There is much controversy over these disorders because of the idea that if an individual's problems do not fit into a more precise diagnosis, then they might automatically get labeled as having a personality disorder. People with these disorders tend to believe that other people have no rights, and that they are in this world only to provide the murderer with what they need. Substance abusers, and those with lower intelligence are also more likely to commit violent crimes (Smith). .
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I believe that people use these disorders conveniently to their advantage, such as the insanity plea in courtrooms. In our society, guilt means responsibility and intent. The jury decides who is insane and sane at the time of the crime, not psychologists. Psychologists years of training make them experts at diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. They can testify and offer statements on the nature and severity of the illness, but nothing else since they are trained in medicine, not the law (The Insanity Defense). Personally, I believe that the insanity plea is wrong and often taken advantage of to avoid prosecution. I'm not saying that all insanity cases are fake, but there are many lawyers that will use any method they can to release their client from punishment, including mental conditions. Many lawyers might use the excuses that their clients were under hypnosis, forceful persuasion, sleep-walking, or had been brainwashed. Many even blame their behavior on the prescription medication they were taking (Afrian).
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On the other hand, if a person truthfully did not know what they were doing than they shouldn't be put in prison, but maybe required to seek professional psychological help. Recent studies show that the insanity plea has not been widely used in the past several years. The eight-state study showed that in less than one percent of cases, the insanity plea was used. Further, only 26 percent of those pleas were argued successfully, and in 90 percent of the successful cases, the person was diagnosed with a mental illness (The Insanity Defense).
