New findings: Reduce crime rates by consulting prisoners to make reasonable decisions

According to Thorsten Pachur, a psychologist, working at The University of Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues, prisoners who commit murder and other serious crimes tend to seek popularity through actions that show recklessness, risking life, but the problem is that they are more inclined to risk aspects than benefits .

They often have difficulty assessing large profits or serious losses compared to ordinary people who have never been in prison. In experimental lottery sessions, inmates often miss the opportunity to receive rewards that are small but easy to win, the experimental results of researchers published in Psychonomic Bulletin and Review magazine. October 2010.

If prisoners in general do not understand or consider the consequences of risking, ' the increase in penalties will not reduce the increase in the proportion of criminal acts ,' according to Thorsten Pachur. The former prisoner may also have difficulty choosing between grasping learning opportunities or fame.

Educational programs aimed at improving prisoners' thinking skills should include discussions on how to make decisions to maximize benefits and minimize risks and losses, Pachur said. Currently, the prison education program in British prisons is about teaching reasoning about morality, empathy and self-control, but fails to reduce the rate of crime increase.