The Causes of Criminal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

The Causes of Criminal - Assignment Example Another theory is that, basically, prison hardens individuals to the point where they are more likely to re-commit after long prison sentences (Song and Lieb 3). Whatever the cause, recidivism is a serious problem, with one expert estimating that we could reduce our crime rate by 50% if we could control 10% of the offenders. (Delisi 6). The theory that an individual is, basically, a born criminal posits that individuals are born with a sociopathic personality disorder that makes them prone to commit crimes throughout their lives. (Kanazawa 2). These people are known as the â€Å"life-course persistent,† and they are contrasted with â€Å"adolescence-limited.† (Kanazawa 2). â€Å"Adolescent limited† refers to the individuals who have a troubled, crime-filled youth, but â€Å"age out† of the prison system with maturity, as they settle down, get married and hold a productive adult life. (Kanazawa 2). The â€Å"life-course persistent,† however, do not the age of the prison system and continue to commit crimes throughout their lives. (Kanazawa 2). While the â€Å"adolescent limited† do not seem to be genetically predisposed to a life of crime, the â€Å"life-course persistent† do. As mentioned above, the â€Å"life-course persistent† are comprised mainly of sociopaths, who are â€Å"prone to commit crimes because they are incapable of feeling remorse or empathize with others pain.† (Kanazawa 2). The behavior geneticist Linda Mealey estimated that sociopaths make up 3-4% of the male population and less than 1% of the female population, yet account for 20% of the prison population and between 33% and 80% of the chronic criminal offenders. (Kanazawa 2). That a career criminal is â€Å"born† as opposed to â€Å"made† is but one theory. Another theory holds that a career criminal is â€Å"made† by prison stays. (Song and Lieb 3).