Ending political correctness and reforming our justice system

To paraphrase a line from former US President Bill Clinton's campaign, 'it's not the alcohol, stupid.' The confluence of a number of recent phenomena should serve as a catalyst for a complete policy overhaul of criminal sentencing in order to return justice to the criminal-justice system. Firstly, whether or not the number of serious offenses is actually rising, the public perceives evermore intimidation. People are genuinely afraid for their safety in public and are avoiding certain areas; something that should be an anathema in a civilized society. Secondly, there is growing dissent against the theory that crime is a function of social disadvantage. For decades the prevailing group-think has lead the academic and cultural elite to the solidly entrenched belief that violent crime can be remedied by social engineering, social intervention and more 'services' to help those 'vulnerable' people who are susceptible to criminal behaviour; in other words it is all society's fault. Within the current pervasive academic and legal ideology, there is a systematic inability to attribute blame for even the most despicable behaviour. Indeed those who raise concepts such as individual responsibility and blame are spurned as being simplistic, Neanderthal-like reactionaries. Violent crime is excused amidst impressive phrases such as alcohol use disorder and random acts of life-ruining aggression are medicalized with reference to terms such as anti-social personality disorder and intermittent explosive disorder. While it is legitimate to study and further our understanding of human behaviour it is hopelessly naive to think that we can simply understand the causes of crime and prevent it by appropriate intervention. This approach, far from being sophisticated, is more akin to an expression of superstition.