In Bonnie Richard’s essay, “The insanity defense: proposals for reform, she explains why the insanity defense should not be abolished. She asserts that the defense should just be narrowed for its administration. Richard’s purpose is to argue that the removal of the insanity defense would not be an ethically permissible act of the criminal law. Richard states that if a person did not understand the wrongfulness of their actions during the offense, then they should not be punished. The people with mental disorders should have the right to receive medical treatment because of their inability to be in contact with reality. Richard beings her argument by stating her positon to the controversial topic. Again, she is opposing the abolishment of the insanity defense, and is in favor of making adjustments to the plea. The author states that the insanity defense “is essential to the moral integrity of the criminal law.” According to Richard, it is unethical for the criminal law to leave a person with a severe mental disorder behind bars without the chance of medical attention. This gives the author an emotional tone that can make the reader think about the situation from a different point of view. Moreover, she presented a known belief that many people have of the defense. This belief is one of the main arguments made against her…show more content… She argued her position by providing answers to the arguments of the opposing side and by providing examples. The author recognizes that the insanity defense has many flaws, but that there are solutions to make the defense better. The author considers the insanity defense to be a factor in the ethical views of the criminal law. A strong point in her argument was the case example she used for evidence. More examples could have made her argument stronger. However, Richard did give some reasonable points for her
