physical and mental health and the social sciences. 4. The institute shall be equipped with the necessary laboratory space and apparatus and with bed capacity for a limited number of patients. APPENDICES APPENDIX I REPORT OF INTELLIGENCE SURVEY OF THE CLEVELAND A POLICE DEPARTMENT BY E. K. WICKMAN Psychologist, Division of the Criminologist, Illinois SURVEY of the intelligence of the personnel of the Division of Police of Cleveland was made in connection with the survey of the administration of justice conducted by the Cleveland Foundation. Mental ratings on 979 officers, detectives, and patrolmen were secured by the use of the army Alpha Intelligence Examination. The survey was made with the coöperation of the Chief of Police, Frank W. Smith, who ordered the men of his department assembled for the examination and who lent his coöperation and influence to their effective administration and completion. The examinations were not compulsory for the men, with the exception of those in the training school. Orders by the Chief of Police were issued for all men who were on active duty during the three days of the survey to report for the examination, but the actual examination was taken voluntarily. There were, however, no men in the department who declined to submit to the tests. The 979 men who were examined compose over 90 per cent. of the entire department, and the men who were not rated were not actually available for the examination during the three days of the survey. The general orders for the assembling of the men called for one-half of one of the four platoons for each group examination. The examinations were made on the salary time of the men, and the groups were assembled at 1, 2, and 3 o'clock in the afternoons, and at 7.30 and 10 o'clock in the evenings. The 979 men include officers (captains, lieutenants, and sergeants), detectives, men of the vice bureau, the traffic, mounted, emergency, and regular patrolmen, and the members of the training school. The intelligence examination used was the army Alpha examination, the scale employed for literates in the examination of officers and recruits in the United States army. The army procedure in the administration of the examination was adhered to in all respects. The groups varied in size from 10 to 90 men. With the exception of the captains and detec |