My Criminal Theory

Here's the deal...I have a book in my head, or a study or something. I have a clear idea about how I want to study to the criminal mind in order to prevent further crimes from happening. I'm sure it's not a new concept I have, but what is? And I'm sure I run a risk writing anything on here, as nothing is copywritten. But, in all honesty, it doesn't matter. My life is not going where I want it, and regardless of how badly I want to study this, it's not gonna happen. I have a mother with Alzheimer's and so this is where my life is. I can't leave this place to pursue something grander and more rewarding. My family comes first. But it doesn't mean that my passion for justice has dimmed or that I don't still think and ponder the possibilities. After all, I am still capable of thought and of forming opinions and doing research. So, I'm now going to put down some ideas and things I've written about the subject. What I'm hoping to accomplish is some sort of response from people like you, something that tells me I'm not the idiot Ox makes me feel half the time. So here goes....


If it is determined that an individual meets the criteria for the likelihood of future offenses, what steps are then taken? It isn't acceptable, or even legal, to condemn someone for criminal acts they have yet to, or may not even, commit.

Though certain behaviors may be believed, and quite often are present early on in life, to be determinates of future deviance, a person cannot be punished for what they might do, or what will likely happen later in their life. Therefore, what purpose can it serve to even identify and study these precursors? What good can come from recognizing the signs if we are only left in the position of having to wait for the crime to happen?

Is there a way to not only identify tendencies early in the lives of criminals that lead to illegal behaviors, but to treat the person before the crime has actually happened? Is it just as immoral to offer treatment, as opposed to punishment, before a crime has occurred?

If these behaviors can possibly be detected fairly accurately is it more immoral to stand aside and wait for the crime to happen than it is to enforce treatment laws? Why does the wife have to die before the abuser is put behind bars? And why should society have to wait to be victimized before help comes? if crime can be predicted, on any level, there is a certain obligation to do so.

Offering treatment to the younger persons exhibiting the early signs of criminal behavior makes more sense than waiting until they are well into adulthood and have little hope of rehabilitation. It is highly unlikely that a grown person awakes one day and decides to be a murderer or rapist or whatever. It is more likely that the person socially/mentally escalated to the point where their actions became the inevitable next step, a step many people probably saw coming.

Punishing someone for their crimes is a necessary tool that cannot be eliminated. However, the true goal of justice isn't punishment for the crime, but prevention of it. Every society strives for a system that has the tools it needs to deter criminals.

The determining of these behaviors offers a dilemna in itself. How do we identify what behaviors lead to criminality? The most logical source able to provide us with that information are the criminals themselves. No one knows a criminal better than a criminal. By probing the minds and lives of those who have already become the criminal. They are the ones with the keys to understanding what drives a person to commit a crime. By understanding who they were, we can better understand who they are.

I believe there must be triggers that set the wheels in motion, so to speak. Truth be told, we all have criminal inclinations. Everyone has felt the pull. Frustration, anger and desperation have touched everyone in a way that has provoked the desire to lash out in some way. We've been angry at our children to the point of feeling like we're close to snapping. We've all been so angry at our spouses, friends, or co-workers that we have wanted to become physical. Many of us have felt so helpless and rejected and angry and desperate that we have deep understanding towards the pull of deviant behavior.

These are basic human emotions experienced by us all for many different reasons. The only difference between people is there are those who do act, and those who don't. Why is that? What causes one person to respond to life in a way that leads to violence? And do those who do not cope with life show signs of this early on?

And more....

Is the need for violence something a person is born with, making the manifestation of it later in life an inevitibility? Or is it a product of social trauma, brought on by one's life's experiences? Or is it possible that violence is a learned behavior, brought to the surface due to society's own obsession and/or acceptance of it via TV and music, or society's unwillingness to effectively enforce appropriate consequences for said violent behaviors? Does one kill or rape simply because they can? Is it even remotely possible that violence simply boils down to those individuals lacking self control, unable to resist urges that are, in fact, felt by most people? Getting tools early on to these people can prevent violence later. It goes beyond teaching someone right from wrong while they're young. Many violent offenders are aware that their actions are wrong, and yet they continue to terrorize. Often, shame does not even prevent the offender from repeating their acts, often many times.

A little more....

When it comes to criminal acts we have often searched for many reasons why they happen, and what can be done in order to catch the criminal and stop future offenders from following the same path. Many tests have been developed in the hopes of finding answers to the questions of human behaviors.

So there it is. It's far from being every thought and opinion I have on the subject, but it's the little bit I've actually taken the time to write down. I have a passion for this. I long to help. I used to say I wanted to help bring closure to victims and their families but now I realize that is ridiculous. There is really no such thing as closure, it certainly isn't something a stranger can give, regardless of noble intent. However, what can be given to these people is answers, restoration and, hopefully, a sense of justice. We are born a blank slate (who said that? I like it), where do some go so wrong? And do they really have to? Violence isn't genetic, it's a choice, but who in the hell chooses it? We know that some do, and I want to know why. And when. And can we stop it?