Evolution of the Research Paper
Rahmah
Hussein
English
21003, Section M
Professor
Matyakubova
2
November 2017
Research Paper Draft #1
Living Life Behind
Bars
Abstract:
Criminal behavior can be caused from several reasons such as, an offender’s
psychological or sociological environment and the mental illnesses he/she is
diagnosed with. Individuals that a convict have dealt with can impact the way
he/she thinks, which can be violent behavior that led him/her to the crimes
that are committed. The criminal justice system must change the way the prison
system is set up. Mass incarceration is a conflict that is currently happening,
which costs the states millions of dollars. Instead of imprisoning criminals
for low level crimes, the money used for prison should be used for
rehabilitation programs for the convicts. Also, if the convicts are sentenced
for a lengthy period then there should be an option of taking alternatives for
the sake of their mental health and their future when they are released.
Keywords:
criminal behavior, mental illness, offender, psychology, violent behavior,
rehabilitation programs, educational programs, criminal justice
As
recent as the beginning of October, the deadliest modern mass shooting took
place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The country music festival was happening at the time,
then when it came to an end so did 59 lives (Bui et al., The Washington Post). Paddock’s crime is the motivation behind
finding out why criminals behave the way they do. Criminal behavior can be
described as a set of actions that are prohibited by the law and punished by
the state. It causes serious mental damage to the victim and likely to be
caused by the psychological state of the offender. Others might address that
criminals should not justify their actions with their mental illnesses,
therefore not receiving any mental health service. However, convicts can get
impacted from their psychological and sociological environment, in which
rehabilitation and educational programs should be added to the criminal justice
system, either while a convict is imprisoned or as a replacement thus lessening
mass incarceration.
Many felons correlate their crime to
the severity of their mental illness. According to “How Often and How
Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders
with Mental Illness?” by Jillian K. Peterson et al. it states, “Most research
has focused on the role of psychiatric symptoms in causing crime, and most
policy initiatives have assumed that there is a direct link between symptoms
and criminal behavior.” (439). Therefore, psychiatric support from the criminal
justice system can effectively lessen recidivism. Moving beyond the limitation
of one approach for different illnesses will reduce criminal behavior. Legal
definitions of disorder such as the M’Naghten rule involves an insane offender
that suffers from a mental disease defends his/her knowledge of his/her
actions. However, the American Law Institute’s definition only requires the mentally
ill felon have no responsibility for his/her actions due to the lack of
“appreciation” of criminality (Peterson et al, 440). Then again, in The Washington Post Bui et al mentions
that, “Stephen Paddock had no history of mental illness nor did he have
problems with drugs or alcohol.” This goes against the definition of a mentally
ill person but there was a problem when it was discovered that Paddock “[brought]
with him 23 guns…”, and then at the end, he committed suicide. Paddock’s
brother, Eric Paddock, was interviewed and their father had a history of
criminal behavior and suicidal tendencies. Stephen Paddock’s father is an
example of an influence in Stephen’s psychological environment, which leads to
another similar case.
The extent to which psychological
health impact criminal behavior differs with the crimes caused by separate
offenders. In The New York Times Eli
Hager discusses Michelle Jones’ her sentence of 20 years for the murder of her
4-year-old son. Jones reason behind the murder was her past; her mother
allegedly abused and abandoned Jones, leaving her traumatized as a child. Then
when Jones was pregnant with her son, that she was accused of murder, Jones’
mother reacted with violent behavior. Due to these issues, Jones done the same
with her son. Her past should not justify what she has done to her son,
however, her mother had a significant impact on her psychological state.
Compared to Paddock’s situation, Jones and he had a parent figure that they
were greatly influenced by. Based on “Understanding torture and torturers” in
the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“They may have seen a father who is strict disciplinarian, and they may be
imitating or modeling their behavior after the only aggressor they have
significant in their lives.” (133) This relates back to Paddock and Jones
because they both learned from their parents that they found to be as the only
significant people in their lives. Paddock’s father had suicidal attempts and
was a wanted criminal after he escaped prison and Paddock learnt the same
actions from his father, committed suicide after he caused the utmost modern
mass shooting.
Another individual that can damage a
felon’s emotional condition is the guard that is supposed to follow policies.
Instead, the guards take advantage of the authority they hold. According to the
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“The guards escalated in their violence and aggressive methods of control. The
prisoners attempted rioting and, upon being suppressed, began displaying
psychological symptoms of mental distress, to which the guards reacted by
increasing their sadistic control over their increasingly helpless victims.”
(135) In this study, Zimbardo used college students and randomly assigned them
to be guards or prisoners. After the guards were more aggressive, the prisoners
started to show signs of mental agony. The prisoners’ reactions convey how guards
can increase their psychological problems.
Works Cited
Bui, Lynh, et al. “At
least 59 killed in Las Vegas shooting rampage, more than 500 others
injured.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/02/police-shut-down-part-of-las-vegas-strip-due-to-shooting/?utm_term=.e8b2801105dc.
