Activity

Rethinking Crime
Author(s): Patricia McBroom
Source: Science News, Vol. 90, No. 16 (Oct. 15, 1966), pp. 305-306
Published by: Society for Science & the Public
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3950734
Accessed: 14-09-2016 02:01 UTC
control crime is a product of unplanned Year after year, the national police force and the criminal court has steamed ahead, never knowing whether the steps they take towards effective and meaningful crime, or a total waste of time, or more buruk.Waktunya has arrived to rethink everything many crimes are reported There is reason to believe that many of the victims. possible to maintain a balance between the crime and the ability to cope with it, and the real incidence of criminal activity may turn out to be surprisingly high. A major thrust of the research work is to promote the effectiveness of, say, to find out, for example, is one of the techniques of government law enforcement or rehabilitation better than others. Mild statement, but includes a pandora’s box of this right. What, for example, is the best way decisions on criminal cases are made out of court through “in formal and invisible”. Another Commission’s aim is to bring the technological sophistication of good law-enforcement weapons, methods of detection, wider, more accurate identification of criminals, and so forth. If the application of science to the crime sounds promising, it is, but it has dangers. “Science without vision leads to tinker,” said the observer. too much reliance on technology and too little effort to look deeply into the basic aspects of American life that promotes and crime. That’s all well and good to pay the police more money, better locks and designing, creating efficient methods of detection, the Commission critics believe, but this leads only to a nation fortified, not wiser, more secure one. Crime Commission has broad investigation, which, if exercised in full, must surely lead to some disturbing questions about American society and murky.
organized crime found fertile soil in this popular ethics of the country, he said. Nurtured by the ban and cared for by gambling and drug trafficking, organized crime is now fully merged into a legitimate business. It has a controlling interest or a jukebox and vending, machine industry, garment industry destination, the taxi industry, banking, rental cars in major cities across the country-Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, New York and others.
Ethics Revolution Coming On a larger scale, Dr. Emrich into American society is heading an important revolution in ethics. “We are in a period of violence now,” he said, not unlike the crisis of Britain and France has weathered in the past. the need is for a social philosopher Thomas Jefferson’s stature rede- American principle is fine. On a fully scientific evaluation of crime also must challenge the antiquated system demands, condemn and punish the criminals of society. “Criminal” includes a broad range of psychopathic offenders to mental retardate. In this system, all received the same treatment -theoretically. But rather than pro- mote justice, in many cases the system works to undermine it. “There is enough evidence to in- dicate that equal justice before the law for people who are basically the same as the process raises serious questions,” said Dr. Richard Allen, a law professor at George Washington University and director of the university sity In- stitute of Law, Psychiatry and Criminal nology. Dr. Allen is one of many in the legal profession and the justice are now questioning the value of further punishing those who come to the court has been sentenced to life imprisonment with tellects limit di-, background hunger, environmental violence and the brain may be damaged as well. He wants to see the criminal law be adjusted to fit the specific case, such as retarded. “The problem is underdeveloped bigger than we realized,” said Dr. Allen. According to recent data, 10% of the total prison population, or 20,000 prisoners, had an IQ of less than 70, and many agencies reported IQ is substantially below that, he said. Dr. Allen suggests building Former Offenders ceptional court, along the lines of delinquent juvenile court, where the emphasis will be the welfare of the offender. “We do not punish the children,” he said. Mental retardation, intellectually at least, much like children.
As a weapon against crime, society has inherited from history leaves much to be desired. “Prisons have demonstrated a record of failure,” said Dr. Allen. Two-thirds of couples dibangkit back to prison after their release. He observed that between 1958 and 1963, crime in the United States is growing five times faster than the population, according to federation figures eral Bureau of Investigation. Recognizing this problem, a small number of countries have liberalized their madness law, thus allowing the ex panding knowledge of human behavior to have a greater impact on the course of the criminal law. As the level of insanity can only apply for the sickest and most delusional man, and even they have some idea of the rules. the type of information needed to determine the mental capacity of human beings. Dr. Allen, however, saw the liberalization of environmental trends, the Model Penal Code drawn up by the American Law Institute as the main guide. Here the main question is: What is the “substantial” loss of the ability to control the actions of a criminal? If so, he is committed to the treatment he is no longer dangerous.