in a thorough study of the
criminal individual, such as is reflected, for instance, in the very
excellent book by Healy on the "Individual Delinquent." Such studies
have thus far, however, with but rare exceptions, not been made at the
proper source,--that is, in the criminal laboratory, the penal
institution.

The work which is being done with the juvenile offender is, of course,
very important and very valuable; but in order that this work may be
checked up scientifically it must be supplemented by thorough
catamnestic studies of the juvenile offenders. This, I believe to be
the only rational way of approach to the problem.

This will in time, I believe, furnish us data concerning the criminal
which will enable us to evaluate in a correct manner the various traits
and characteristics of the juvenile offender and thus enable us to
render a correct prognosis in a given case. Once we shall reach a stage
in the science of criminology when we shall dare to say of a juvenile
offender, as we now unhesitatingly say of the leper, "Here is a human
being who will always be a danger to his fellow-man and, therefore,
should be permanently isolated from his fellow-man", the problem of
recidivism will be solved.

We cannot, however, arrive at a proper conception of the nature of a
juvenile offender by merely studying a cross section of him at any given
moment of his life. In order to understand man, especially abnormal man,
we must study him in a longitudinal section; we must note his mode of
reaction to experiences in everyday life, under all manner of
conditions and circumstances; we must investigate the motives and
desires which prompt his conduct; we must find out how effectually he
adapts himself to the environment in which he happens to be placed and
in how far he is able to modify the world about him so as to make it
subservient to his needs and wants. The same problems which confront
criminology today, psychiatry had to face some years ago. In order to be
able to rationally and scientifically deal with the insane the
psychiatrist found it essential to establish certain criteria which
might enable him to tell, with some degree of certainty, what the future
life of a given insane person will be. In the last analysis it is this
same thing which we are aiming to attain in our dealings with the
criminal. The problem which is constantly before us in dealing with
juvenile delinquency is what might be expected of the future life