Rehabilitation

[meglet]

Having just watched the BBC program on the Sally-Anne Bowman murder, I wonder can someone who has committed such an atrocity ever be rehabilitated? By any definition of the word he is a psychopath. He will serve 34 years at least. My research and understanding of the term tells me that psychopaths have absolutely no empathy with humanity at all. So will he be just as dangerous when he eventually leaves prison or do you think he can be rehabilitated?

[radiogaga]

some people like those who have committed these atrocities cannot be rehabilitated.
it is safer for society and themselves if they are held in secure accomodation for that reason.
rehabilitation these days involves these people living within the care in the community framework this is usually something like supported living accomodation with support from an agency providing support workers visiting the person on a daily basis, the person receiving support can and do deny this support, leaving them unsupervised within the community.

[Octavius]

Although criminals obviously don�t value or honour all of society's rule and norms, most have some rules, or type of internal code that they adhere to. Criminal behaviour does not necessitate a complete lack of conscience.

Psychopaths however have a specific emotional deficit, and are limited to a very narrow range of emotions. They know the difference between what society considers �right� and �wrong,� but do not experience, and cannot empathise with, the feelings of suffering, remorse, elation and love that are part of being human. Without that �little internal voice� we call conscience, psychopaths feel free to do whatever their needs and wants dictate, and their transgressions do not result in feelings of guilt.

There have been numerous, intensive programs designed to rehabilitate jailed psychopaths but none of these has yet proven to be effective. In fact in many cases, therapy can even help psychopaths hone their manipulative skills.

In many respects criminal recidivism is very high, in that many offenders will re-offend. Since psychopaths are indifferent to the threat of physical pain and punishment in general, there is little to deter the psychopath from committing criminal acts again and again.

As a pr�cis then, I very much believe it can be done, but it is very difficulty and potentially even though rehabilitation/coaching may achieve some results, it is probably not worth the risk of release.

[meglet]

Thanks for you answers.

If someone was diagnosed as psychopath having committed 1 or more murders, do you think there should be a provision in law that these people are never let out?

When people are held at her majesty's pleasure, they are normally cuckoo mad aren't they? But psychopaths are, as Octavius said, incredibly manipulative and can fool a psychiatrist that they are bad and not mad.

In my opinion these people are far more dangerous.