Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders / Report of the Committee of Inquiry Appointed by the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E., C.M.G., Minister of Health

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PART I. INTRODUCTORY AND HISTORICAL. Section 1. Origin and Scope of Inquiry.

APPENDIX. PAST MISTAKES IN IMMIGRATION. Extract from Report on

THE HEALTH OF SCHOOL-CHILDREN. Extract from the Report of the

SEXUAL OFFENDERS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.


Constitution of the Committee.

Hon. W. H. Triggs, M.L.C., Chairman.

Sir Donald McGavin, Kt., C.M.G., D.S.O., M.D. (Lond.), F.R.C.S. (Eng.), Director-General of Medical Services, Defence Department.

Sir Frederick Truby King, Kt., C.M.G., M.B., B.Sc. (Public Health) (Edin.), Director Division of Child Welfare, Department of Health.

J. Sands Elliott, Esq., M.D., Bac. Surg. (Edin.), Chairman of the Council of the N.Z. Branch of the British Medical Association.

Miss Ada G. Paterson, M.B., Ch.B. (N.Z.), L.M. (Dublin), Director Division of School Hygiene, Department of Health.

C. E. Matthews, Esq., Under-Secretary for Justice and Controller-General of Prisons, &c.

J. Beck, Esq., Officer in Charge Special Schools Branch, Education Department.

Secretary: J. W. Buchanan, Esq.


CONTENTS.


Part I.—Introductory and Historical. page

Section 1.—Origin and Scope of Inquiry: Mental Deficiency, Increase of; North Canterbury Hospital Board and others suggest Inquiry; Committee, Personnel; Nature of Inquiry; Places visited and inspected; Sittings, Date and Place of; Witnesses examined, and Work done; Appreciation of Services rendered; Value of Memoranda supplied by Sir George Newman, Secretary of State for the United States, Dr. E. S. Morris (Tasmania), Dr. Helen MacMurchy (Ottawa), and Dr. Eric Clarke (Toronto); Secretarial Services

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Section 2.—Two Distinct Questions: Mental Defectives and Sexual Perverts, Comments on

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Part II.—Problem of the Feeble-minded.  

Section 1.—A Menace to Modern Civilization: Feeble-minded, Danger of Unrestricted Multiplication; Lothrop Stoddart's Views; American Army, Psychological Test of; Results and Deductions

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Section 2.—Heredity v. Environment: Genetics and Heredity; Heredity and Environment, Aspects reviewed; Degenerate Families, Life-histories; Dr. Macgregor, Deductions from his Report; Degenerate Stocks imported, Effect of; Environmental Factor, Importance of; Pre-natal and Post-natal Care, Value of; Housing Problem; Relationship of Impaired Nutrition, Debility, and Disease to Impaired Control; Dietetics and Child Welfare; Picture-shows, Effect on Children, and Recommendations; Venereal Disease Committees' Report as to Effect of Syphilis, &c.; Director Division of School Hygiene, Attention drawn to Report; Excessive Competition, Effect on School-children

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Section 3.—Illustrative Cases of Hereditary Degeneracy: Juke Family; Kallikak Family; New Zealand Cases cited; Sir Robert Stout's Comments

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Section 4.—Elements of the Problem: Basic Phases, Registration, Educational Care and Training of Feeble-minded Children, Oversight and Supervision; Educational Curriculum for various Groups; Residential Schools; Farm and Industrial Colonies for Segregation

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Section 5.—Estimates as to Numbers of Mental Defectives: Education Department Returns; Retardation, Problem of; Feeble-minded and Epileptic Cases, Return showing

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Section 6.—Study of Feeble-minded and Delinquent Children: Methods employed in other Countries; United States of America; New Zealand; Need of Psychological Experts; Tredgold, Quotation from

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Section 7.—Method of dealing with Mental Defectives in New Zealand--Present Legal Provision for Notification and Education of Feeble-minded Children and for Care of Custodial Feeble-minded Adults and Children: Education Act, 1914; Provision of; "Feeble-minded," Definition of; Mental Defectives Act, 1911; English Mental Deficiency Act; Public Schools, Special Classes; Epileptic Children, Education of; Otekaike and Richmond Special Schools; Nature of Institutions and Training, with Suggestions; Caversham Industrial School; Weraroa Boys' Training-farm; Committal, Nature of; Value of Home Life in Comparison with Institutional

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Section 8.—Children's Courts: Committee's Recommendations; Clinics for Physical and Psychological Examination

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Section 9.—Policy for the Future: Notification; English Commission, 1908, Basic Principles laid down; Register of Feeble-minded; Eugenics Board; Dr. Gray's Suggestions; Psychiatrists, Suggested Appointment; Eugenic Board, Proposed Duties and Powers; Departments to control Feeble-minded; Marriage and Carnal Knowledge with Feeble-minded; Parents' and Guardians' Responsibilities

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Section 10.—The Question of Sterilization: Operations, Nature of; X-rays, Use of; American Laws; Dr. H. Laughlin, Chicago, Views; Central Association for Mental Welfare of Great Britain, Opinion on Sterilization; Evidence in support of Sterilization; Committee's Opinion and Recommendation; Eugenic Board's Powers

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Section 11.—Segregation

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Section 12.—The Question of Expense: Cost to State for Want of Supervision, Case cited; Humanitarian and National Aspects

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Section 13.—Immigration: Introduction of Feeble-minded and Undesirables from Overseas; Medical Inspection of Intending Immigrants; System in Force; Committee's Suggestions; Ordinary Passengers from Overseas, Medical Supervision of; "Prohibited Immigrants," Definition of

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Section 14.—Summary of Findings and Recommendations

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Part III.—Sexual Offenders.  

Section 1.—Scope and Origin of the Inquiry: Prisons Board, Resolution passed; Medical and Surgical Reports; Indeterminate Sentence; Segregation

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Section 2.—Seriousness of the Evil: Sexual Offenders, Numbers serving Sentence; Government Statistician's Return of Persons sentenced

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Section 3.—Types of Offences: Sexual Offences; Various Classes, with Comments on; Types found in Prisons; Inspector of Prisons' Opinion; Sexual Perverts, Cure of

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Section 4.—Suggested Remedies: Corporal Punishment; Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals' Recommendations; Sterilization and Desexualization; Castration; Sterilization; British Medical Association, N.Z., Motion passed; Vasectomy and Castration; Committee's Recommendation

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Section 5.—Scientific Treatment and Segregation with Indeterminate Sentence: Medical Examination; Indeterminate Sentence; Women and Children, Protection of; Mr. Hawkins's Evidence on Control of Sexual Perverts

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Section 6.—Summary of Recommendations: Crimes Act; Prisons Board, Powers of; Psychiatrist, Appointment and Duties; Eugenic Board, Power to advise Prisons Board; Sterilization; Concluding Remarks

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Appendix.—Past Mistakes in Immigration: Extract from Report on Hospitals and Charitable Institutions of the Colony, 1888, by the late Dr. Macgregor, Inspector-General. The Health of School Children: Extract from the Report of the Director of the Division of School Hygiene, 1924. Return showing Sexual Offenders serving Sentence in New Zealand Prisons, 1924. Table showing the Number of Sexual Offenders sentenced under respective Headings in New Zealand Prisons. Some Illustrative Histories

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The Hon. the Minister of Health, Wellington.

Sir,—

The Committee of Inquiry into Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders appointed by you to inquire into and report upon the necessity for special care and treatment of mental defectives and sexual offenders in New Zealand have the honour to submit herewith their report.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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