I Was A Convict 19xx.xx.xx Mr R

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: I Was A Convict 19xx.xx.xx Mr R
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, hosted by Harold's Old Time Radio, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio with a deeply engaging installment of the series I Was A Convict. Released on March 13, 2025, the episode delves into the life of Mr. R., a former convict, and explores the underlying factors that contributed to his criminal behavior. Joining Mr. R. is Edwin J. Lucas, the Executive Director of the Society for the Prevention of Crime, who provides expert analysis on the causes of Mr. R.'s offenses.

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Mr. R.'s Criminal History

The episode opens with a detailed account of Mr. R.'s criminal activities and legal encounters.

• Early Offenses: Mr. R.'s troubles with the law began at a young age. At [02:21], he admits, "I had no reason at all. It was an accident," referring to the incident that led to his assault conviction.

• Repeat Offenses: Over the years, Mr. R. accumulated five convictions for robbery and burglary. He recounts his first offense at [02:49], where he stole lead pipes from an empty house at the age of 14.

• Escalation of Crimes: As Mr. R. grew older, his crimes became more severe, including stealing automobiles and engaging in organized burglaries with others in his neighborhood. By the time he was 19, he faced violations of parole [04:17].

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Family Background and Early Life

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Mr. R.'s tumultuous family life and its impact on his behavior.

• Separated Parents: Mr. R.'s parents separated when he was very young, leaving him with vague memories of his mother [05:06]. He was sent to live with his aunt, feeling a stronger affection towards her than his own mother [05:12].

• Instability in Childhood: The constant shifting between homes and schools created a sense of instability. Mr. R. describes his attempts to return to his father's care, running away from boarding schools multiple times [06:08].

• Father's Death: At the age of 13, Mr. R.'s father passed away [07:46], further destabilizing his living situation and contributing to his descent into criminal activities [08:57].

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Insights from Edwin J. Lucas

Edwin J. Lucas offers a professional perspective on Mr. R.'s life, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and stable home environments in preventing criminal behavior.

• Crime Prevention vs. Law Enforcement: Lucas differentiates between the roles of law enforcement and crime prevention, highlighting that prevention seeks to address the root causes of criminal behavior [01:38].

• Impact of Early Trauma: He discusses how Mr. R.'s early experiences, such as being moved between homes and schools, and the lack of a stable environment, significantly influenced his propensity for crime [11:00].

• Failures of the System: Lucas critiques the correctional institutions that Mr. R. attended, noting that they failed to provide meaningful treatment or address the underlying issues contributing to his behavior [13:00].

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Causes of Criminal Behavior

The episode concludes with a thorough analysis of the factors that led Mr. R. down the path of crime.

• Lack of Stability: The absence of a consistent and supportive home life emerged as a critical factor. Mr. R.'s repeated relocations and the death of his father deprived him of the security and belonging he needed [11:30].

• Inadequate Support Systems: The institutions intended to rehabilitate Mr. R. instead exacerbated his issues by not addressing his emotional and psychological needs [12:15].

• Long-Term Consequences: Lucas emphasizes that while crime can be committed in a moment, it often requires a lifetime of underlying factors to reach that point. Early intervention and comprehensive treatment are essential in preventing such outcomes [13:45].

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Conclusion

In this poignant episode, I Was A Convict sheds light on the complexities of criminal behavior through the lens of Mr. R.'s life story. With Edwin J. Lucas's expert insights, the discussion underscores the pivotal role of stable family environments and effective crime prevention strategies. The episode serves as a compelling reminder of the importance of addressing the root causes of delinquency to foster safer and more supportive communities.

Notable Quotes:

• Robert (Mr. R.): "I had no reason at all. It was an accident." [02:21]

• John Doe: "What made this man commit these crimes? What was the drive behind his criminal behavior?" [01:17]

• Robert: "I was sent to a reform school." [03:46]

• Edwin J. Lucas: "Prevention is infinitely less expensive and more enduring than belated attempts at correction." [13:30]

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This episode offers a deep dive into the lifecycle of criminal behavior, providing valuable lessons on the importance of early intervention and the profound impact of family dynamics on an individual's path.

Transcript

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[Host James]

Another program in its series I Was A Convict. Tonight in our studios, we have a man who was a convict. Three years ago, this man heard.

