I cannot appreciate why G. Reichardt, who obviously has sound
and practical views on the value of deterrents, should be so wrathful as to denounce my plain and downright denunciation of criminals as nasty and cheap. Surely the subject is nasty enough, and by no means cheap in terms of suffering and loss to innocent law-abiding people? Nor do I think that every criminal is one from choice. I am very well aware that poverty, oppres- sion and ill-treatment can be the cause of honest citizens breaking the law; and of course I agree that the mentally •ill should never be subject to criminal action by the courts. If genuinely mentally sick persons are sent to prison, then the fault lies with the judiciary and its medical advisers and not with the prison service.
The mistake so many reformers (I apply the term 'do-gooders advisedly to the more emotional inex- perienced observers) make is to assume that- all crime has a psychotic origin. The pariahs of society, are the armed thieves, the rapists, the sodomists, and the vicious anti-social elements who show no pity in their premeditated attempts to satisfy their selfish desires. Their attitude to law and order is one of cynical disregard. and I stick to my opinion that no prison conditions can be too unpleasant for such criminals. But let me make it clear that I did not say that prisons should be unhygienic— before we get any more excited about lavatories; any man of my generation who has of necessity had to suffer insanitary and disease-ridden con- ditions will at least not wish to deprive the criminal of his clean lavatory. What I do say is that prison conditions should not be made more than tolerable because some unfortunate persons are committed to prison who should have received a quite different and more sympathetic form of treatment from the courts. There is most certainly room for a great deal of reform in this respect.
In spite of the many legal reforms and the more scientific approach to the problem of crime during the past few years, the increase in crimes of violence has grown to an unprecedented level. During the course of history society has had occasion to apply the surgeon's knife in dealing with one or other aspect of criminal activity, and I believe that the time is fast approaching when, here in Britain, Ate Psychiatrist will have to give way to the surgeon in the interests of the- healthy community. Finally, I do respect the opinions of Messrs Reichardt and Brandreth, but I adhere to my harsh attitude towards the vicious type of criminal. I wish him no joy, nor amelioration of his prison conditions, excepting, of course, where the plumbing is bad.
GEORGE A. WHEATLEY
Trenance Vean, Wadebridge. Cornwall
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