“Bureau of Justice
Statistics Criminal Justice System Description.” Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS), www.bjs.gov/content/justsys.cfm.
Chamberlin, Jamie. “Crime
and Punishment.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological
Association, Oct. 2009, www.apa.org/monitor/2009/10/rehabilitation.aspx.
Hager, Eli. “From Prison
to Ph.D.: The Redemption and Rejection of Michelle Jones.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/harvard-nyu-prison-michelle-jones.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus.
Maher, Jane. “Raw
Material.” The Hudson Review. 2011,
pp. 1-14.
Nee, Claire. “Opinion |
Inside the Mind of a Criminal.” The New York Times, The New York
Times, 29 May 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/opinion/sunday/studying-crime-in-progress.html.
Ogloff, James R. P., et
al. "Co-Occurring Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders, and Antisocial
Personality Disorder among Clients of Forensic Mental Health
Services." Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, vol. 38, no. 1,
Mar. 2015, pp. 16-23. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/prj0000088.
Peterson, Jillian K., et al. "How Often and How Consistently Do Symptoms
Directly Precede Criminal Behavior among Offenders with Mental
Illness?." Law and Human Behavior, vol. 38,
no. 5, Oct. 2014, pp. 439-449. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1037/lhb0000075.
"Understanding
torture and torturers." Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2002, p. 131+.
Literature Resource Center,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=cuny_ccny&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA90682849&asid=892e1a94556b01fdde33d6bc8908df5d.
Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Rahmah Hussein
English 21003, Section M
Professor Matyakubova
2 November 2017
Research Paper Draft #1
Reflection
A research paper is a new type of
assignment because I have never written one before. There are many more sources
than the argumentative essay, that is very similar to this assignment. A
learning objective I gained was more reading skills from this paper because
I’ve learned to adapt to reading a little faster than I used to. At first,
thinking of a topic was a bit difficult because there are many controversial
issues that can go against someone’s morals, but then I remembered the Las
Vegas shooting, so that was my motivation into writing about criminology. I
wrote specifically about forensic psychology and attempted to relate the
research paper to as much science as I can. After gathering sources, I tried to
connect the similar topics with its evidence but the format of my paper is what
was a little more difficult than all I readings I’ve analyzed. I am still in
the process of continuing the research paper and adding as much claims I need
with supporting evidence.
Rahmah Hussein
English 21003, Section M
Professor Matyakubova
2 November 2017
Research
Paper Draft #2
Living Life Behind
Bars
Abstract:
Criminal behavior is an effect due to several reasons such as, an offender’s
psychological or sociological environment and the mental illnesses he/she is
diagnosed with. Convicts have dealt with individuals in their lives that can
impact their thinking process, thus leading these convicts to act violently and
causing to commit crimes. The criminal justice system must change the way the
prison system is set up. Mass incarceration is a conflict that is currently
happening, which costs the states millions of dollars. As an alternative for imprisoning
criminals for low level crimes, the money used for prison should be used for
rehabilitation or educational programs for the convicts. Also, if the convicts
are sentenced for a lengthy period then there should be an option of taking substitutes
for the sake of their mental health and their future when they are released.
Keywords:
criminal behavior, mental illness, offender, psychology, violent behavior,
rehabilitation programs, educational programs, criminal justice
As
recent as the beginning of October, the deadliest modern mass shooting took
place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The country music festival was occurring at the time,
then when it came to an end, so did 59 lives (Bui et al., The Washington Post). Paddock’s crime is the motivation for understanding
felons’ behavior behind the scenes. Criminal behavior can be described as a set
of actions that are prohibited by the law and punished by the state. It causes serious
mental damage to the victim and likely to be caused by the psychological state
of the offender. Others might address that criminals should not justify their
actions with their mental illnesses, therefore not receiving any mental health service.
However, convicts can get impacted from their psychological and sociological
environment, in which rehabilitation and educational programs should be added
to the criminal justice system, either while a convict is imprisoned or as a
replacement thus lessening mass incarceration.
Many felons correlate their crime to
the severity of their mental illness. According to “How Often and How
Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders
with Mental Illness?” by Jillian K. Peterson et al. states, “Most research has
focused on the role of psychiatric symptoms in causing crime, and most policy
initiatives have assumed that there is a direct link between symptoms and
criminal behavior.” (439). Therefore, psychiatric support from the criminal
justice system can effectively lessen recidivism. Moving beyond the limitation
of one approach for different illnesses will reduce criminal behavior. Legal
definitions of disorder such as the M’Naghten rule involves an insane offender
that suffers from a mental disease defends his/her knowledge of his/her
actions. However, the American Law Institute’s definition only requires the mentally
ill felon have no responsibility for his/her actions due to the lack of
“appreciation” of criminality (Peterson et al, 440). Then again, in The Washington Post Bui et al mentions
that, “Stephen Paddock had no history of mental illness nor did he have
problems with drugs or alcohol.” This goes against the definition of a mentally
ill person but there was a problem when it was discovered that Paddock “[brought]
with him 23 guns…”, and then at the end, he committed suicide. Paddock’s
brother, Eric Paddock, was interviewed and their father had a history of
criminal behavior and suicidal tendencies. Stephen Paddock’s father is an
example of an influence in Stephen’s psychological environment, which leads to
another similar case.
