WhynotPunishtheInsane?

Consequentialist
Itisfutiletodoso.
Insanepeoplecantbedeterredbythreatof
punishment.

But,theinsanitydefensecanweakenthe
deterrenceofthesane,ifitcanbefaked.

DeontologicalReasons
Nofairwarning.Insanepeoplecannot
understand,appreciatethewarning.
Desertandresponsibility.Insaneoffenders
couldnothelpbutviolatethelaw,soare
notresponsiblefortheiractions.
Pityratherthanangeristheenlightened
response.

VersionsoftheDefense

MNaughtenrule:
laboringundersuchadefectofreason,fromdisease

ofthemind,asnottoknowthenatureandqualityof
theacthewasdoing;or,ifhedidknowit,thathedid
notknowthatwhatwewasdoingwaswrong.

ALIModelPenalCode
Asaresultofmentaldiseaseordefect,helacks

substantialcapacityeithertoappreciatethecriminality
(orwrongness)ofhisconductortoconformhis
conducttotherequirementsofthelaw.

ThreeprongsoftheALIcode:
Intellectual(Afailuretoknowthatwhathe
wasdoingwaswrong.)
Affective/emotional(Afailuretoappreciate
emotionallythewrongnessoftheact.)
Volitional(Aninabilitytoresisttheimpulse
toperformtheact.)
Presupposes:duetomentalillnessordefect.

Abolition(theMensReaapproach)
Duetosomementaldisease,theoffenderdid
nothavetheknowledgeorintention
requiredbythedefinitionoftheoffense.

Morealternatives
Lossofcontrol(Parsonsv.State,Alabama
1887):(i)lossof(some)powertochoose
betweenrightandwrong(ii)sofarasto
destroyfreeagencyatthetime,(iii)due
entirelytomentalillnessordistress.
Durhamrule:theunlawfulconductwasthe
productofmentaldiseaseormentaldefect.

ConsequentialistObjectionstothe
ALIModelCode

Insanitydefenseweakensdeterrence:criminals
canavoidpunishmentthroughfakery.
Psychopathy(lackofnormalfeelings)isnotreally
amentaldisease,isvirtuallyuntreatable.
Psychopathscanbedeterredbythreatof
punishment.
Underminesrespectforthelaw.Expressiveand
educativefunctionsaresuppressed.Needfor
vengeanceunsatisfied.

Anotherobjection

Itisimpossibletodecidethevolitional
prongonscientificorcommonsense
grounds.Experttestimonyonthispointis
amorphous,inconsistent.(Bonnie)

Deontologicalobjections
Ineffectivenessofdeterrenceisnotasufficient
reasontobarpunishment:somesaneoffenders
aresodeterminedintheirpurposesthatno
threatcandeterthem.
Thereisnoprincipledreasonforsinglingout
onecauseofbehavior(mentalillness)as
exculpatory.Ifcausedbehaviorshouldbe
excused,abettercasecouldbemadeforan
excusebasedonsocialdeprivation.(Morrison)
Treatsmentallyillassubhuman.

IsCausationofBehavioraValid
Excuse?
Compatibilistsbelievethatwecan
distinguishbetweenwhatanagentis
responsibleforandwhatheisnot,evenif
allbehavioriscaused/determinedbyprior
conditions.
Incompatibilistsdenythis.

Compatibilists:TheUtilitarians
BritishUtilitariantradition:Bentham,
JamesMill,JohnStuartMill
Whetherbehaviorhasacausedoesnt
matter;whatmattersisthatithaseffects.
Thetestofresponsiblebehavior:coulditbe
affectedbythreatofpunishmentorofferof
reward?

Incompatibilists:
HardDeterminists

B.F.Skinner,behaviorism.
Believethatfreedomandresponsibilityare
prescientificmyths.
Denytheexistenceoftheautonomous
self
Replacetheoriesofdesertandblamewith
effectivebehaviortechnology.

Incompatibilists:
MetaphysicalLibertarians

Believethatresponsible,freebehaviordoes
exist,andisnotdeterminedbyprior
conditions.
Thewillmakessomeirreducibleand
ultimatelymysteriouscontribution.
Somebelieveinagentcausation:actions
causedbytheagent,andnotbyanystates
orconditionsoftheagent/environment.

TheTransferArgumentfor
Incompatibilism

Wearenotresponsibleforconditionspriortoour
birth.
Ifdeterminismistrue,theseconditionsnecessitate
allofourchoices.
Transferprinciple:ifxisnotresponsibleforA,
andAnecessitatesB,thenxisnotresponsiblefor
B.
So,noneofusareresponsibleforanyofour
choices,ifdeterminismistrue.

AProblemforHardDeterminists
Ifthereisnobasisfortheideaofdesert,
thenthereisnoreasontoincarcerateonly
theguilty.
Preventativeincarcerationofpeoplewho
canbepredictedtobedangerouswouldbe
justified.
Mandatorybehaviormodification:A
ClockworkOrange?

