ir actions, and they are placed intoa mental hospital for rehabilitation. If their mental condition improves, defendants aretransferred to a prison to serve out the remainder of their sentence. This option has beenwell received by the court system, and offers relief to victims families (6). What wouldhappen if the insanity defense was totally abolished? Currently, three states (Montana,Idaho, and Utah) have abolished the plea. In these states, an alleged criminal must befound fit to stand trial. The defendants lawyer may introduce evidence of a mentaldisease or defect that may have triggered the criminal act, but insanity can not be used asan independent defense to avoid the guilty verdict. If found competent to stand trial, theproceedings are carried out in the usual manner (the judge and/or jury look at criminalintent, and consider the factual evidence surrounding the crime; and the defendant wouldbe convicted, if proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt). However, there is someevidence that alleged criminals who would have used the insanity defense are now justfound incompetent to stand trial, and are placed into a mental hospital (7). Anotherdownside to this option is that it gives very little closure to the victims families (6). What causes maladaptive (insane) behavior? The Sarasons discuss six differentperspectives that the field of abnormal psychology currently accepts. In this paper, twowill be discussed; biological and behavioral. The biological perspective links abnormalbehavior to physical disturbances within the body (5). An example of this perspectiveinvolves genetics. In 1969, there was a man called the "chromosome murderer." Thedefense stated that the man was not responsible for murder because he carried an extra Ysex chromosome. Females carry two X sex chromosomes, while men carry an X and Y. This particular male carried one X and two Y sex chromosomes. Extra Y sexchromosome carriers wer...