[Clerk Anne]

Prisoner to the bar. You have been charged with and found guilty of the crime of assault with a dangerous weapon. On September 10, 1943, you. You shot and wounded a man with a revolver unlawfully in your possession. The police reveal that you have committed many and other crimes in this and other cities over the past years. For this crime, it is the judgment of the court that you serve an indeterminate sentence. But no more than three years in the penitentiary.

[Host James]

What made this man commit these crimes? What was the drive behind his criminal behavior? This man, known to us only as Mr. R. Has consented to come here tonight to help us find the answer. With him is Edwin J. Lucas, Executive director of the Society for the prevention of crime. Mr. Lucas.

[John Doe]

Good evening. Law enforcement is concerned with finding the criminal crime. Prevention is concerned with finding the causes of crime. Our goal tonight is to find some of the causes of Mr. R's offenses. Following the judge's sentence, Mr. R. Served almost two years in the penitentiary and was then released on parole. He is now 26 years old. The judge asserted that this crime was committed on September 10, 1943. But I can't agree. The crimes that Mr. R committed have their roots in the years he was developing as a youngster. Now, Mr. R, tell me, what reason did you have for shooting this fellow?

[Robert]

I had no reason at all. It was an accident.

[John Doe]

Oh, I see. An accident. Was the gun yours?

[Robert]

Yes, it was mine.

[John Doe]

And was this the first time you owned a gun?

[Robert]

Yes.

[John Doe]

Now, Mr. Mr. R, I see from your record that you have had five previous convictions for robbery and burglary. Is that right?

[Robert]

Yes, it was.

[John Doe]

I'd like to know something about them. The first I see was in 1934, when you were about 14 years old. What did you do then?

[Robert]

I. I broken into an empty house and stolen the lead pipes which I have sold.

[John Doe]

What did you do with the money that you got?

[Robert]

I spent it, as any foolish boy would.

[John Doe]

What sentence did you get for that?

[Robert]

I received 10 months probation.

[John Doe]

Now, the second time I see, was when you were 15 years old. What did you do then?

[Robert]

I did the same as I did the first time.

[John Doe]

And did you spend the money the same way?

[Robert]

The same way.

[John Doe]

What did the court do with you for that?

[Robert]

I was sent to a home for deliverance.

[John Doe]

I see that you were released on parole when you were 16. But about a year later you were in trouble again. What was the offense that time?

[Robert]

Well, I committed a series of crimes of burglizing stores.

[John Doe]

About how many stores had you burglarized?

[Robert]

Between 10 and 15.

[John Doe]

Were you alone, or were there others who worked with you?

[Robert]

There were others.

[John Doe]

Men in your neighborhood? Boys in your neighborhood?

[Robert]

In and around the neighborhood.

[John Doe]

What sentence did you get for this last burglary?

[Robert]

I was sent to a reform school.

[John Doe]

What about the fourth time, the following year? What did you do then?

[Robert]

I was. I was arrested for stealing automobiles.

[John Doe]

Were you in that business?

[Robert]

I was in the business.

[John Doe]

Were you caught for that?

[Robert]

Yes, I was. I was sent to the reformatory.

[John Doe]

How long did you stay that time?

[Robert]

A year.

[John Doe]

Now, the fifth time was when you were about 19. You went back for a violation of parole. What was the violation?

[Robert]

I missed a few reports to your parole officer? That's right.

[John Doe]

Now tell us, Mr. R. Do you remember the very first time you stole anything at all?

[Robert]

Yes, I do.

[John Doe]

What was it?

[Robert]

I. I was in the boarding school, and I stole the. Oh, I wouldn't say stole. I said I borrowed the master's daughter's bicycle.

[John Doe]

You say it was a boarding school. What did the school authorities do about that?

[Robert]

Well, they gave me a lecture and called for my father.

[John Doe]

And what kind of a reception did you get from your father?

[Robert]

He gave me a stern election.

[John Doe]

Is that all?

[Robert]

And he removed me from the boarding school to save embarrassment.

[John Doe]

Well, now, Mr. R, I'd be interested to know something about your family situation at that time. Were you told why you were placed in boarding school at this early age?

[Robert]

I wasn't told why I was placed in a boarding school, but I knew that my father and mother were separated.

[John Doe]

How old were you when they separated?

[Robert]

I don't remember.

[John Doe]

Well, you have no recollection then of your mother in those years, have you?

[Robert]

Very faintly.

