Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderball
Personally I think it depends on what is cheaper, lifetime incarceration at a well-staffed psychiatric facility, or running the appeals gauntlet to death row. Neither are likely to accomplish much of anything deterence-wise, but as long as the goal of permanently removing this person from society is accomplished, either work. Rehabilitation of the criminally insane is still by and large a pipe dream. Repeat offense rates from sociopaths and pedophiles are disgustingly high. Rehab typically finds its success with mostly stable people who make mistakes, and make poor decisions. Not people with severely botched wiring.
People of sound mind who murder are typically less of a danger to society at large, than someone who is mentally unbalanced/sociopathic. Murderers with a "sound mind" are not only few and far between, but typically have no intent to attack at large. To me, insanity is more of a reason to put someone away permanently, or strapped to a chair.
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Just becaue cheaper and more convenient ways of dealing with the mentally ill exist does not justify their use.
If someone is truly insane to the point they cannot control themselves and they continue to represent a danger to society, that is the burden of the health system not the criminal one. How do deterrents affect someone who doesn't know what they are doing?
I think the problem is criminal lawyers have stretched what the idea of criminally insane actually means. The line has become so blurred we have people who are insane in jail, and people who are should be found guilty getting off on insanity pleas.