Insanity Plea Essay Topics

A greek philosopher named Aristotle once said “If a madman or a natural fool, or a lunatic in the time of his lunacy do [kill a man], this is no felonious act, for they cannot be said to have any understanding or will.” The insanity plea is an immensely controversial topic. Some of history’s most heinous criminals have exploited it. Its controversy stems from the notion that those who claim insanity are absolved of responsibility for their crimes. The insanity plea also commonly called the insanity defense is shockingly hardly used and has an exceedingly even lower success rate. It is difficult to prove an individual is insane when they commit a wrongful act. The idea of the insanity defense can be traced back as far as 500 BC. The ideology

Many individuals lack the understanding and awareness of mental illness and this can be very dangerous, especially when making decisions in regard to criminal behaviour. In some instances, the judicial system's failure to recognise the causal link between psychopathy and criminal behaviour can result in systemic failures. People who understand the struggle, difficulties, and functions linked with mental illness can better understand how it can affect one’s actions. People who have a better knowledge of the topic of mental illness will also be more understanding of the Insanity plea. Some people will be able to understand that the insanity plea does not necessarily let the criminal off with no punishment. The defendant will not be released from custody and put right back in society but rather be held at a mental hospital or mental institution which would be more beneficial for the defendant. Mental hospitals and institutions have the necessary treatment, and operations to properly deal with a mental patient. This can be more beneficial to situate the defendant in a place where not only are they being held in custody but are also having the appropriate and required care. When looking at the other side many individuals will feel as if it may defeat the purpose of the rule of precedent. It is important to provide equality within cases and a lot of people will perceive this as disregarding the regular procedures of treating similar cases alike. Other criminals who have undergone similar cases will feel like the choice was arbitrary rather than fair. Ted Bundy was a serial killer in the 1970s who horrifically murdered over 30 women. He plead insane although it was not a success as he was able to carry on and even thrive in both his professional and personal life. His case can correlate with the matters being discussed. If the insanity plea was a success the families of those 30 women would not only be devastated