Do you think that policy should address crime as a matter of individual responsibility and accountability, or do you think that crime is truly a symptom of a dysfunctional society?
204172
it's definitely a matter of individual responsibility.  what kind of world would this be if all the crimes were blamed on america's dysfunction?  it would be chaos 24/7 in america if people could blame their crimes on society.  but when it comes down to it, everything is a matter of individual responsibility.  ultimately, you make the choice to do what you do.  whether it's getting drunk, smoking a joint, beating up a gay person based on personal issues or killing someone because of God-only-knows what.  you make a decision to do what you do, society doesn't make you do anything.
364537
That's a pretty loaded question, but there are certainly ways that crime can be useful. For instance, overthrowing governments, riots against unjust laws or rulers, and civil disobedience to draw attention to abuses of power or inequalities. Crime is defined by the law, so crime that leads to the repeal of unjust laws could be considered useful.
616284
no I dont think so\n\nmaybe morality in some areas would go down but things like rape and murder are in society's best interest to prevent and punish.\n\nYou have evidence of this in atheistic communist countries that still had laws against theft murder and rape.
501392
Absouletly. In UK we have to many liberals keen to protect the rights of criminals but the victim is sadly lost in the process. If rehabilitation can be acheived in the criminal justice system that's great but it is primarily but punishment and the punishment should reflect the crime. I am not a fan of habging but we should use lethal injection in cases like this.
644871
i agree how ever there are some issues that need to be worked out for example. i have heard of instances where an 18 y/o is convicted for having relations with a 15 or 16 y/o and they are both kids and the 18 y/o is branded for life. \n\nthe law has to be in place to punish the real offenders.  they need to separate this crime from child molesting and rape real rape
535642
Crime is a mind set -- - - - - a society that fails to instil in its citizens core values such as the sanctity of life & property is a society destined to suffer.   \n\nPeace...
84671
I'm finding that I enjoy your questions quite a bit ProfessorAdam.  Now on to the question:\n\nBipolar justifying a crime? No.  It does not hinder your ability to think and comprehend what you are doing to that extent....often.  Having a manic episode can in fact impair that ability, but as an excuse no.  If you wish to send the individual to a mental institution to get help then by all means do so.\n\nAs a mental health professional (I use the term professional lightly as I'm just starting my career), I've found that we tend to invision Mental health issues as we see them in movies when that is far from the truth.  Most of the people I work with just want to get "better", to stop the stares that people give them, to be what we consider "normal".  There are those who have given up and will descend into insanity but they give up because no one helps them.\n\nOne thing that disturbs me the most is when a person with a mental illness is arrested and taking into custody, they are treated as if they can comprehend everything perfectly.  In a lot of places they are just thrown into jails for crimes rather than sent to an institution that will keep them out of jails and on track to having a "normal" life.  We waste tax money locking these people up.  And as a side note, they aren't stupid.  A lot of mentally ill people will commit a crime to get locked up for a night, it brings the promise of a warm cell and meals with impending freedom the next day (Small crimes, like public drunkeness).\n\nSo back to the question at hand, should it justify a crime? Never, should it be an explanation for the crime? Sometimes, that depends on the illness.  Should we just toss those individuals into a cell? Never, we should react and help them to allow to become a part of society, rather than a person thrown to the side.
565148
Exactly, we have become a nation of people who think everything is someone else's fault, especially if it gets us some money. Obviously not everyone falls into this category but far too many do. I think it started with the court system blaming "a bad childhood" for some 18 year old killing some poor dude minding his own business. People know what's right and wrong and they need to have guts enough to admit when they screw up. Okay off the soap box.
