14. Research and Policy Development in Social Defence
CRIME IS A universal problem and is not new. It concerns each one of us, since it represents an enormous and continuing waste of human energy and resources and introduces an element of insecurity in society. It has existed from time immemorial and will remain with us despite the thrilling advances we may make in diverse fields. Its significance lies not merely in its increased incidence but also in its changing patterns from time to time. Another disconcerting feature of crime its spread and heterogeneity. These are, perhaps, some of the reasons why our attempts to understand the phenomenon of crime in the past had to be based, to some extent, on an element of speculation. It is only recently that the systematic study of criminal behaviour has secured a recognised place in human sciences and opened up new avenues of approach for finding solutions to some of the most vexing problems of crime.
A study of the criminal mentality and behavioural patterns can assist us in the development of an efficient system of administration of criminal justice. This task is certainly not an easy one. Theories which are not only scientifically acceptable but which are also capable of practical application in the prevailing social situation cannot emerge in a sudden flash of inspiration but only through painstaking exploration, collection of reliable and factual information and laborious verification. This work can be done only through systematic research. I do not, however, propose nor would I aspire to advise the specialists who are gathered here on the lines they should adopt. But as one who is intimately concerned with and deeply interested in the problems of crime and delinquency in this country, I would like to point out that research in the social defence field has to be oriented to the needs of the users. They include the police whose role continues to undergo a remarkable change in the midst of changing times and vastly complicated social and economic relationship between man and man; the correctional workers whose task becomes increasingly difficult in an area where the individual interests and the demands of social protection stand in unresolved conflict; and finally, the judicial authorities who function within the framework of criminal law which, by its very nature, is inclined to be conservative.
