Neurolaw: Combining Neuroscience and Criminal Justice

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http://www.brainfacts.org/in-society/in-society/articles/2016/neurolaw-combining-neuroscience-and-criminal-justice-110316/



This article focuses on how neuroscience is being handled in the courtroom. The author begins by bringing up the history that brain sciences have had in criminal justice. They mention how once phrenology, lobotomies, and eugenics were all viewed as scientific fact. The judges nowadays aren’t as trusting of neuroscience. To right this, the author proposes to educate the judges of not just the pros of neuroscience but also what the science cannot do.


The changes that are brought up in the article are wonderful changes for the justice system. Replacing punishment with rehabilitation for drug users is what I believe should be done. If jail time is supposed to be rehabilitation for criminals, we should offer some kind of rehab for drug users. The author is writing a summary of an hour and forty minute lecture given by U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff. You can watch the lecture using the link.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 28, 2016 at 5:45 PM

    I have to say, things like eugenics, lobotomies, and phrenology haven't shown biological/physiological studies in a great light...I guess it just goes to show how science can be manipulated by those in power.
    But aside from that, I think the amount of information and advancements in the health field and the criminal justice field that are available today wouldn't be possible without neuroscience. Just like it states in the article, the heavily relied-upon eyewitness testimony is astonishingly inaccurate, yet it can be a huge deciding factor in court cases.
    It's also of importance to understand how neuroscience has opened the door to understanding how addiction works. With this information, better programs can be developed in order to treat addiction or work with non-violent drug-related crimes. Even in violent crimes, neuroscience provides opportunity to understand and treat violent offenders. In my opinion, neuroscience is something that should absolutely be involved in the criminal justice field.

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  2. Craig FarmerNovember 29, 2016 at 12:27 AM

    It is interesting to observe how science has developed, matured, and advanced through the past years. Looking at practices such as phrenology and lobotomies is interesting because they seem ridiculous and harmful now; however, how many of our practices now will be viewed as unacceptable and barbaric in a half-century's time? I do think that this research in neuroscience can definitely help to identify neurological diseases and beneficial treatments/approaches to them. I do think it is important to keep pushing the envelope and seeing what can be improved and what new things can be developed.

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  3. UnknownNovember 29, 2016 at 1:16 AM

    The idea of educating the judges on neuroscience is a good one. People have gone to jail due to the fact that they abuse drugs or suffer from some other sort of illness that causes them to deviate from the norm and break laws. Educating the judges can potentially lessen the amounts of those who are convicted over drug abuse and the like. Drug programs and other forms of rehabilitation can be created and/or improved if the criminal justice system had a better understanding of this.

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