The extent to which psychological
health impact criminal behavior differs with the crimes caused by separate
offenders. In The New York Times Eli
Hager discusses Michelle Jones’ her sentence of 20 years for the murder of her
4-year-old son. Jones reason behind the murder was her past; her mother
allegedly abused and abandoned Jones, leaving her traumatized as a child. Then
when Jones was pregnant with her son, that she was accused of murder, Jones’
mother reacted with violent behavior. Due to these issues, Jones done the same
with her son. Her past should not justify what she has done to her son,
however, her mother had a significant impact on her psychological state.
Compared to Paddock’s situation, Jones and he had a parent figure that they
were greatly influenced by. Based on “Understanding torture and torturers” in
the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“They may have seen a father who is strict disciplinarian, and they may be
imitating or modeling their behavior after the only aggressor they have
significant in their lives.” (133) This relates back to Paddock and Jones
because they both learned from their parents that they found to be as the only
significant people in their lives. Paddock’s father had suicidal attempts and
was a wanted criminal after he escaped prison and Paddock learnt the same
actions from his father, committed suicide after he caused the utmost modern
mass shooting.
Another individual that can damage a
felon’s emotional condition is the guard that is supposed to follow policies.
Instead, the guards take advantage of the authority they hold. According to the
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“The guards escalated in their violence and aggressive methods of control. The
prisoners attempted rioting and, upon being suppressed, began displaying
psychological symptoms of mental distress, to which the guards reacted by
increasing their sadistic control over their increasingly helpless victims.” (135)
In this study, Zimbardo used college students and randomly assigned them positions
of guards or prisoners. After the guards were more aggressive, the prisoners
started to show signs of mental agony. The prisoners’ reactions convey how
guards can increase their psychological problems. Referring to the guards’
authority, there are instances when they use it for their own pleasure. As Jane
Maher mentions her point of view of teaching in a women’s prison in “Raw
Material”, she listens to one of the prisoners describing one of the guards,
“Joe doesn’t take sex, and he doesn’t give sex. […] there are officers who want
sex for their own pleasure and will use their power to get it.” Joe is one of
the guards who works at Bedford Hills, but the only one who does not use his
sovereignty to receive sexual pleasure; however, the other guards traumatize
the women prisoners which presents a reason as to why having a therapy program can
benefit the suffering women.
Prison is often described as a
“place of extreme terror, then simple exposure to it will set off all the physiological,
and psychological reactions of terror” (Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
136). Convicts are not able to handle circumstances at times, resulting in psychological
issues that lead to harmful coping mechanisms. “Inmates often commit suicide
when they are unable to deal with their situation.” (Journal of Evolutionary
Psychology, 139). When prisoners are in a state of mind, where harm is
beneficial in their lives, that is when psychological help is needed the most.
Committing suicide becomes an option in a felon’s life but so does self-harm.
Based on Maher’s experience, she mentions a girl named Karen, in which she has mental
tendencies to cut herself, she says:
“I raised my razor high, and slowly dragged the tip of
the razor across my arm. […] so instead of blood writing, I decided to write
about cutting myself. I found that it was easier to pour my thoughts onto paper
than to put my blood onto paper. So, instead of carving with a razor I started
writing with a pencil.” (6)
Karen
was emotionally suffering when she was first imprisoned, then after using her
coping mechanism to satisfy her mental pain, she had another option. Maher’s
classes taught Karen to “just [keep] writing until [she] figured out what [she]
wanted to say.” (Maher, 7). Along with helping inmates psychologically, they
can control their reactions to certain situations in a calmly manner. As Maher
states, “-the inmates in the college program tend to be more mature, more able
to control their impulses and emotions.” (7). Therefore, educational programs can
teach prisoners to practice other methods of coping to reduce their harmful
instincts.
A risky environment drive convicts
to commit crimes as well as psychological motives. For instance, when a
criminal obtains a substance and uses it constantly, he/she can develop
substance use disorder and is likely to be linked with a co-occurring mental
illness. As James R. P. Ogloff et al states in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal: “Co-Occurring Mental Illness,
Substance Use Disorders, and Antisocial Personality Disorder among Clients of
Forensic Mental Health Services”, “Moreover, the presence of CODs [co-occurring
disorders] has been linked to a range of offending outcomes, including higher
rates of violence, homicide, and an increased likelihood of incarceration and
criminal recidivism.” (16). Mental illness associated with substance use
disorder (SUD) contribute to the possibility of illegal behavior, however, the
presence of a mental disorder does not indicate that there is a direct
relationship between an illness and ferocity. Studies show that the use of
substances enables felonious actions increases the risk of antisocial behavior
and violence, stating intoxication as a dangerous stimulus (Ogloff et al,
16-17). Because of these disorders, rehabilitation programs as a replacement
for prison can positively affect these convicts. Relevant to this issue, is an
interview that is conducted with a police officer, who suggests staying anonymous.
