Research Paper on:
Broadening of the Insanity Defense

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
problem for the first case back in Victorian England. In fact, virtually anyone can employ this particular defense just as long as the individuals lawyer knows how to utilize  it to the fullest extent. How would the line be effectively drawn in order to afford the insanity defense for those individuals who truly need it, while at the  same time thwarting efforts of others not so deserving? Relevant sociological theories include those that postulate the reasons behind the need for any insanity plea. These theories address  societys compulsion to assess such problems and then neatly place them in a convenient package. Indeed, the criminally insane must be protected from themselves in order to better fit  in with society; as such, the inclusion of the insanity defense fits in quite well with the need to shuffle social problems from one area to another. II. DEVELOPMENT  Are all delinquents created equal? Indeed, there are myriad levels of criminal activity that prove to land offenders in jail, with a  percentage of those criminals committing their crimes under the duress of mental illness. These prisoners, while deserving of severe punishment, often do not have full control of their faculties.  These orphans of society are often compelled by an emotional or mental imbalance that provokes them to act savagely toward their fellow human beings. One might assert the  fact that what these disturbed individuals need is assisted treatment, not prison. Analyzing the evolution of the insanity plea leads one to believe that while the original objective was  to address those with mental instability, it has grown out of this definition to support those whose situation does not necessarily apply. Four