PENALNI TRETMAN NASILNIKA
PENAL TREATMENT FOR VIOLENT PERPETRATORS

Summary/Abstract: This paper’s aims are focused on exploration of possibilities and empirical experiences in application of penal treatments focused on changes in behavior of violent perpetrators. The paper describes specific models of the treatments used on those convicted of violent crimes in penal conditions in the world. Punishments for perpetrators are most commonly of retributive nature while, in our environment, specialized treatment components are absent. Social reaction leads to extreme demands for sentencing ones to the most severe punishments, and even for re-introduction of the death penalty into the repertoire of criminal sanctions. Simultaneously, requests for conducting penal treatments on the sentenced violent perpetrators show absence. With the overview of some penal treatment models, which in certain states are applied on this category of convicts, we attempt to emphasize that the existing potentials in social reactions have not been utilized. Analysis of statistics and dynamic factors of the criminal behavior of violent perpetrators provides possibility of focusing the penal treatment onto some of the determined factors. Apart from verifying the state and ascertaining the degree of high or very high risks, penal practice lacks the treatments focused on dynamic factors of violent criminality. Quality etiological findings show no reflection in the form of adequate penalty treatments, so they linger on the level of being just mere declarations. In those penal systems where treatments towards violent perpetrators are applied various degrees of effectiveness are noted. The process of improvement and modeling towards the more effective forms of penal treatments for the violent perpetrators provides an answer to a basic question – what to do with this category of convicts in prisons. Simple incarceration, segregation, isolation and retribution are recognized but are not sufficient enough, nor do they have effects on recidivism reduction. The fact that over 97% of the convicts are bound to leave the prison is being overseen. Dismissing the dynamic risk factors only postpones the matter of violent behavior for some time. The situation is being complicated further by negative components obtained in serving prison sentence. With this paper we highlight that penal practice in the domain of violent criminality reduction may be more effective. The potential of scientific and empirical knowledge may be exploited in penal conditions towards violence and recidivism reduction. Ignoring them will not reduce violence despite convicting the perpetrators to long prison sentences.

• Details
• Contents