NCJ Number
50801
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (1977) Pages: 93-100
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE APPLICATION OF POLYGRAPHY TO PROBATION SUPERVISION IS ADVOCATED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PSYCHOPATHIC OFFENDERS.
Abstract
IT IS ARGUED THAT IMPRISONING CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATHS HAS LITTLE REHABILITATIVE EFFECT BECAUSE GENERALLY THE CRIMES FOR WHICH THEY WERE CONVICTED REPRESENT ONLY A FRACTION OF THE CRIMES THEY ACTUALLY COMMITTED; THUS, IN THE MINDS OF PSYCHOPATHIC CRIMINALS, CRIME DOES PAY. HOWEVER, BY PLACING CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATHS ON PROBATION AND REQUIRING THEM TO WORK FOR A PROLONGED TIME WITH POLYGRAPHER/THERAPIST TEAMS, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO SUCCESSFULLY MODIFY THEIR CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS BY MEANS OF ROUTINE POLYGRAPHIC MONITORING; THE FEAR OF DISCOVERY OF EVERY CRIMINAL ACT ON THE PART OF A PSYCHOPATH WOULD ACT TO IMPRESS UPON THEM THE IDEA THAT CRIME DOES NOT PAY. IN VIEW OF THE CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATH'S RELATIVE LACK OF INTERNALIZED SOCIETAL VALUES, PRECEPTS, AND MORAL CODES, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR PROFOUND EGO DEFECTS IN JUDGMENT, REALITY TESTING, AND IMPULSE CONTROL, THE PRESENCE OF DIRECT, PREDICTABLE, REGULAR, AND RELATIVELY INFALLIBLE EXTERNAL CONTROLS THROUGH POLYGRAPHY WOULD SEEM TO OFFER PROMISE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR DURING THE FIXED PERIODS BETWEEN EXAMINATIONS. THE POLYGRAPH WOULD, IN ESSENCE, COME TO SERVE AS AN ARTIFICAL CONSCIENCE. A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE USE OF POLYGRAPHY IS PROVIDED, ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE ROLE AND TRAINING OF POLYGRAPHERS. A CASE STUDY OF THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF THIS APPROACH TO PROBATION SUPERVISION IS ALSO INCLUDED, AS ARE REFERENCES. (KBL)