Criminal justice

Question

What if the United States court system were to institute a “Deviance Court?” Members of this panel would determine which human behaviors were to be criminalized (rendering punishment to the violator). What types of behaviors do you think they would criminalize? What would be the consequences of this court?

Answer 1

The consequences of criminilizing human behaviors, as tempting as that may sound, has the implication of a slippery slope. Personality and worldview dictates behavior and personality is not typically a choice. Worldviews are something you develop based on experience. And so there is the implication that if a court were to be determining which behaviors were criminal, then we would be determining which worldviews and personalities are criminal or devient. There are devient behaviors that can indicate potential future criminal activity, or ongoing criminal activity, however, just because someone is behaving in a devient manner does not mean they are or they are going to go an break the law. Then comes, what is behavior defined as? Is it an action? If it is an action that is criminal, then it would fall under normal court criminal jurisdiction. If it is not a direct action but rather a personal mannerism, it becomes a part of their personality and internal belief system about the world around them, and then we are criminalizing people for what how they see the world, which is not necessarily something within their control.