An Outline for Research in Penology

The concept of the “indeterminate sentence” as it is applied to those defined as “defective delinquents” in the State of Maryland is presented in some detail, and a contrast is drawn between the Patuxent Institution, which functions on this basis and conventional penal institutions from which inmates are released after the service of fixed sentences. A research proposal, based upon a cost model, is then presented for the purpose of exploring the desirability of extending the indeterminate sentence concept to a larger fraction of the prison population.