[John Doe]

After their separation, with whom did you live?

[Robert]

I lived with my aunt.

[John Doe]

Did you have brothers or sisters?

[Robert]

One brother and two sisters.

[John Doe]

And were all of you together at your aunt's?

[Robert]

No. We weren't.

[John Doe]

You mean you went there alone?

[Robert]

That's right.

[John Doe]

Did you like living there alone with her? Were you.

[Host James]

Were you happy?

[Robert]

Well, I was happy up until the time when I had a serious accident.

[John Doe]

What kind of an accident? Tell us about it.

[Robert]

Well, I was playing around in that building. They were building a church and I happened to be on the roof and I fell to the basement. Spent some time in the hospital.

[John Doe]

It couldn't have been long after this that you went to boarding school. Did you like this new arrangement better than living with your aunt?

[Robert]

Well, Mr. Lucas, to tell you the truth, I didn't like it very much because I repeatedly ran away and rejoined my father.

[John Doe]

You must have been fond of your father. Did you feel close to him?

[Robert]

Yes, I did feel very close to him.

[John Doe]

And did you feel that he loved you?

[Robert]

Yes, I believe he did.

[John Doe]

Well, when you ran away from school back to your father, did he keep you with him after that?

[Robert]

Well, for a short time he did keep me. And then he put me in another school.

[John Doe]

And did you like the new school any better than the first?

[Robert]

Well, I ran away from there too.

[John Doe]

Ran away again. Back to your father?

[Robert]

That's right.

[John Doe]

How often did this happen?

[Robert]

Between nine and ten times.

[John Doe]

In about how many years?

[Robert]

Three years.

[John Doe]

And then where did you live?

[Robert]

I was sent to live with another aunt.

[John Doe]

Were you told why you were sent to this second aunt of yours?

[Robert]

No, I wasn't told why. But my father brought his business back to a different state. I went there so I could be near him.

[John Doe]

That meant adjustment to still another home, didn't it?

[Robert]

Yes.

[John Doe]

I'd like to ask you whether during this runaway period, from the ages of about 8 to 10, did you do any stealing at all?

[Robert]

Well, I stole from the five in ten that I did. A childish prank by stealing some candy.

[John Doe]

Your father provided you with the things you wanted and needed in those days, didn't he?

[Robert]

Yes, he did.

[John Doe]

Did you get a thrill or excitement out of stealing?

[Robert]

Oh, I got a kick out of beating a man for the candy.

[John Doe]

Well, now, let's get back to your aunt. Your second aunt. Did you like living with her?

[Robert]

Yes, I did.

[John Doe]

Did you see your father often during those days?

[Robert]

As often as I wanted to.

[John Doe]

And was that very often?

[Robert]

Well, on the average of maybe twice a week.

[John Doe]

And then what happened?

[Robert]

Then he died.

[John Doe]

How old were you when he died?

[Robert]

13.

[John Doe]

And after he died, did you continue to live with this aunt and her family of whom you were so fond?

[Robert]

Well, till about a year later. And then I went to live with my mother.

[John Doe]

With your mother. Well, how often had you seen your mother while your father was alive?

[Robert]

Not very often.

[John Doe]

She was almost like a stranger to you then, wasn't she?

[Robert]

Well, not completely stranger.

[John Doe]

With whom did you prefer to live then? Your mother or your aunt?

[Robert]

With my aunt.

[John Doe]

Did you feel that your mother loved you?

[Robert]

Well, I don't know. I lived most of the time away from her.

[John Doe]

Where had your sisters and your brother been living all these years?

[Robert]

With my mother.

[John Doe]

And now that this family was brought together again, how did it work out?

[Robert]

Well, not so well. I began to get in trouble.

[John Doe]

Well, just about the time you began living with your mother. Is that when you started getting into trouble? That's right, Mr. R. You were never graduated from grammar school, were you?

[Robert]

No.

[John Doe]

How old were you when you went to live with your mother?

[Robert]

14.

[John Doe]

And was that when this chain of arrests and convictions that we spoke about before began?

[Robert]

That's right.

[John Doe]

It wasn't long after you lived with your mother that you were arrested for the first time?

[Robert]

Yes.

[John Doe]

What about your sisters and your brother? Have any of them had any conflict with the law?

[Robert]

No.

[John Doe]

Now, just one more question, Mr. R. How is your health? How have you been all these years?