He has been working in the police force for about a year; he provides his
opinion on the U.S. Criminal Justice System in addition to the idea of
educational and rehabilitation programs. Based on substance usage from the area
he works in arrests occur every day for that issue, almost certainly because of
the criminals’ socioeconomic status, which then leads to SUDs and CODs. The
collective result of having substance abuse and a severe mental disorder
increases the possibility of violence than the effect of either disorder alone.
Another occurrence around the
neighborhood that the officer works in is burglary. Due to low socioeconomic
status, felons have tendencies to obtain valuable items that can be sold to
have enough profit for substances. As Gray Matter mentions in “Inside of a
Criminal”, “Burglars spent significantly more time in areas of the house with
high-value items, […] by stealing fewer but more valuable items.” (3).
Psychologists showed through this study that ex-burglars, when they are put in
a familiar situation involving theft, they were very aware of the entrances and
how their emotions links with quick thinking. Then this reveals the trouble to
give up a crime. Along with reducing opportunities for the criminals,
rehabilitation can benefit these offenders to break these habits.
On the other end of the spectrum,
many officials could state that funding for therapy or educational programs isn’t
fair for the students that abide by the law. As mentioned by Brian Mann in
“N.Y. Governor Says College for Inmates Will Pay Off For Taxpayers”, “State
Assemblywoman Addie Russell, whose upstate district includes three state
prisons, says taxpayers just won't stand for inmates getting a free college
education, while middle-class families struggle to pay for their kids' tuition,
housing and books.” (npr.org) Parents have a difficult time paying for housing
and school needs, however, the education provided to inmates can save money
overall. Lois M. Davis claims in “Education
and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook”, “[…]
suggest that prison education programs are cost effective, with a $1 investment
in prison education reducing incarceration costs by $4 to $5 during the first
three years post-release.” Instead of paying taxes to the
prisoners without giving them any benefits, then this an effective alternative.
But why do criminals deserve anything from rightful citizens? Offenders all
have their issues in which therapy or educational programs can lead them to a
lawful path.
Another relevant issue is the recidivism rate in the
United States meanwhile there is risk of criminal violence occurring after
inmates are released. The Pew Center on
the States reveals in “State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s
Prison”:
“Prior to this research, the
most recent studies of national recidivism rates by BJS [U.S. Department of
Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics] found that the rate of released prisoners
who were reincarcerated within three years of release had increased sharply.13
For inmates released in 1983, the estimated national recidivism rate was 41.4
percent; for prisoners released in 1994, it had jumped to 51.8 percent.” (9,12)
As statistics prove that criminals have a likelihood
of returning to prison, there is also a chance of preventing them from going
back. Davis states, “Our findings are clear that providing inmates education
programs and vocational training helps keep them from returning to prison and
improves their future job prospects.” (rand.org) Educational agendas in prison
are evidenced to reduce recidivism rates, which is a reason that these programs
are beneficial for inmates that did not have opportunities in their lives.
The police
officer, who was interviewed and mentioned previously, stated that the criminal
justice system is a fair system since some criminals deserve to be arrested and
if they “don’t deserve to be arrested [they] usually have the
help of their lawyers”. According to “Why
Celebrities Are Rallying Behind Cyntoia Brown, a Woman Spending Life in Prison”
Daniel Victor explains Cyntoia
 |
Brown’s case as a 16-year-old
girl (bottom left), who was sex-trafficked by a man known by the name of
“Kutthroat”. Then another 43-year-old man, Johnny Allen, took her to his house,
hired her as a prostitute, and followed by a gunshot by Brown. Her life sentence
to prison is "unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and
unusual punishment”, based on the public defender’s argument. (Victor,
nytimes.com). Receiving the help of her lawyers was not as trouble-free as the
police officer mentioned because “her lawyers have been unsuccessful so far”
(Victor). As Brown went through years of prison, she obtained her G.E.D. and
her associate’s degree; she is currently taking classes at Lipscomb College to
earn her bachelor’s degree. Her motivation to pursue a future and her sentence
advocated celebrities to support Brown’s release. |
| Source: http://www.peteygreene.org/what-we-do-2/ |
The
United States Criminal Justice System imprison an abundant number of criminals
relatively more than any other country. Based on the Petey Greene Program, “90
percent of incarcerated people will be released, but 40 percent will return to
prison within three years.” However, education reduces these figures by 40%
(peteygreene.org). According to Davis, “Researchers found that inmates who
participate in correctional education programs have 43 percent lower odds of
returning to prison than those who do not.”. Also, employment rates increase
for criminals who partaken in an educational program, which are cost effective.
The Petey Greene Program (shown right) is a prime example of an educational
facility that provide tutors for prisoners that struggle to earn a degree. Many
of these inmates are incarcerated and never received a high school education. As
a result, convicts are released and offer a positive influence on society.
