Abstract

What Not to Do with Criminals

This article presents information on the book "The Repression of Crime," by Harry Elmer Barnes. In this book Barnes draws upon his past experiences as historian to the Prison Inquiry Commission of New Jersey and to the Pennsylvania Commission to Investigate Penal Systems. He believes that the history of criminal procedure and penal practice constitutes one of the few phases of the study of the past which may be directly useful to the reformer, for the historian should be able, by indicating those practices which have signally failed in the past, to guard society against repeating its mistakes. He cites the present demand for increased severity in dealing with criminals as an indication of the lack of historical knowledge on the part of those making such demands.