[Robert]

Well, I'm. I have a nervous disorder which has no effect on my health, but it.

[John Doe]

What do you mean by nervous disorder?

[Robert]

Well, I have a slight tremor of the hands.

[John Doe]

I see. Thank you, Mr. R. Tonight, Mr. R has telescoped for us the events in his young lifetime which had significant effect upon his behavior. We have touched only the highlights. No more. In some of our previous interviews, we encountered youngsters who developed strong hostilities toward their parents. We were able to trace some of the later behavior of those youngsters to feelings of rejection, of loneliness and of curious fantasy. Tonight's case poses the question, can a boy behave as though he had been rejected, notwithstanding a father's great love for him and his for his father? Let's see what part this played in Mr. R's behavior. Mr. R, as a child, recalls that he had most of the physical things he wanted. His early recollection of his mother is somewhat vague since his parents separated when he was very young. At that time, though he had two sisters and a younger brother, he was the only one sent to live with his aunt. Now, it happens that he had a deeper feeling of affection toward this aunt than he possessed for his own mother. But at that point, a series of incidents occurred which strongly influenced Mr. R's life. We have an example of how, almost always, it requires a combination of factors to shape the careers of youngsters first, he sustained a serious accident. After convalescing in a hospital for a year, he was placed in a boarding school. Now, certainly not every child placed in a boarding school becomes a delinquent. Fortunately, the vast majority of such children adjust themselves to their new situation. They manage to establish relationships that are satisfying. And schools can help in these cases, but often fail to do more than offer discipline and regimentation. Mr. R's reaction to this new situation became noticeable very early. Young Mr. R was at that point being tossed around from one home and school to another. At the precise time he wanted to be at home with those to whom he was so devoted. Now, how was Mr. R to accomplish his purpose? By some unseemly behavior, he would invite expulsion from school. Failing that, he would run away from school and rejoin his father. This indeed he did on several occasions. And those gestures were the clearest symptoms of what the boy needed. Namely, a stable, consistent and continuous home life. That would have given to him a feeling of security, of belonging to someone, particularly to his father, whom he adored. But he didn't succeed in getting any of these things. Failing to achieve his purpose, Mr. R's reactions multiplied in number and in intensity. He was again, again shifted to the home of another aunt. Then his father died when Mr. R was about 13. And then his mother appeared upon the scene. Now, at that stage she was almost a stranger to him. Nevertheless, she secured custody of Mr. R. And living with her was the last thing he wanted to do. His behavior pattern became even more pronounced. His offenses became more ambitious. He began to do the things which, when he was younger, partially succeeded in taking him away from an environment which he despised, he plundered and he engaged in the stolen car racket. On these occasions he was sent to correctional institutions. But because nothing that happened at those institutions gave him any incentive to alter his attitudes. And because nothing that happened to him outside the institutions resulted in altering his fundamentally unsuitable home situation, These experiences hadn't the slightest effect upon his behavior. His basic attitudes remained the same, and therefore his behavior didn't change. And his nervous disorder, his trembling, may conceivably stem from the terrible conflict into which he was plunged from early youth. The broken home situation imposed upon the harassed father the necessity of physically caring for the child. The aunt's home was apparently an adequate substitute for the parents home. We may trace the initial difficulty in part to the fact that Mr. R, as a child was required to abandon even his substitute home for the impersonal atmosphere of a school in which neither his father nor his aunt existed. A good foster home might have spared the community the necessity of dealing with him subsequently, on the makeshift basis of correctional institutions which were symbolic of boarding schools to which he had been sent. We have seen how Mr. R's dilemma resolved itself in crime. But though crime takes a moment to commit, it requires a young lifetime to prepare. We have also seen how Mr. R's dilemma could have been prevented. Prevention is infinitely less expensive and more enduring than belated attempts at correction. In any case, correction must consist of treatment. Treatment related to the causes of criminal behavior.

[Host James]

Thank you, Mr. Lucas. There is a vast difference between law enforcement and crime prevention. Law enforcement involves finding the criminal. Crime prevention involves finding the causes of crime. Next week at this same time, the Mutual Broadcasting System, in cooperation with the Society for the Prevention of Crime, will again present I was a convict with Mr. Edwin J. Lucas in another interview with a former criminal. For the protection of the people involved, the persons interviewed by Mr. Lucas must remain anonymous, both to us and to the public. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.

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