How did the eugenics movement in the U.S. believe that crime could be reduced?

The eugenics movement in the U.S. proposed that crime could be reduced through the sterilization of individuals deemed "feebleminded," which was often equated with having hereditary traits associated with criminality. The underlying belief was that certain behaviors, including criminal behavior, were inherited and that by preventing those individuals from reproducing, society could reduce the incidence of crime in future generations. This approach stemmed from a combination of social Darwinism and pseudoscientific theories that linked genetics to various social issues, including criminality. Therefore, the movement advocated for measures like sterilization as a means of controlling the population's genetic traits, which they believed contributed to criminal behaviors.