The Interpretation of Criminal Statistics

CRTMINAL statistics of an official character are a product of the present century.In France these statistics date from the year 1825, and the form and method of constructing them has remained practically unaltered up to the present time.Criminal statistics were introduced into the Austrian empire in the year 1850.In England criminal statistics date 'from tlhe year 1857.The criminal statistics of Italy date from 1880, and those of Germany from 1882.Some of the smaller European States, suchl as Belgium, Holland and Scandinavia publish criminal statistics on a comprehensive scale.On the other hand the criminal statistics of the United States and Switzerland are only prison statistics.This is owing to the fact that these countries do not possess a uniform criminal code.In consequence of representations made by me in articles in the "Nineteenth Century," in "Mind " and elsewhere, the criminal statistics of England and Wales have recently been revised and improved.I am glad to observe that the editor has been following out the lines laid down for him in these articles in his introduction and in the statistical tables.For the purposes of the present address I will divide criminal statistics into three fundamental branches: the first branch consisting of police statistics, the second branch consisting of judicial statistics, and the third consisting of prison statistics.I am well aware that the subject matter of criminal statistics is sometimes divided up in a different manner, and I do not desire to claim exclusiveness or finality for the method which I nlow adopt.As a matter of fact the manner in which the contents of criminal statistics may be divided and differentiated depends to a considerable extent on the objects in view.If, for instance, we are anxious to know how the criminal law is operating and how it is VOL.LX.PART I. B