The Editor, Sir:

There are certain factors involved in crime fighting that are the bedrock of a new science originated by psycotherapists and historians. The best modern crime fighters will be concerned about the sustainability of their multifaceted interventions in tackling crime, and rightly so. But what is often overlooked is the effect of the most basic root source fuelling the sustainability of crime.

The closest human relationship in a physical sense is that of mother and foetus, and the quality of this bond can produce a criminal or a bright and rightly motivated member of society.

This latter point should be noted, since the brain damage to the limbic system, in utero, that produces the fearless, emotionless killer in adulthood can leave neocortical functioning intact. A pregnant woman will automatically react to severe stress by secreting hormones which can kill off brain cells in both the emotional centres and cortex, but since cortex normally has an over-abundance (or redundancy) of cells it may be less affected.

A mathematical genius

The Unabomber, for instance, was a mathematical genius, and won prizes for devising new theorems and for writing the best thesis in 1976. Long-term crime fighting interventions must therefore focus on the life conditions of vulnerable mothers, women of childbearing age and parenting methods to prevent the endless supply of a new generation of criminals. The best window of opportunity is up to three years; however, many useful things can be done for by those who are disadvantaged, but who have not suffered irreversible brain damage by kindergarten, primary, and other school systems and philanthropic interventions.

A new science started by psychotherapists who study the linkages between the criminal careers of vicious murderers, seemingly without normal human emotions or empathy and their foetal and childhood history has come up with some enlightening ideas as to what motivates the 'natural-born, cold-blooded killer' - from Hitler to the Texas University mass murderer, to the random shooters and gang warfare killers.

The leading theory, in this scenario, is brain damage to the emotional centres of the brain (the limbic system, in particular the amygdala and hippocampus) occurring in utero due to the exposure of the immature neurons to stress hormones released by a mother living under continuous stressful conditions, and thus, the restaging of foetal and childhood trauma by means of extreme violence.

Not only a Jamaican problem

Many of these behaviours then become entrenched in a culture of criminal collegial self-interest with rival groups bonding, among themselves, with other individuals with similar limbic system damage to fight one another and wreak havoc on authority figures and the body politic, in general. This is not only a Jamaican problem; it is reflected in the dysfunctional history of the human race, and is due to the flawed structure of the human brain, its susceptibility to damage (especially in utero and in childhood) and this is reflected in wars, genocide, tortures, murders, slavery and so on.

The neocortex is most often trumped by the powerful instincts generated by the human 'reptilian' brain stem system and the mammalian emotions (hate, love, amoral behaviour) which are mediated by the limbic system.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK BLAKE

mysterymonpatrick@hotmail.com