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#1 is only partly correct insofar as some people that can be helped.

Sociopathy is permanent and uncurable. It's also common among people with a criminal record. Sifting those out from otherwise lost but psychonormal individuals is not trivial.




There is still a very wide margin between the US prison system and a system that simply detains offenders.


Sure, but we should set realistic expectations on who can be rehabilitated and who cannot.

That's part of the intent (however misguided and misapplied) behind three strikes laws, the assumption is that repeat offenders are more representative of those that cannot be rehabilitated. Which isn't far from the truth, but we're not really rehabbing them at the moment.


> Sociopathy is permanent and uncurable. It's also common among people with a criminal record.

Also common among CEOs and politicians. See? Being a sociopath doesn't automatically make you a murderer!


Sociopaths can be motivated to behave.

I believe most sociopaths don't commit major crimes (maybe they could but benefits are none or don't outweight consequences). There are some people who are sociopaths and can't control themself but they are a minority of a minority. Most crimes have a motive, don't they?




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