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Should a criminal's mental illness have an impact on how he or she is punished?

Should a criminal's mental illness have an impact on how he or she is punished?

  • Total voters
    69
Kandahar said:
It depends. If it actually has an impact on the person's ability to think properly...then I would say yes. It hardly seems fair to mete out a harsh punishment to someone if they won't understand why they are being punished, if they truly don't remember committing the crime, if they were not "themselves" when they committed the crime, etc. Better to get them the mental help that they need. Prison should be reserved for the worst of the worst.
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I'm not sure how anyone who's not a Standard-Issue Internet Tough Guy could answer any other way than this.
 
If a person has a treatable mental illness, it should of course have an impact on their rehabilitation. The trouble I have with "punishment" in the corrections system goes double for the mentally ill-- what is the point of it? What benefit is punishing criminals, especially mentally ill criminals, supposed to provide for society?
 
Kali said:
I suffer from mental illness and will be on meds the rest of my life. Soo.. Your point? ;)
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If you thought your kids had been replaced by doubles that are controlled by the illuminati that want to enslave all peoples wouldn't you try to destroy the central control chip buried inside their skull?
 
Anarcho-fascist said:
If you thought your kids had been replaced by doubles that are controlled by the illuminati that want to enslave all peoples wouldn't you try to destroy the central control chip buried inside their skull?
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No, I'd deceive them by pretending I didn't know while at the same time feeding them false information.
 
The legal systems of every civilised nation has the defence of diminished responsibility incorporated, so the question is moot. If it may be proven that the person was not of sound mind, or in full control of his faculties at the time of the offence, diminished responsibility applies. Both the judgement and the penalty are modified accordingly.
 
Anarcho-fascist said:
If you thought your kids had been replaced by doubles that are controlled by the illuminati that want to enslave all peoples wouldn't you try to destroy the central control chip buried inside their skull?
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I will get back to ya if/ when that day comes as no kids. :doh

But not sure what this has to do with anything. I am confused:confused:
 
I cant remember who said,you can judge the civilization of a nation by the way they treat their criminals.
 
B L Zeebub said:
I cant remember who said,you can judge the civilization of a nation by the way they treat their criminals.
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It is probably a scumbag sympathizer who said that or someone who blatantly misinterpreted the meaning of that phrase to suit their own scumbag sympathizing agenda.
 
jamesrage said:
It is probably a scumbag sympathizer who said that or someone who blatantly misinterpreted the meaning of that phrase to suit their own scumbag sympathizing agenda.
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I thought you were a Churchill fan? Killed south Africans, gassed Kurds, stood against Hitler, all that "good" stuff.
 
I say no. A crime committed is a crime committed. It is for the justice of the family and friends of the victim, an the victim. Justice should always be served no matter what reason or in this case, whatever illness.
 
lgishot said:
I say no. A crime committed is a crime committed. It is for the justice of the family and friends of the victim, an the victim. Justice should always be served no matter what reason or in this case, whatever illness.
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I think you are confusing whether or not justice should be served, and whether the justice should be adjusted for mental ilness.

I do not see why a mental illness untreated, undiagnosed should not be factored in. There are some that can cause people to do things they never would otherwise do - severe psychosis can be a doozy for example.
 
Kali said:
I will get back to ya if/ when that day comes as no kids. :doh

But not sure what this has to do with anything. I am confused:confused:
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Would a person like that have the same amount of culpability as someone with all their faculties?
 
jamesrage said:
It is probably a scumbag sympathizer who said that or someone who blatantly misinterpreted the meaning of that phrase to suit their own scumbag sympathizing agenda.
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I know this is probably more than somewhat OT James, but what would happen if the overuse of the term 'scumbag' became a capital crime? What would you do? We would miss you. :mrgreen:
 
Anarcho-fascist said:
If you thought your kids had been replaced by doubles that are controlled by the illuminati that want to enslave all peoples wouldn't you try to destroy the central control chip buried inside their skull?
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If I had kids and that were to happen? Probably. But not sure what that has to do with this thread:confused:
 
B L Zeebub said:
I cant remember who said,you can judge the civilization of a nation by the way they treat their criminals.
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Guess we suck then because have seen petty criminals get more time over a bit of weed than some asshole rapist:(

Our justice in the U.S.A. sucks. :3oops:
 
Anarcho-fascist said:
Would a person like that have the same amount of culpability as someone with all their faculties?
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You brought up children. This is about adult crimimals?
 
jamesrage said:
Should a criminal's mental illness have an impact on how he or she is punished?

I say no. It doesn't change the fact that person committed the crime. Justice and the victims should not be ignored just because some quack deems the criminal insane.
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I agree....no because we are overcomplicating things.

A crime is a crime and a punishment is a punishment.

Focus on finding the mental illnesses BEFORE the crimes.
 
Travelsonic said:
I do not see why a mental illness untreated, undiagnosed should not be factored in.
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There actually must be some degree of mental illness for ANY crime that is intentionally committed.

You could put each crime on a scale for seriousness and a every degree of mental illness right next to it would rise the same like a bell curve.

What I see here not fully understood or researched is forms of "temporary" mental illnesses that can pop-up due to various things...
 
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creativedreams said:
There actually must be some degree of mental illness for ANY crime that is intentionally committed.

You could put each crime on a scale for seriousness and a every degree of mental illness right next to it would rise the same like a bell curve.

What I see here not fully understood or researched is forms of "temporary" mental illnesses that can pop-up due to various things...
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Really? There is a degree of mental illness involved in my highway speeding? :roll:
 
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