Works Cited
Bui, Lynh, et al. “At
least 59 killed in Las Vegas shooting rampage, more than 500 others
injured.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/02/police-shut-down-part-of-las-vegas-strip-due-to-shooting/?utm_term=.e8b2801105dc.
Chamberlin, Jamie. “Crime
and Punishment.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological
Association, Oct. 2009, www.apa.org/monitor/2009/10/rehabilitation.aspx.
Davis, Lois M. “Education
and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job
Outlook.” RAND Corporation, RAND Office of Media Relations, 22 Aug.
2013, www.rand.org/news/press/2013/08/22.html.
Hager, Eli. “From Prison
to Ph.D.: The Redemption and Rejection of Michelle Jones.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/harvard-nyu-prison-michelle-jones.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus.
Interviewee.
Phone Interview. 1 November 2017.
Maher, Jane. “Raw Material.” The Hudson Review. 2011, pp. 1-14.
Mann, Brian. “N.Y. Governor Says College For
Inmates Will Pay Off For Taxpayers.” NPR, NPR, 11 Mar. 2014,
www.npr.org/2014/03/11/288689537/n-y-governor-says-college-for-inmates-will-pay-off-for-taxpayers.
Nee, Claire. “Opinion |
Inside the Mind of a Criminal.” The New York Times, The New York
Times, 29 May 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/opinion/sunday/studying-crime-in-progress.html.
Ogloff, James R. P., et
al. "Co-Occurring Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders, and Antisocial
Personality Disorder among Clients of Forensic Mental Health
Services." Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, vol. 38, no. 1,
Mar. 2015, pp. 16-23. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/prj0000088.
Peterson, Jillian K., et al. "How Often and How Consistently Do Symptoms
Directly Precede Criminal Behavior among Offenders with Mental
Illness?." Law and Human Behavior, vol. 38,
no. 5, Oct. 2014, pp. 439-449. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1037/lhb0000075.
Pew Center on the States,
State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons Washington, DC. The
Pew Charitable Trusts, April 2011, pp. 1-41.
"Understanding
torture and torturers." Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2002, p. 131+.
Literature Resource Center,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=cuny_ccny&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA90682849&asid=892e1a94556b01fdde33d6bc8908df5d.
Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Victor, Daniel. “Why
Celebrities Are Rallying Behind Cyntoia Brown, a Woman Spending Life in
Prison.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Nov. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/us/cyntoia-brown-sex-trafficking.html.
“What We Do.” The
Petey Greene Program, The Petey Green Program, 2016,
www.peteygreene.org/what-we-do-2/.
English 21003, Section M
Professor Matyakubova
14 November 2017
Research Paper Draft #2
Reflection
A learning objective I gained was the
whole interview process and how to conduct one for a research paper. At first, I
was very hesitant as to how I will continue to develop my research paper, while
relating it to my thesis. The main piece of evidence that I am missing is a
counterclaim. I am still looking for articles that refute my thesis but because
I am pro-rehab and educational programs, all I can think of is the safety of
these professors or counselors, which will go against my thesis. This sounded
like a bright idea until I tried searching for articles that relate to this
issue, it was quite difficult to find reliable sources. The development of my
research paper is still in progress but I will find a counterclaim that refutes
my thesis.
English 21003, Section M
Professor Matyakubova
28 November 2017
Research Paper: Final
Draft
Living Life Behind
Bars
Abstract:
Criminal behavior is an effect due to several reasons such as, an offender’s
psychological or sociological environment and the mental illnesses he/she is
diagnosed with. Convicts have dealt with individuals in their lives that can
impact their thinking process, thus leading these convicts to act violently and
causing to commit crimes. The criminal justice system must change the way the
prison system is set up. Mass incarceration is a conflict that is currently
happening, which costs the states millions of dollars. As an alternative for imprisoning
criminals for low level crimes, the money used for prison should be used for
rehabilitation or educational programs for the convicts. Also, if the convicts
are sentenced for a lengthy period then there should be an option of taking substitutes
for the sake of their mental health and their future when they are released.
Keywords:
criminal behavior, mental illness, offender, psychology, violent behavior,
rehabilitation programs, educational programs, criminal justice
As
recent as the beginning of October, the deadliest modern mass shooting took
place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The country music festival was occurring at the time,
then when it came to an end, so did 59 lives (Bui et al., The Washington Post). Paddock’s crime is the motivation for understanding
felons’ behavior behind the scenes. Criminal behavior can be described as a set
of actions that are prohibited by the law and punished by the state. It causes serious
mental damage to the victim and likely to be caused by the psychological state
of the offender. Others might address that criminals should not justify their
actions with their mental illnesses, therefore not receiving any mental health service.
However, convicts can get impacted from their psychological and sociological
environment, in which rehabilitation and educational programs should be added
to the criminal justice system, either while a convict is imprisoned or as a
replacement thus lessening mass incarceration.
