The Causes of Criminal - Assignment Example

When an individual commits a crime, goes to prison, then re-commits a crime, that person is known as a recividist. When an individual continually re-commits after multiple prison sentences, that person is known as a career criminal. The problem of career criminals is extensive in the United States - by some estimations, 80% of all crimes are committed by 20% of the criminal population (Admin 1). There is still considerable question about what causes an individual to be a career criminal. One theory is that career criminals are that way because of a genetic defect which causes them to become a sociopath, which generally means a person without remorse or empathy.

(Kanazawa 1). Another theory is that, basically, prison hardens individuals to the point where they are more likely to re-commit after long prison sentences (Song and Lieb 3). Whatever the cause, recividism is a serious problem, with one expert estimating that we could reduce our crime rate by 50% if we could control 10% of the offenders. (Delisi 6).The theory that an individual is, basically, a born criminal posits that individuals are born with sociopathic personality disorder that makes them prone to commit crimes throughout their lives.

(Kanazawa 2). These people are known as the “life-course persistents,” and they are contrasted with “adolescence limiteds.” (Kanazawa 2). “Adolescent limited” refers to the individuals who have a troubled, crime-filled youth, but “age out” of the prison system with maturity, as they settle down, get married and hold a productive adult life. (Kanazawa 2). The “life-course persistents,” however, do not age of the prison system and continue to commit crimes throughout their lives.

(Kanazawa 2). While the “adolescent limited” do not seem to be genetically pre-disposed to a life of crime, the “life-course persistents” do. As mentioned above, the “life-course persistents” are comprised mainly of sociopaths, who are “prone to commit crimes because they are incable of feeling remorse or empathize with others pain.” (Kanazawa 2). The behavior geneticist Linda Mealey estimated that sociopaths make up 3-4% of the male population and less than 1% of the female population, yet account for 20% of the prison population and between 33% and 80% of the chronic criminal offenders.

(Kanazawa 2).That a career criminal is “born” as opposed to “made” is but one theory. Another theory holds that a career criminal is “made” by prison stays. (Song and Lieb 3). This is because long prison stints not only “teach” individuals anti-social behavior, but also leads to the weakening of social bonds outside the prison walls. (Song and Lieb 3). An individual is released from a long prison stay, to find out that they do not have family, work or economic support. (Song and Lieb 3).

This makes the person more likely to re-offend. (Song and Lieb 3).Whatever the cause of career criminality, it is clear that this is problem that must be contained. By some estimations, 70-100% of violent crimes are committed by 10% of the population (Delisi 6). If we could control this small percentage of our population, we could not only virtually eradicate violent crime, but we could also make inroads towards curbing other socials ills, “such as substance abuse, alcoholism, illegitimacy, unemployment, and government largesse.

Career criminals denote the opportunity for policy makers and the criminal justice system to rid a large proportion of many social problems in one fell swoop.” (Delisi 6). However, that is easier said than done. While some individuals state that tough laws such as three strike laws, or laws that denote that an individual will have to serve a life sentence upon being convicted of his or her third felony, is the way to curb the problem of career criminals (Admin 2), it is doubtful that such a complex problem as career criminality has such a simple solution.

This is because we, as a society, cannot necessarily delineate between career criminals and those who might mature out of their criminal behavior. (Delisi 6). Therefore, three strikes laws are overbroad, in that they would incarcerate, for life, career criminals and “adolescent limiteds” alike, using tax-payers dollars to lock up individuals who could, with time, become productive members of our society.Whether a career criminal is born, as some believe, or made, as others believe, is still a matter that is up for debate and different studies have yielded different results.

(Song and Lieb 5-6). Either theory could be correct, as could any number of other theories that could be devised about the nature of career criminality. What causes career criminality is up for debate. What isn’t up for debate is the impact that these individuals have on society. They are the cause of the vast majority of crime in America, and, by some estimations, are the cause of up to 100% of violent crimes in America. Pinpointing and eradicating these miscreants through lifetime incarceration would have great social benefits.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an easy task. SOURCES USEDAdmin. “Career Criminals: Who Are They and What Should Society Do About Them?” Web. 13 January 2010 . Delisi, Matt. Career Criminals in Society. New York: SAGE Publications, 2005. Print.Kanazawa, Satoshi. “When Crimes Rates Go Down, Recividism Rates Go Up.” Psychology Today. Web. 24 August 2008