NCJ Number
91822
Date Published
1983
Length
31 pages
Annotation
The dangerous offender, ever present in the historical record of mankind, has recently come under renewed scrutiny as the streets become even less safe. This essay considers the historical evolution and legal definition of the concept of dangerousness.
Abstract
In particular, it examines one of the most enignmatic of the 'dangerous' -- the sociopath, psychopath, or antisocial personality -- the person who wears the 'mask of sanity.' It reviews the social, psychological, and biomedical attributes of sociopathy and discusses the issue of the prediction of dangerousness. A total of 85 notes are included. (Author abstract modified)