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Psychopathy and the Criminal Justice System

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Psychopathy as Unified Theory of Crime

Part of the book series: Palgrave's Frontiers in Criminology Theory ((FCRT))

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Abstract

The chapter examines psychopathy and its relation to the criminal justice system. The chapter argues that psychopathy explains the generally poor responsiveness to correctional treatment and punishment displayed by serious offenders. A general rule of thumb is that 70 percent of prisoners will be re-incarcerated within three years of release; thus for serious offenders, the criminal career is characterized by a revolving door of criminal justice system involvement. This is particularly true among psychopathic offenders who display aberrant fear conditioning which contributes to deficits in learning from punishment. The affective displays of psychopathic offenders, especially the remorselessness and failure to acknowledge responsibility for their crimes, are also examined. The state of the treatment literature and psychopathy is also examined.

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  1. Criminal Justice Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, USA

    Matt DeLisi

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DeLisi, M. (2016). Psychopathy and the Criminal Justice System. In: Psychopathy as Unified Theory of Crime. Palgrave's Frontiers in Criminology Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46907-6_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46907-6_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-46909-0

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