AProblemforLibertarians
Isindeterminismsufficientfor
responsibility?
Itwouldseemthatonewhobreaksthelaw,
asaresultofanuncausedeventuality,is
simplyunlucky.
Ifitismerelyamatterofchancewhich
impulsesareactedon,whyholdthe
individualresponsible?Ifnotchance,
mustnttherebesomesufficientcondition?

IrresistibleImpulses?

Themodelofirresistibleimpulsesseemstodraw
onimplausiblepictureofourmentallife.

Asifwehadinourheadsalittleperson(homunculus)
whodecidedwhichimpulsestoresist,andhow
vigorously.
Aninfiniteregress:arethereirresistibleimpulsesinside
thehomunculus?

Forlibertarians,anyactionthatispredetermined
isduetoanirresistibleimpulse,andsonottruly
voluntary.

CompatibilistAccountsofLoss
ofResponsibility

Motiveswhicharebizarreorodd.(Hinckley?)
Impulsessopowerful,onemustactonthem,
nomatterhowstrongonesreasonstodo
otherwise.(Doeitheroftheserequireillness?)
Actionswhosetruemotiveishiddenfromthe
agenthimself(neuroticcompulsion)
Actionswhosemotivesdonotcohere
harmoniouslywiththeagentsothermotives
andinterests.(Evenifnotduetoillness?)

Actingonamotivetheagentwisheshedidnot
have(conflictwithsecondorderdesires).
Actingonthebasisofbeliefsordecision
makingprocessesthataredisruptedbyamental
disorder.Forexample:delusions(beliefsthat
areimmunetousualkindsofevidence).Whatif
theimmunityisduetostupidityoreducational
deprivation?
Canwefindaunifyingthemeorthemes?
Irrationality?True/falseself?

ProblemsforCompatibilists

Arebizarredesiresanystronger,lessresistible
thannormalones?
Criminalsoftenactirrationally,againsttheirown
interests:e.g,revenge.
Manyordinarypeoplehaveincoherentdesires,or
desirestheywouldrathernothave.
Selfconcealedmotives:alsocommoninordinary
people.Whyexculpatory?

Morequestions
Illnessalonecannotconstitutethe
differencebetweensaneandinsane.
Manycriminalactsarebothsickand
voluntary:e.g.,childmolesters,
exhibitionists,sadists.
Thepunishmentoftheillcandeter.
Isthereaviablecompatibilistaccountof
insanity?

ProceduralIssues
Shouldtheburdenofproofbeshiftedtothe
defense?
Ifthetrulyinsanedefendantisinnocent,
cansuchashiftbejustified?
Limitingtheroleofexpertwitnesses?

LimitingtheRoleofExperts
Excludingtestimonyaboutchildhood
hardships,becauseofundueemotional
impact.
Excludespeculativetheoriesabout
diagnosis:simpledescriptionsofbeliefs,
intentionsandfeelingsonly.
Howtodealwithideologicalbiasand
gullibility?Specialtraining,qualifications?

Islimitingexperttestimony
justifiable?

Canwedenydefendantstheuseof
favorableexperttestimony?
Wouldthisviolatetheirconstitutional
rights?

DispositionoftheCriminally
Insane

Doesitlessenthestigmatolabelthem
"innocent",ratherthan"guiltybutmentally
ill"?
Mandatorytreatmentvs."punishment
Insanecanbeheldindefinitely:Jonesv.
U.S.463US354(1983).

TermofConfinement
Confinementuntilcured:howisthis
measured?
Alowerbound,equivalenttothesentence
ofsaneoffenders?
Thesamelimit,asanupperbound?
Iftermsofconfinementaresynchronized
withcriminaldesert,isthedistinction
betweenguilty&innocenceobliterated?

TheJoyBakercase
WouldBakerhavebeenfoundguilty,
applyingonlythemensreatest?
Wouldshehavebeenfoundguilty,applying
theMNaughtonrule?TheALIcode?
Isitmorallyoutrageoustopunishsomeone
likeJoyBaker?Wouldguiltybutmentally
illbeappropriate?Doesitunfairly
stigmatizetheinnocent?

Mentalillnessvs.social
deprivation

Ifitistruethatsocialdeprivationisabetter
predictorofcriminalactivitythanmental
illness,isitreasonabletodefendthe
insanitydefensebutnotanequivalent
defensefromsocialdeprivation?

TheVolitionalProng
Shouldcompulsivedisorders(kleptomania,
pyromania)becoveredbytheinsanity
defense?Whyorwhynot?
Isiteverpossibletoprovethatanimpulse
wasirresistible?Doesthequestionhavea
clearmeaning?
Isitrelevant(asBonnieclaims)that
acquittalinthesecasesisoutoftouchwith
commonlysharedmoralintuitions?