Criminal insanity is a topic which sparks much heated debate. What causes insanity? Is insanity a physical or psychological problem? Is insanity actually a disease, or just a figment of a persons imagination? Groliers Encyclopedia describes insanity as "a mental defect or disorder sufficient to prevent a person from knowing the difference between right and wrong conduct or from understanding the nature of his or her actions." This definition is one which would seem to be a good representation of what insanity truly is. Insanity applies to criminals in an interesting way. If a criminal does not know the difference between right and wrong then can they be held accountable for the crimes they commit? If they don't understand that what they are doing is a crime then should they be punished as if they were criminals or treated as patients with a disease? This problem is one that has plagued courts, lawyers, juries and defendants for a long time and does not appear to be any closer to a solution.

Criminal insanity is still a strongly debated topic with many areas that have yet to be resolved. Specific points about criminal insanity such as whether insanity is a psychological or physical problem and whether the insanity plea is beneficial or it just gives criminals a break have people fighting both for and against them. The fact that so many people have admitted to having strongly violent urges or come close to actually killing another person ensures that there will be professionals working hard to try and find the hidden answers that relate to criminal insanity for a long time. No matter what opinion you believe is correct there is one indisputable fact that exists: there are people in the world that commit murder, rape, and other horrible crimes for reasons that they do not even understand. Although some people kill because they enjoy killing or are just plain sadistic, many others kill because it is an urge within themselves that they cannot suppress. These are the people who say that there is "an 'entity' within their

"Natural Born Killers?" Psychology Today January/February '95: 10.

"Jeffery Dahmer." Http://www1.mhv.net/~nute/killers/dahmer.html (19 May 1996).

"Doctor is Allowed to Scan Dahmer's Brain." New York Times 11 Nov 1991: 11.

According to Dr. Frazier many people have murderous fantasies but are able to control them through a series of "bypass techniques". Some examples of these bypass techniques include walking to the point of exhaustion, strenuous nighttime employment or temporary isolation (Methvin, 34). Many times people are able to control their murderous feelings, but those who are not able are the ones who eventually become the criminally insane, lusting after blood at every moment. Often times it is a highly publicized murder that will make the people that are able to control their feelings burst loose and start to commit crimes. In 1974, Dean Corll killed 27 homosexuals in Texas. Once this event hit the television and newspapers a series of homosexual murders started around the country en masse (Methvin, 34). Although these bypass techniques do work for some people, the majority are not able to control their feelings and become what is known as criminally insane. Dr. Frazier says the source of the problem of criminal insanity lies there. He feels that if the people are given assistance in controlling their emotions before they explode then the problem will eventually fix itself (Methvin). This theory makes sense because if there is a way to identify the problem early then eventually the problem will disappear because the early detection will lead to less people actually committing crimes which will lead to less people following their ideas and what we will eventually end up with less crime in total.

personality, an entity which impels them to kill" (Holmes). These people are the ones who, when they kill, do not mean to and feel true remorse about what they've done. That is why it is so imperative that, if criminal insanity is found to be a disorder, we find either a cure and/or an early detection method to help these people who suffer from the effects of criminal insanity.

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