I AM SURPRISED, too, to see that each of the
Young men received the same sentence: In such gangs there is almost always a ringleader, often a psychopath, who exerts a powerful influence over the rest and who should certainly receive the heavier punishment. Very little, however, is known about the psychopaths—the men who live in the border territory between mental illness and crime. It is consequently difficult for the law to make such a distinction. But it certainly exists. It would surely help if the character and back- ground of these youths could be studied, while they are in prison, to find out more about what prompted them to their ugly deed. Such work should not, I suggest, be carried out by psy- chiatrists, whose predetermined views too often sap their judgment : what is needed is a detailed investigation by sympathetic observers of the youths' families, their homes, their education, their characters, and of all the relevant influences on them. It is only from many studies of this kind that an assessment of the causes of such crimes can be made; and only from such an assess- ment can we begin to understand how to prevent them.
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