The difference is that Russell Brand made people into victims. He harmed other people, and it’s an inherent product of rape. Same with murder and assault.
Addicts don’t inherently harm other people. In fact the addicts are the victims. Going after them is more akin to trying to demonize suicide victims.
If a person has a psychotic episode due to an undiagnosed mental illness and attacks someone, should they be thrown in jail or treated?
I don’t think that the existence of victims is what makes the difference, but rather our understanding of the underlying cause of the act.
It’s not unreasonable to put someone in jail to protect society if there’s no other option. However, it seems likely to me that some of the vile crimes we punish today are a result of either mental illness or neurological damage. While it is appropriate to take steps to prevent harm to others, we should not just automatically assume everyone who commits crime is irretrievably evil, even if our current understanding effectively makes that true.
Personally, I would rather see all crime as a disorders to be corrected rather than merely acts of evil people.
By way of support for my attitude, I refer you to this radiolab podcast episode:
The difference is that Russell Brand made people into victims. He harmed other people, and it’s an inherent product of rape. Same with murder and assault.
Addicts don’t inherently harm other people. In fact the addicts are the victims. Going after them is more akin to trying to demonize suicide victims.
If a person has a psychotic episode due to an undiagnosed mental illness and attacks someone, should they be thrown in jail or treated?
I don’t think that the existence of victims is what makes the difference, but rather our understanding of the underlying cause of the act.
It’s not unreasonable to put someone in jail to protect society if there’s no other option. However, it seems likely to me that some of the vile crimes we punish today are a result of either mental illness or neurological damage. While it is appropriate to take steps to prevent harm to others, we should not just automatically assume everyone who commits crime is irretrievably evil, even if our current understanding effectively makes that true.
Personally, I would rather see all crime as a disorders to be corrected rather than merely acts of evil people.
By way of support for my attitude, I refer you to this radiolab podcast episode:
http://www.wnycstudios.org/story/317421-blame/