By Jesse O.. Stutman

Can crime be cured—or must it always be punished?

In Curing the Criminal: A Treatise on the Philosophy and Practices of Modern Correctional Methods, Jesse O. Stutsman offers one of the most ambitious reformist visions of the early twentieth century. Writing in an age of optimism about science and psychology, Stutsman argues that offenders are not beyond redemption but can be guided, educated, and rehabilitated. He calls for prisons to function as clinics, where work, education, and moral training replace idleness and despair. His treatise blends philosophy with practical strategies, insisting that true justice requires transformation, not vengeance.

Paired in spirit with later works such as Graeme Newman’s The Punishment Response, which reveals the deep human roots of our urge to punish, Stutsman’s book invites readers to reconsider the purpose of punishment itself. Should society cling to retribution, or strive toward cure? Nearly a century after its first appearance, this question is more urgent than ever.

Both a historical landmark and a timeless challenge, Curing the Criminal reminds us that the measure of a civilization lies in how it treats its most troubled members.

Macmillan, 1926,Read-Me.Org 2025. 276 pages