Many felons correlate their crime to
the severity of their mental illness. According to “How Often and How
Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders
with Mental Illness?” by Jillian K. Peterson et al. states, “Most research has
focused on the role of psychiatric symptoms in causing crime, and most policy
initiatives have assumed that there is a direct link between symptoms and
criminal behavior.” (439). Therefore, psychiatric support from the criminal
justice system can effectively lessen recidivism. Moving beyond the limitation
of one approach for different illnesses will reduce criminal behavior. Legal
definitions of disorder such as the M’Naghten rule involves an insane offender
that suffers from a mental disease defends his/her knowledge of his/her
actions. However, the American Law Institute’s definition only requires the mentally
ill felon have no responsibility for his/her actions due to the lack of
“appreciation” of criminality (Peterson et al, 440). Then again, in The Washington Post Bui et al mentions
that, “Stephen Paddock had no history of mental illness nor did he have
problems with drugs or alcohol.” This goes against the definition of a mentally
ill person but there was a problem when it was discovered that Paddock “[brought]
with him 23 guns…”, and then at the end, he committed suicide. Paddock’s
brother, Eric Paddock, was interviewed and their father had a history of
criminal behavior and suicidal tendencies. Stephen Paddock’s father is an
example of an influence in Stephen’s psychological environment, which leads to
another similar case.
The extent to which psychological
health impact criminal behavior differs with the crimes caused by separate
offenders. In The New York Times Eli
Hager discusses Michelle Jones’ her sentence of 20 years for the murder of her
4-year-old son. Jones reason behind the murder was her past; her mother
allegedly abused and abandoned Jones, leaving her traumatized as a child. Then
when Jones was pregnant with her son, that she was accused of murder, Jones’
mother reacted with violent behavior. Due to these issues, Jones done the same
with her son. Her past should not justify what she has done to her son,
however, her mother had a significant impact on her psychological state.
Compared to Paddock’s situation, Jones and he had a parent figure that they
were greatly influenced by. Based on “Understanding torture and torturers” in
the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“They may have seen a father who is strict disciplinarian, and they may be
imitating or modeling their behavior after the only aggressor they have
significant in their lives.” (133) This relates back to Paddock and Jones
because they both learned from their parents that they found to be as the only
significant people in their lives. Paddock’s father had suicidal attempts and
was a wanted criminal after he escaped prison and Paddock learnt the same
actions from his father, committed suicide after he caused the utmost modern
mass shooting.
Another individual that can damage a
felon’s emotional condition is the guard that is supposed to follow policies.
Instead, the guards take advantage of the authority they hold. According to the
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
“The guards escalated in their violence and aggressive methods of control. The
prisoners attempted rioting and, upon being suppressed, began displaying
psychological symptoms of mental distress, to which the guards reacted by
increasing their sadistic control over their increasingly helpless victims.” (135)
In this study, Zimbardo used college students and randomly assigned them positions
of guards or prisoners. After the guards were more aggressive, the prisoners
started to show signs of mental agony. The prisoners’ reactions convey how
guards can increase their psychological problems. Referring to the guards’
authority, there are instances when they use it for their own pleasure. As Jane
Maher mentions her point of view of teaching in a women’s prison in “Raw
Material”, she listens to one of the prisoners describing one of the guards,
“Joe doesn’t take sex, and he doesn’t give sex. […] there are officers who want
sex for their own pleasure and will use their power to get it.” Joe is one of
the guards who works at Bedford Hills, but the only one who does not use his
sovereignty to receive sexual pleasure; however, the other guards traumatize
the women prisoners which presents a reason as to why having a therapy program can
benefit the suffering women.
Prison is often described as a
“place of extreme terror, then simple exposure to it will set off all the physiological,
and psychological reactions of terror” (Journal of Evolutionary Psychology,
136). Convicts are not able to handle circumstances at times, resulting in psychological
issues that lead to harmful coping mechanisms. “Inmates often commit suicide
when they are unable to deal with their situation.” (Journal of Evolutionary
Psychology, 139). When prisoners are in a state of mind, where harm is
beneficial in their lives, that is when psychological help is needed the most.
Committing suicide becomes an option in a felon’s life but so does self-harm.
Based on Maher’s experience, she mentions a girl named Karen, in which she has mental
tendencies to cut herself, she says:
“I raised my razor high, and slowly dragged the tip of
the razor across my arm. […] so instead of blood writing, I decided to write
about cutting myself. I found that it was easier to pour my thoughts onto paper
than to put my blood onto paper. So, instead of carving with a razor I started
writing with a pencil.” (6)
Karen
was emotionally suffering when she was first imprisoned, then after using her
coping mechanism to satisfy her mental pain, she had another option. Maher’s
classes taught Karen to “just [keep] writing until [she] figured out what [she]
wanted to say.” (Maher, 7). Along with helping inmates psychologically, they
can control their reactions to certain situations in a calmly manner. As Maher
states, “-the inmates in the college program tend to be more mature, more able
to control their impulses and emotions.” (7). Therefore, educational programs can
teach prisoners to practice other methods of coping to reduce their harmful
instincts.