409831
America's juvenile justice system is responsible for keeping citizens safe and rehabilitating delinquent youth. Meeting these two responsibilities has been the goal of the system since it was first implemented. The dilemma that has faced policymakers and citizens has been deciding which of the two aims should receive the most emphasis, and thus, funding. Should the state build more juvenile penitentiaries and immediately protect its citizens, or should it teach current prisoners life skills that will help them to live in such a way that they will be less likely to recapitulate (reoffend)? Or, in a separate, preventative effort, should the state use its resources to fund parenting, recreational, and mentoring programs that build up youth and enable them to make good decisions early on? In the end, the state must balance effectiveness with urgency. Preventative and rehabilitative measures have been proven time and time again to significantly lower the likelihood of a youth offending (or reoffending). However, the results of prevention and rehabilitation programs do not become apparent until years after they are begun, and few are willing to risk the immediate threat that could befall the community should funding of penitentiaries experience a shortfall while prevention and rehabilitation programs are being established. Citizens do not want to be the guinea pigs through which psychologists measure the effectiveness of their rehabilitative efforts; they want offenders locked up. But most also know a kid, or were a kid, that prevention or rehabilitation measures helped somewhere along the way.The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act called for a "deinstitutionalization" of juvenile delinquents. It required that states holding youth within adult prisons for status offenses remove them within a span of two years (this timeframe was adjusted over time). The act also provided program grants to states, based on their youth populations, and created the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).Through research into which programs have been effective - both at home and abroad - policy makers hope to develop strategies that will drop crime rates in future years. By taking the initiative to build anti-crime programs structured to fit local needs, community leaders have generated a plethora of information on which programs work, where they work, and what it takes to carry them out. Current U.S. policy aims to balance public safety with the effective rehabilitation of youth, and courts seek to individualize recommendations to fit the situations of young offenders.
35182
yes someone who is suposed to be responsible for children should be responsible
94264
i believe in certain situations it would be permissable. for example, if what somebody is doing affects another person or group in a negative way then the government should be allowed to step in. the government works for us as a whole, not each individual person. we are allowed certain freedoms and to do most things the way we want to but there are limits on everything. if protecting society by limiting one person's freedoms is the best plan of action then the government should have every right to do so
182927
The punishment should fit the crime.  Our justice system is too lax.  Prisoners complain their rights are being violated.  What about the rights of others they violated when they committed their crime?  Prisoners should have no rights.  \n\nIt's pathetic that prisoners eat better and have health care at their fingertips when law abiding citizens and their families can't afford 3 meals per day or health care.  Doesn't sound like punishment to me.
192543
You cant force people to be responsible, not in a Democracy anyways. Alot of violent criminals have some degree of brain damage from being abused as children (shaken babies), or from being in so many fights. \nIts ironic. In Michigan, in order to be married, you have to take a Marriage class of some sort. But, anyone with a working set of sex organs can become a mother or father. China has restriction on having children, could such a thing work here, in America? In my favorite movie, Starship Troopers, a person who wants to have children has to get a license for it, but they have a global military socialism. We will have to continue to clean up other peoples bad choices for the fore-seeable future. \nAlot of people dont choose to have children. They choose to have sex, and someone winds up pregnant. When you cant afford new shoes you probably cant afford condoms either. What about abstinence? HA! How does that fit in the hip-hop culture that the next generation is getting into? \nImprisoning parents for their childrens' crimes? GREAT idea! We arent imprisoning enough people, lets find a way to crowd the system even more. Prison is such a great way to reform people...\nI think we should bring back corporal punishment. Like public humiliation could work on some criminals with a certain psychological make-up. In prison, he has to conform with thugs even worse than he is. He learns about how to perpetrate even bigger crimes and is a better educated criminal when he gets out. If he was put on public display that had a sign telling what he is guilty of and he had to see the disgusted looks of old ladies, young kids, and the general public, he might find reform within himself.
510929
The one all over riding cause of crime is bad parenting. With truancy being the for most indicator of future criminal behavior
198375
government always tend to take little things out of proportion,and when someone committed a real crime they barley do anything,but no it doesn't seem right,they took it a little to far with the live with someone else thing
491867
this is a very good question seeing as our criminals are getting younger and younger. i think that parents should be held responsible as a lot of them dont even know where they are half the time! but fines would be no good they would have to do some public service of some kind. it would improve parenting skills i think as they would do their damn best to make sure their kids behaved. discipline and morals are not present today as they used to be because like the police, parents rights have all been taken away and the kids know they have the upper hand, and can abuse the system and get away with it
6100
The moral issues you cited, by category, should be deemed lifestyle preferences. As a non-lawyer, but as someone who has studied law, my point of view of this issue is that the state should only intervene if there is demonstrable harm present. Some say it should be merely harm, or potential harm, but that will never wash in front of our Supreme Court.