Merits Of The Case

19:00 16 August 2012

Scientific explanation of psychopathy cuts jail time

"Serial sex offender Raymond Henry Garland, considered one of Australia's most dangerous sexual predators, was officially diagnosed a psychopath last week. Psychiatrist Joan Lawrence told the Brisbane District Court that Garland had an "almost 100 per cent chance of violent reoffending." Garland has been dealt four indefinite sentences – but research out today suggests that biological evidence of psychopathy could alter the length of such sentences."

"It's usually up to the judge to decide what factors to balance at sentence, how they should be weighed and what evidence to consider, and that results in very varied sentencing," he says. "I think there should be less discretion involved in sentencing, although judges hate the idea."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22189-scientific-explanation-of-psychopathy-cuts-jail-time.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=health