Brain Scans Might Predict Future Criminal Behaviour

 

A new study conducted by The Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shows that neuro-imaging data can predict the likelihood of whether a criminal will reoffend following release from prison.

The paper, which is to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, studied impulsive and antisocial behaviour and centred on the anterior cingulate cortex, a portion of the brain that deals with regulating behaviour and impulsivity.

The study demonstrated that inmates with relatively low anterior cingulate activity were twice more likely to reoffend than inmates with high-brain activity in this region.

“These findings have incredibly significant ramifications for the future of how our society deals with criminal justice and offenders,” said Dr. Kent Kiehl, who was senior author on the study and is director of mobile imaging at MRN and an associate professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico.

“Not only does this study give us a tool to predict which criminals may reoffend and which ones will not reoffend, it also provides a path forward for steering offenders into more effective targeted therapies to reduce the risk of future criminal activity.”

The study looked at 96 adult male criminal offenders aged 20-52 who volunteered to participate in research studies. This study population was followed over a period of up to four years after inmates were released from prison.

“These results point the way toward a promising method of neuro-prediction with great practical potential in the legal system,” said Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Philosophy Department and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, who collaborated on the study. “Much more work needs to be done, but this line of research could help to make our criminal justice system more effective.”