IMMIGRATION AND CRIME. INTRODUCTORY. atisfactory evidence has yet been produced to show that ation has resulted in an increase in crime disproportionate to rease in adult population. Such comparable statistics of nd population as it has been possible to obtain indicate that ants are less prone to commit crime than are native Americans. statistics do indicate, however, that the American-born of immigrants exceed the children of natives in relative of crime. It also appears from data bearing on the volume e that juvenile delinquency is more common among immihan it is among Americans. There are, however, two factors these conclusions. First, immigrants are found in greater on in cities than in rural communities, and the criminality ildren of immigrants is largely a product of the city. Second, ority of the juvenile delinquents are found in the North States, where immigrants form a larger proportion of the on than in any other section of the country. This excessive tation of immigrants in the population of that group of States ports the largest number of juvenile delinquents" makes entage of immigrant juvenile delinquents in the country at ater than it would be if the immigrant population were more stributed throughout the United States. volume of crime in the United States augmented by the among us of the immigrant and his offspring? is the question sked first in considering the relation of immigration to crime. al sequence to it is the further question, If immigration crime, what races are responsible for such increase? No satisfactorily answered these questions; no one can answer ly without a machinery far greater than that which the ion Commission has had at its disposal. In order to even pproximate accuracy in answering these questions, at least ing facts are necessary: The age, sex, race, and offense of nder committed to a penal institution during a definite period and the age, sex, and race of every person in the general n on a date falling within that period of time. Such e never been ascertained. Without them all conclusions delinquency varies greatly in the several sections of the country, } determined by local conditions, such as the existence of children's tory institutions. TABLE 15. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: New York City 16. Distribution of crimes of Greeks, Manhattan and the Bronx, city Page 187 188 17. Distribution of classes of crime: New York court of general sessions, 18. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: New York court of general 189, 190 192 19. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: New York court 21. Distribution of classes of crime: New York county and supreme 192 193 194 22. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: New York county and su- 196 23. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: New York 197 24. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: New York 26. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: Chicago police arrests, 1905 27. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: Chicago police 25. Distribution of classes of crime: Chicago police arrests, 1905 to 197 198, 199 201 202 28. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: Chicago police 203 29. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: Chicago police 30. Distribution of classes of crime: Massachusetts penal institutions, 204 205, 20 31. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: Massachusetts penal institu- 32. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: Massachusetts 33. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: Massachusetts 34. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: Massachusetts penal 35. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for homicide and attempted 36. Distribution of classes of crime among alien prisoners in the United རྨ རྨ ཚ ཚ ཚ ཚ 208 205 210 210 211 212, 213 37. Relative frequency of gainful offenses among alien prisoners in the 38. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence among alien pris- 214 215, 216 39. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy among alien 40. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity among alien pris- 41. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for each class of crime whose 42. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for abduction and kidnaping, 217 218 220 220 IMMIGRATION AND CRIME. INTRODUCTORY. atisfactory evidence has yet been produced to show that tion has resulted in an increase in crime disproportionate to rease in adult population. Such comparable statistics of ad population as it has been possible to obtain indicate that nts are less prone to commit crime than are native Americans. statistics do indicate, however, that the American-born of immigrants exceed the children of natives in relative of crime. It also appears from data bearing on the volume that juvenile delinquency is more common among immihan it is among Americans. There are, however, two factors - these conclusions. First, immigrants are found in greater on in cities than in rural communities, and the criminality ildren of immigrants is largely a product of the city. Second, ority of the juvenile delinquents are found in the North States, where immigrants form a larger proportion of the on than in any other section of the country. This excessive cation of immigrants in the population of that group of States ports the largest number of juvenile delinquents makes entage of immigrant juvenile delinquents in the country at ater than it would be if the immigrant population were more stributed throughout the United States. a volume of crime in the United States augmented by the among us of the immigrant and his offspring? is the question sked first in considering the relation of immigration to crime. al sequence to it is the further question, If immigration crime, what races are responsible for such increase? No satisfactorily answered these questions; no one can answer ly without a machinery far greater than that which the ion Commission has had at its disposal. In order to even pproximate accuracy in answering these questions, at least ing facts are necessary: The age, sex, race, and offense of nder committed to a penal institution during a definite period and the age, sex, and race of every person in the general n on a date falling within that period of time. Such e never been ascertained. Without them all conclusions delinquency varies greatly in the several sections of the country, being determined by local conditions, such as the existence of children's courts tory institutions. TABLE 15. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: New York City 16. Distribution of crimes of Greeks, Manhattan and the Bronx, city Page. 187 188 17. Distribution of classes of crime: New York court of general sessions, 18. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: New York court of general 189, 190 192 19. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: New York court 192 193 21. Distribution of classes of crime: New York county and supreme 194 22. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: New York county and su- 196 23. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: New York 197 24. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: New York 26. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: Chicago police arrests, 1905 25. Distribution of classes of crime: Chicago police arrests, 1905 to 197 198, 199 201 27. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: Chicago police 28. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: Chicago police 29. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: Chicago police 30. Distribution of classes of crime: Massachusetts penal institutions, 31. Relative frequency of gainful offenses: Massachusetts penal institu- 32. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence: Massachusetts 202 203 204 205, 206 208 209 34. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity: Massachusetts penal 210 210 33. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy: Massachusetts 35. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for homicide and attempted 36. Distribution of classes of crime among alien prisoners in the United 211 212,213 37. Relative frequency of gainful offenses among alien prisoners in the 38. Relative frequency of offenses of personal violence among alien pris- 214 217 40. Relative frequency of offenses against chastity among alien pris- 39. Relative frequency of offenses against public policy among alien 215, 216 41. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for each class of crime whose 42. Per cent of alien prisoners committed for abduction and kidnaping, 218 220 220 IMMIGRATION AND CRIME. INTRODUCTORY. No satisfactory evidence has yet been produced to show that immigration has resulted in an increase in crime disproportionate to the increase in adult population. Such comparable statistics of crime and population as it has been possible to obtain indicate that immigrants are less prone to commit crime than are native Americans. The statistics do indicate, however, that the American-born children of immigrants exceed the children of natives in relative amount of crime. It also appears from data bearing on the volume of crime that juvenile delinquency is more common among immigrants than it is among Americans. There are, however, two factors affecting these conclusions. First, immigrants are found in greater proportion in cities than in rural communities, and the criminality of the children of immigrants is largely a product of the city. Second, the majority of the juvenile delinquents are found in the North Atlantic States, where immigrants form a larger proportion of the population than in any other section of the country. This excessive representation of immigrants in the population of that group of States which reports the largest number of juvenile delinquents a makes the percentage of immigrant juvenile delinquents in the country at large greater than it would be if the immigrant population were more evenly distributed throughout the United States. Is the volume of crime in the United States augmented by the presence among us of the immigrant and his offspring? is the question usually asked first in considering the relation of immigration to crime. In natural sequence to it is the further question, If immigration increases crime, what races are responsible for such increase? No one has satisfactorily answered these questions; no one can answer them fully without a machinery far greater than that which the Immigration Commission has had at its disposal. In order to even closely approximate accuracy in answering these questions, at least the following facts are necessary: The age, sex, race, and offense of every offender committed to a penal institution during a definite period of time; and the age, sex, and race of every person in the general population on a date falling within that period of time. Such facts have never been ascertained. Without them all conclusions • Juvenile delinquency varies greatly in the several sections of the country, being very largely determined by local conditions, such as the existence of children's courts and reformatory institutions. |