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What circumstances lead someone to commit murder, rape, or acts of child molestation? Why does society have such a deep-seated wish for vengeance against perpetrators of heinous crimes? Can those found guilty of such crimes ever be rehabilitated? What are the long-term consequences of incarceration, for inmates and society? Officials of the criminal justice system, politicians, and ordinary citizens argue about possible answers to these controversial and vital questions, with little agreement. Violent crime and overflowing prisons continue to be unfortunate aspects of our society as the criminal justice system struggles to develop a coherent strategy to deal with heinous crimes. This book offers innovative perspectives on the difficult issues concerning a civilized society's response to offenders guilty of heinous crimes. It considers specific cases and the chilling accounts of victims and the criminals themselves. In providing detailed strategies for prevention and rehabilitation, Frederic G. Reamer draws on his extensive experience as a member of the Rhode Island Parole Board, where he has heard more than 13,000 cases, and as a social worker in correctional facilities. He examines the psychological and social factors that lead individuals to commit reprehensible crimes, arguing that a fuller understanding of different criminal types is crucial to developing successful answers to the problem of heinous crimes. Closely looking at various criminal typologies, Reamer examines the effectiveness and rationale of various responses, including revenge and retribution, imprisonment for public safety, rehabilitation, and restorative justice. (5/1/05)
E-Book Content
HEINOUS CRIME
HEINOUS CRIME Cases, Causes, and Consequences
Frederic G. Reamer
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © 2005 Columbia University Press All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reamer, Frederic G., 1953 – Heinous crime : cases, causes, and consequences / Frederic G. Reamer. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-231-13188-7 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 0-231-13189-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Violent crimes—United States. 2. Violent crimes—United States—Prevention. 3. Criminal justice, Administration of—United States. I. Title. HV6791.R4 2004 364.15'0973—dc22
2004055136
Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acknowledgment is gratefully made for permission to reprint from the following: Coping: Maladaptation in Prisons, by Hans Toch and Kenneth Adams, with J. Douglas Grant. Copyright © 1989 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission. Revised by APA and reissued as Acting Out: Maladaptive Behavior in Confinement, by Hans Toch and Kenneth Adams. Copyright © 2002 by the American Psychological Association. Prison Madness: The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It, by Terry A. Kupers. Copyright © 1999. This material is used by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Contents
1
The Nature of Heinous Crime
2
Heinous Crime: Causes and Cases
41
3
Retribution and Revenge
85
4
Imprisonment: The Public Safety Imperative
129
5
Treatment and Rehabilitation
173
6
Restorative, Reparative, and Community Justice
211
Epilogue
237
Notes References Index
243
1
247 269
HEINOUS CRIME
1
THE NATURE OF HEINOUS CRIME
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