Our prison system works as a one-size-fits-all institution. Science speaker David Eagleman believes that modern neuroscience research and better use of big data could change that. The sought-after neuroscientist recently addressed the subject in Smart Planet. He explained that physiologically driven behavior isn't always taken into account during sentencing, and, that there could be more effective ways of rehabilitating offenders than incarceration. The Daily Beast also touched on some of that intriguing insight in a new article:
“In his 2011 book, Incognito, and in recent lectures, [Eagleman] predicts that advances in our ability to detect tiny details of microcircuitry through neuroimaging, combined with training to control certain parts of the brain, can open the way for a more intelligent method of dealing with criminals. Detailed neural analysis should be a factor in sentencing and the focal point of therapy, says Eagleman. As he puts it, prisons have become America’s 'de facto mental-health facilities.' It is time they started working on treatments that bring results.”
—The Daily Beast
