Criminals

Tu Tangata, Issue 30, 1 July 1986, Page 61

Criminals

na Alan Taylor

Prisons isolate criminals from society: they serve no other useful purpose. They are not designed to reform nor even effectively punish. Inside prisons, inmates simply mark time, awaiting release - learning nothing of value from the experience. Which explains the high rate of recidivism among criminals. They re-offend because nothing was learned behind bars. Crime is usually regarded as something of a mystery. Why are some men and women criminals, others not? There are many theories to explain it, some reasonable, others not. The most sensible explanation is probably the most recent one. Criminals (excluding, of course, the mentally ill) are simply criminals because they want to be, heredity, environment, genetics, race (for example) have nothing to do with the problem; society is simply dealing with people who are criminal by choice - despite the opinions and hysteria of many experts of one kind or another who have battened on to the mystique of crime.

We all have experience of criminals. They are everywhere. But strangely enough, our interest in them normally only extends to their villainy, the crimes they commit. Rarely do we think about them; try to discover the impulses behind their actions, their motives. Should we do so, we discover three things: criminals enjoy being criminals; all criminals are immature; criminals

simply regard crime as a short-cut to possession. Needless to say, the enjoyment of a criminal life is a matter ordinary people find difficult to understand. To villains however, a life of crime is stimulating, a challenge and more often than not, profitable. Police, courts, prisons hold no terrors for them. Nor does public opinion: neither guilt nor shame touches them - only notoriety; the pleasure, for example, of appearing on the front page of Truth!

All criminals are men and women who have failed to grow up, to mature. They are all children - with the passions and strength of adults. Think about it; what are the basic characteristics of childhood? First, of course, is a mindbending ego: me! me! me! Secondly, an impatient, demanding greed: children want virtually everything they see, can reach. Thirdly, there is calculated aggression - directed at those who frustrate demands, obsessions. Then there is love, loyalty - reserved however, only for those who meet demands. Other marked characteristics of childhood, shared by criminals, include a dangerous, excitable determination; distorted powers of imagination; unrealistic optimism, expectations of life. And violence in its varying forms. All children are emotionally unpredictable, as are all criminals. Both are

easily angered, upset over almost nothing; both are easily brought to tears - or sullen withdrawal; both are a pain-in-the-neck, in this respect. However, both criminal and child share certain likeable characteristics (which they mercilessly exploit). Normally both have a marked sense of humour or are very responsive to humour; both are highly sociable, in their own way; both are capable of love, on their terms which are usually unrealistic. Oddly enough, both criminal and child are generally well intentioned: promises, promises however! Neither, not surprisingly, can be trusted to do the right thing - when self-interest is involved. And then there is cowardice. All children are essentially cowards; courage is an aberration of fantasy. It is so with criminals - masters of fantasy! It could be said that courage is as alien to villains as honesty was to Barabas!

Before looking at criminals and the short-cut syndrome, it might also be worth pointing out that criminals politically identify with conservative political ideologies. Also they are extremely patriotic, providing patriotism serves their purposes. Not surprisingly perhaps, criminals fantasise over authority, power; particularly uniformed power, military and civil. When this fantasy becomes reality, society is under serious threat.

Ordinarily if we want something we work, wait and pay for it. Criminals however want everything for nothing now. Theft, murder (often) are a means to this end. Rapists are also concerned with immediate gratification. All forms of crime are a short-cut to possession. Crime essentially is no more complex than this. Society is not dealing with (for the most part) sick, socially inadequate and childhood-deprived misfits - simply men and women who take shortcuts to ‘success’ in life!

In passing it might be worth considering one or two things relating to crime that are normally over-looked. For example, it costs over $30,000 a year to keep a criminal behind bars a virtually total waste of money given the high percentage of men and women who return to prison, completely unrepentant! Equal to the cost of crime to the community, is the multimillion dollar crime industry that employs thousands of dependents on villainy: court officials, policemen, jailers, lawyers, probation officers, social workers etc. etc.

Finally, Maori criminals. Given the concerns over the loss of the Maori language among the younger generation, the learning of te reo Maori should be compulsory for all Maori prisoners serving twelve months or more. In fact, a knowledge of the language should be a condition of release. Learning Maori would keep the minds of prisoners profitably occupied; they might even become honest men and women, a credit to their people, to all of us.