problems in the justice system
Here in Missouri, a huge piece of news right now is the trial of Lisa Montgomery. She killed a pregnant woman, Bobby Jo Stinnett, and cut the baby out of Bobby Jo’s womb. The baby survived and is now living with her father.
Montgomery is now pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. I am very, very concerned by this. Perhaps Montgomery was insane – I am not a psychologist and I will not debate that. However, I am highly concerned that there is even a chance that a woman like Montgomery could be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
“Insanity” has become such a loose term in the justice system. I can be sane enough to commit a horrific crime, but then be insane enough to be found not guilty. I don’t debate insanity. I’ve had my own bouts of depression, and I know that it can do crazy things to you. But since when did we decide that we no longer have to answer for our actions during those times?
Montgomery is now pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. I am very, very concerned by this. Perhaps Montgomery was insane – I am not a psychologist and I will not debate that. However, I am highly concerned that there is even a chance that a woman like Montgomery could be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
“Insanity” has become such a loose term in the justice system. I can be sane enough to commit a horrific crime, but then be insane enough to be found not guilty. I don’t debate insanity. I’ve had my own bouts of depression, and I know that it can do crazy things to you. But since when did we decide that we no longer have to answer for our actions during those times?
posted by Tidy Bowl at
3:23 PM
4 Comments:
There are millions of people with severe mental/emotional problems out there- and some of them commit horrendous crimes.
If a person who is completely insane murders, should they be placed in with the general prison population for life? I would argue, "no". While I've never been an inmate I have worked with incarcerated people and you have no idea the unspeakable horrors of prison life. And I mean no possible idea. A person with mental or severe emotional problems are tortured to death- literally.
Has she forfeited her right to live due to the nature of her crimes? While I support the death penalty, the more important question is if she had any genuine idea what she was doing. Perhaps, in this case she did not. So that seems to not apply.
If a person is truly insane and does commit an act like this, then they forfeit their right to live and move among the general population. That person should be placed into a mental institution for life, or, until such time that they are no longer mentally unfit for institution life and then they can be placed into some sort of minimum security place.
By
BLAZER PROPHET, At
October 21, 2007 10:40 PM
I don't debate the existence of insanity. I guess my greatest problem comes from the abuse of the insanity plea. If a person is really, truly insane, then I don't have a problem with them being imprisoned in a mental institution or perhaps a minimum-security facility - see, even if they are in this type of facility, they are still removed from society, which is the whole point of prison,right? But when a person commits a horrific crime, such as Lisa Montgomery's, and pleads insanity, I still think they need to answer for their crime - by being placed in a mental institution, for example.
Unfortunately in some cases, a criminal can use their insanity plea to shorten or eliminate their prison/mental institution sentence. THAT is a problem. Furthermore, if a person is not insane, then he should not be found "not guilty by reason of insanity". It seems so logical, but life doesn't always work that way.
By
Tidy Bowl, At
October 22, 2007 1:46 PM
I think most state justice systems are now loathe to accept an insanity plea. Maybe too much so- but I fully agree with you.
By
BLAZER PROPHET, At
October 22, 2007 8:33 PM
Let's just hope the insanity plea receives the justice it deserves... that insane people receive it, and sane people do not.
By
Tidy Bowl, At
October 23, 2007 1:18 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home