Understanding Crime Essay -- essays research papers

The Unabomber Tracing the steps of the criminal justice system through history one discovers that the main goal is to detain the suspected criminal(s) and restore security to society in general. Since the beginning of the criminal justice system attempts to understand the inner workings of a criminal mind and behavior which cause these deviations from normal thinking or acting have been a complex issue of comprehension. What causes people to exhibit certain behaviors that make them criminals? Why are the minds of criminals so hard to understand? What makes criminals act maliciously towards any aspect of society; whether it is towards people or just ideas upheld by people within society? No one really has a concrete answer to any of these questions. Certainly psychiatrists and psychologist would argue that criminal activity is developed through certain exposure and beliefs or simply the idea that someone is â€Å"crazy.† The Criminal Justice system says that people choose to commit crimes bu t what makes people want to perform these crimes. It all comes down to behavior of an individual and beliefs of that individual. Looking at a more recent case in the criminal justice system, the Unabomber, one needs to understand Theodore Kaczynski for childhood, through schooling, and up to his capture; made possible only by his brother’s aide to the F.B.I. Theodore John Kaczynski was born in a Chicago suburb to Wanda and Theodore Kaczynski on May 22, 1942. Kaczynski’s father taught him how to live and survive outdoors while his mother, Wanda, brought him up reading Scientific American. At a young age Kaczynski became very withdrawn and unresponsive to human contact. Kaczynski skipped two grades and graduated high school in 1958 at the age of 16 where he showed an aptitude for math and making small explosives; the early sings of what he was to become. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in mathematics. After Kaczynski graduated from Harvard he attended the University of Michigan earning a master’s and a Ph.D. in mathematics. Kaczynski life was looking good w hen he received a job at the University of California-Berkeley as a math professor but after only two years of working there he resigned without an explanation. Kaczynski decides to go back to his roots and live with nature in a shack in the woods of Montana. This is the time where Kaczynski life b... ...nature, than mankind would be doomed to be controlled by technology. That was the whole motive behind all the mail bombs in Kaczynski’s mind, that is why most of his targets where related to computers; a relatively new technological advancement. Kaczynski’s choice to rebel against technology and harm those who embraced it helps criminal profilers understand Kaczynski’s mindset and his behavior. The criminal justice system has been evolving throughout the course of history and has learned from its mistakes, but the one thing the system is improving on is understanding a criminal’s behavior and the psychoanalysis of that behavior i.e. why the person committed the crime and what could have caused the criminal to act the way they did. A set of theories has been developed to help people understand the criminal mind but I believe a criminal mind will never be completely understood. Work Cited Anderson, Patrick R, and Donald J Newman. Introduction to Criminal to Justice. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1998. Will, George. A Close Look at the Kaczynski Trial. 8 Jan. 1998. ABC News. 7 March 2005 Unknown. Ted Kaczynski: Early Life, Education, and Career. Answers.com. 9 March 2005