A risky environment drive convicts
to commit crimes as well as psychological motives. For instance, when a
criminal obtains a substance and uses it constantly, he/she can develop
substance use disorder and is likely to be linked with a co-occurring mental
illness. As James R. P. Ogloff et al states in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal: “Co-Occurring Mental Illness,
Substance Use Disorders, and Antisocial Personality Disorder among Clients of
Forensic Mental Health Services”, “Moreover, the presence of CODs [co-occurring
disorders] has been linked to a range of offending outcomes, including higher
rates of violence, homicide, and an increased likelihood of incarceration and
criminal recidivism.” (16). Mental illness associated with substance use
disorder (SUD) contribute to the possibility of illegal behavior, however, the
presence of a mental disorder does not indicate that there is a direct
relationship between an illness and ferocity. Studies show that the use of
substances enables felonious actions increases the risk of antisocial behavior
and violence, stating intoxication as a dangerous stimulus (Ogloff et al,
16-17). Because of these disorders, rehabilitation programs as a replacement
for prison can positively affect these convicts. Relevant to this issue, is an
interview that is conducted with a police officer, who suggests staying anonymous.
He has been working in the police force for about a year; he provides his
opinion on the U.S. Criminal Justice System in addition to the idea of
educational and rehabilitation programs. Based on substance usage from the area
he works in arrests occur every day for that issue, almost certainly because of
the criminals’ socioeconomic status, which then leads to SUDs and CODs. The
collective result of having substance abuse and a severe mental disorder
increases the possibility of violence than the effect of either disorder alone.
Another occurrence around the
neighborhood that the officer works in is burglary. Due to low socioeconomic
status, felons have tendencies to obtain valuable items that can be sold to
have enough profit for substances. As Gray Matter mentions in “Inside of a
Criminal”, “Burglars spent significantly more time in areas of the house with
high-value items, […] by stealing fewer but more valuable items.” (3).
Psychologists showed through this study that ex-burglars, when they are put in
a familiar situation involving theft, they were very aware of the entrances and
how their emotions links with quick thinking. Then this reveals the trouble to
give up a crime. Along with reducing opportunities for the criminals,
rehabilitation can benefit these offenders to break these habits.
On the other end of the spectrum, many officials could
state that funding for therapy or educational programs isn’t fair for the
students that abide by the law. As mentioned by Brian Mann in “N.Y. Governor
Says College for Inmates Will Pay Off For Taxpayers”, “State Assemblywoman
Addie Russell, whose upstate district includes three state prisons, says
taxpayers just won't stand for inmates getting a free college education, while
middle-class families struggle to pay for their kids' tuition, housing and
books.” (npr.org) Parents have a difficult time paying for housing and school
needs, however, the education provided to inmates can save money overall. Lois
M. Davis claims in “Education and
Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook”, “[…] suggest
that prison education programs are cost effective, with a $1 investment in
prison education reducing incarceration costs by $4 to $5 during the first
three years post-release.” Instead of paying taxes to the
prisoners without giving them any benefits, then this an effective alternative.
But why do criminals deserve anything from rightful citizens? Offenders all
have their issues in which therapy or educational programs can lead them to a
lawful path.
Another relevant issue is the recidivism rate in the
United States meanwhile there is risk of criminal violence occurring after
inmates are released. The Pew Center on
the States reveals in “State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s
Prison”:
“Prior to this research, the
most recent studies of national recidivism rates by BJS [U.S. Department of
Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics] found that the rate of released prisoners
who were reincarcerated within three years of release had increased sharply.13
For inmates released in 1983, the estimated national recidivism rate was 41.4
percent; for prisoners released in 1994, it had jumped to 51.8 percent.” (9,12)
As statistics prove that criminals have a likelihood
of returning to prison, there is also a chance of preventing them from going
back. Davis states, “Our findings are clear that providing inmates education
programs and vocational training helps keep them from returning to prison and
improves their future job prospects.” (rand.org) Educational agendas in prison
are evidenced to reduce recidivism rates, which is a reason that these programs
are beneficial for inmates that did not have opportunities in their lives.
as a prostitute, and followed by a gunshot by Brown. Her life sentence to prison is "unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment”, based on the public defender’s argument. (Victor, nytimes.com). Receiving the help of her lawyers was not as trouble-free as the police officer mentioned because “her lawyers have been unsuccessful so far” (Victor). As Brown went through years of prison, she obtained her G.E.D. and her associate’s degree; she is currently taking classes at Lipscomb College to earn her bachelor’s degree. Her motivation to pursue a future and her sentence advocated celebrities to support Brown’s release.
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| Source: http://www.peteygreene.org/what-we-do-2/ |
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A
change in a national approach will benefit the issue of mass incarceration.
Inmai M. Chettiar states in “A National Agenda to Reduce Mass Incarceration”
that, “the criminal justice system costs taxpayers $260 billion a year.” (1).
