NCJ Number
79146
Journal
Social Defence Volume: 15 Issue: 57 Dated: (July 1979) Pages: 28-34
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This Indian article presents a critical examination of theories which explain criminality as mental illness and concludes that this approach ignores social and political realities.
Abstract
The definition of a criminal as a sick person has its roots in the view held throughout history that any persons who failed to follow the accepted ways of a group were possessed by demons. The medical model may be unrealistic in many cases, but remains the basis for current penal policies and practices. Correctional theories assume that crime causes are identifiable, that once identified something can be done to reduce criminality, and that these causes are themselves negative or undesirable. This approach ignores (1) evidence indicating that most individuals at some time commit illegal acts and (2) the negative effects of imprisonment. Moreover, the article argues that some laws unjustly encroach on individuals' rights. The discussion contends that the medical model of treatment has been popular because it camouflages the political reality behind the phenomenon of social control and allows the true motivations of those who wish to define certain actions as criminal to remain unquestioned. This explanation of crime adds support to the belief that only an abnormal person would break the law and arbitrarily advocates a dichotomy between the criminal and the noncriminal. The medical model has never been seriously applied, but has only served to rationalize the status quo. The article concludes that most prison inmates are socially and economically deprived and need adequate services to cater to their needs rather than treatment. The article includes seven references.