There is obviously no hard and fast line between the different criminal groups. On the contrary, there is an almost infinite degree of gradation between the different types. This extensive gradation is due, on the one hand, to the large amount of variation in the traits of individual criminals, and, on the other hand, to the great variety of circumstances under which crimes are committed. However, the following is an accurate and useful classification of the principal types of criminals: (1) The criminal ament or feeble-minded criminal; (2) The psy chopathic criminal; (3) The professional crim inal; (4) The occasional criminal, (a) The accidental criminal, (b) The criminal by pas sion: (5) The evolutive criminal; (6) The political criminal. The distinctions of age and of sex are of importance in the study of the criminal. The criminal traits of the young are of significance not only for their own sake, but also because of the light their study throws upon the corresponding traits of adults. Many criminal careers begin in childhood or early youth. And even when a criminal career begins after maturity has been attained, the experiences and influences of early youth frequently aid in explaining the later criminality. Criminal statistics indicate that criminals are astonish ingly precocious. The criminality seems to be higher relatively at about the time maturity is reached than at any other age period. Further more, there is some reason to believe that juvenile crime has been increasing rapidly in civilized countries during the last few decades. Consequently, it is important to study poverty, parentage and home life, education, recreation, immigration, etc., in relation to juvenile crim
inality. Criminal statistics indicate a great pre ponderance of male over female criminality. In fact, in some civilized countries there is from four to six times as much male criminality as there is female criminality. But this difference is in part misleading. In the first place, woman is favored in the repression and treatment of crime, thus lowering somewhat the statistics of her criminality. In the second place, there are many more extra-judicial female crimes than there are extra-judicial male crimes, because many feMale crimes are crimes of complicity which are more difficult to detect than overt crimes. In the third place, prostitution serves in a measure as a female equivalent of crime. In so far as female criminality is actually less than male criminality, it is not due to any ap preciable moral difference between the sexes. It is due in part to the physical disabilities of woman which restrain her from committing certain kinds of crime. But it is due mainly to the fact that woman is very largely shielded from criminality by her secluded life in the home. Consequently, it is to be expected that as woman's position becomes more like that of man her criminality will increase, and the avail able statistics seem to indicate that her crimi nality is increasing as she is attaining a greater degree of economic independence. Criminal law and procedure, the fundamental objects of punishment, penal responsibility, the principle of the individualization of punishment, the indeterminate sentence, suspension of sentence, probation, etc., are described under the title,