Abstract
The authors undertook to examine the policy assumptions underlying Maryland's unique “defective delinquency” law and its implementations at the Patuxent Institute from 1955 to 1977. The claims and controversy surrounding Maryland's experience are described. The defective delinquency law's recent repeal and replacement by “reform” legislation is discussed. An analysis of the new law shows that in some important respects (voluntarism being one), it falls far short of being as reformist as thought, and retains many assumptions that activated its predecessor.
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