These funds should be used in a helpful manner to prisoners that yearn to learn
or seek help from therapy. Another option to lessen mass incarceration is to eliminate
prison for low-level crimes, giving that half of state prisoners are imprisoned
for nonviolent crimes. Treatment is a beneficial alternative for offenders that
are diagnosed with SUD or that are mentally ill. Prison does not treat mental
problems, as provided from Karen’s instance in “Raw Material”. Referring to Ogloff
et al, treatment programs for criminals with CODs have a chance of leading them
to opportunities to attain positive results. Thus, the justice system does “not
necessarily [think] of the long-term implications for behavioral change.”, as
mentioned by Jamie Chamberlin in “Crime and Punishment”. Policymakers must
understand that a “tough-on-crime approach […] won’t work” (Chamerlin. APA)
because as Zimbardo’s study was brought up previously, the findings revealed
that harsh treatment from the guards caused the prisoners to react violently. Convicts
are not only imprisoned at higher rates but for an extended period. Governments
should fund the billion of dollars to useful programs thus reducing recidivism
and incarceration rates.
Criminal
behavior is often an outcome from psychological problems or from an upbringing
in a dangerous environment. There are many cases regarding a prisoner’s mental
illness or trauma such as Karen in “Raw Material” or Michelle Jones from The New York Times. However, they
strived to succeed in the educational programs provided in the prisons. As for
Paddock’s event in Las Vegas, the motive behind it is still uncertain, but
could possibly be a potential mental health issue. Also, Cyntoia Brown is a
woman who is known to be a “model inmate” for her inspiration portrayed through
her earned degrees and her passion to continue pursuing her future. Therapy and
educational programs should become alternatives for future prisoners, which
will be cost effective rather than locking up an offender that can develop
trauma from their actions and the environment prisons offer.
Works Cited
Bui, Lynh, et al. “At
least 59 killed in Las Vegas shooting rampage, more than 500 others
injured.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/02/police-shut-down-part-of-las-vegas-strip-due-to-shooting/?utm_term=.e8b2801105dc.
Chamberlin, Jamie. “Crime
and Punishment.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological
Association, Oct. 2009, www.apa.org/monitor/2009/10/rehabilitation.aspx.
Davis, Lois M. “Education
and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job
Outlook.” RAND Corporation, RAND Office of Media Relations, 22 Aug.
2013, www.rand.org/news/press/2013/08/22.html.
Hager, Eli. “From Prison
to Ph.D.: The Redemption and Rejection of Michelle Jones.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/harvard-nyu-prison-michelle-jones.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus.
Interviewee. Phone
Interview. 1 November 2017.
Maher, Jane. “Raw Material.” The Hudson Review. 2011, pp. 1-14.
Mann, Brian. “N.Y. Governor Says College For
Inmates Will Pay Off For Taxpayers.” NPR, NPR, 11 Mar. 2014,
www.npr.org/2014/03/11/288689537/n-y-governor-says-college-for-inmates-will-pay-off-for-taxpayers.
Nee, Claire. “Opinion |
Inside the Mind of a Criminal.” The New York Times, The New York
Times, 29 May 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/opinion/sunday/studying-crime-in-progress.html.
Ogloff, James R. P., et
al. "Co-Occurring Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders, and Antisocial
Personality Disorder among Clients of Forensic Mental Health
Services." Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, vol. 38, no. 1,
Mar. 2015, pp. 16-23. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/prj0000088.
Peterson, Jillian K., et al. "How Often and How Consistently Do Symptoms
Directly Precede Criminal Behavior among Offenders with Mental
Illness?." Law and Human Behavior, vol. 38,
no. 5, Oct. 2014, pp. 439-449. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1037/lhb0000075.
Pew Center on the States,
State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons Washington, DC. The
Pew Charitable Trusts, April 2011, pp. 1-41.
"Understanding
torture and torturers." Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2002, p. 131+.
Literature Resource Center,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=cuny_ccny&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA90682849&asid=892e1a94556b01fdde33d6bc8908df5d.
Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Victor, Daniel. “Why
Celebrities Are Rallying Behind Cyntoia Brown, a Woman Spending Life in
Prison.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Nov. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/us/cyntoia-brown-sex-trafficking.html.
“What We Do.” The
Petey Greene Program, The Petey Green Program, 2016,
www.peteygreene.org/what-we-do-2/.
Rahmah
Hussein
English
21003, Section M
Professor
Matyakubova
28
November 2017
Research
Paper Final Draft Reflection
At first when I was looking
for a research topic, I was thinking about the current events that are going on
at the time. Then I remembered how the Las Vegas shooting was everywhere on the
news, so I stayed with the idea of mass shootings. I thought to myself on what I
can write about, then the question came to me, why do criminals commit these harsh
crimes? There is no direct answer for this question, so that’s why I continued with
this research idea. This led me to come up with a thesis, which improved my ability
to build a thesis for a research paper.
My
second draft included more claims as well as visual aids. I was able to come up
with counterclaims for my final draft with the assistance of my professor. In the
very beginning, my thesis was a bit difficult to come up with but then my ideas
came together after reading many sources, and what my solutions might be. This helped
me learn what sources are relevant and what sources I need to improve the argument
for my research paper.
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