Cosmetic Psychopharmacology for Prisoners: Reducing Crime and Recidivism Through Cognitive Intervention
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Cosmetic Psychopharmacology for Prisoners: Reducing Crime and Recidivism Through Cognitive Intervention Adam B. Shniderman & Lauren B. Solberg
Received: 6 May 2015 / Accepted: 19 October 2015 / Published online: 31 October 2015 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
Abstract Criminologists have long acknowledged the link between a number of cognitive deficits, including low intelligence and impulsivity, and crime. A new wave of research has demonstrated that pharmacological intervention can restore or improve cognitive function, particularly executive function (including the inhibition of impulsive response), and restore neural plasticity. Such restoration and improvement can allow for easier acquisition of new skills and as a result, presents significant possibilities for the criminal justice system. For example, studies have shown that supplements of Omega-3, a fatty acid commonly found in food such as tuna, can decrease frequency of violent incidents in an incarcerated population. Research has also begun to explore the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to reduce impulsivity in some violent offenders. However, there are significant legal and ethical implications when moving from dietary supplements to prescription pharmaceuticals and medical devices for cognitive intervention. This paper will explore the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of pharmacological intervention on prisoners as an effort to reduce crime and recidivism.
A. B. Shniderman (*) Texas Christian University, 2855 Main Drive, Scharbauer Hall, Suite 4200, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA e-mail: [email protected] L. B. Solberg University of Florida College of Medicine, 1600 SW Archer Rd, Suite N1-07, PO Box 100237, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Keywords Prisoners . Crime . Biomedical Enhancement . Cognitive Enhancers
Introduction Cognitive deficits influence the onset and maintenance of criminal behavior [1, 2]. Despite the United States' sordid history acting on biological theories of criminality, scholars, policymakers, and even some medical professionals have come to accept and recognize the biological and psychological conditions underlying some individuals' criminality. As a result, the United States' criminal justice system has begun to explore therapeutic jurisprudence and rehabilitation. This article highlights the cognitive deficits associated with crime, recent responses, and discusses the legal and ethical implications of using nootropics, surgical and non-surgical interventions, and medical devices (hereafter cognitive interventions [CI]) to reduce recidivism of prisoners. According to the 2007 National Academy of Sciences report on desistance from crime [3], many parolees have significant cognitive deficits. Motiuk and Brown concluded that these deficits were among the issues most highly correlated with recidivism in a sample of Canadian federal offenders [4]. Criminogenic cognitive deficits include deficiencies in social cognition and problem solving, impulsive decision-making, a
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