Health, Determinism, and Crime

Source: https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/fast_food_glyphosate_herbicide

Having good health goes far beyond just people being healthier and happier. Health plays a strong role in decision making and behavior.

America’s prison system has been a target of a lot of criticism. There is mass incarceration and although America is a highly developed country, we have a disproportionately high incarceration rate. Prisons are expensive, and they’ve done little to deter crime or rehabilitate people so they don’t come back after they leave (lowering recidivism). With the recidivism rate at 70% within 5 years and 82% of inmates returning within a decade and holding 20% of the world’s prisoners at only 4% of the world’s population despite being the strongest country economically and militarily, America’s prisons leave much to be desired. But fortunately, there might be a solution.

In Barbara Reed Stitt’s 20-year study of inmates, she found that the one thing that all inmates had in common was that they lived on self-proclaimed “junk food,” which led to them being deficient in all vitamins, especially Vitamin B which is vital for decision-making due to its benefits for the prefrontal cortex.

“When Stitt removed processed junk food from their diet and they were given whole foods, the recidivism rate reversed. Instead of 70% of the inmates returning to prison, 70% stayed out of prison.”

By improving prisoner’s diets, which might increase upfront costs, prison systems will save so much more money with less recidivism, as well as better prisoner compliance in prison. And society will benefit even more.

This goes far beyond just a solution to prisons.

It begs the question of how much free will is real in humans, and how much determinism (health-wise) is present. If something as seemingly simple as a diet change from junk food to whole foods can change whether someone lives a (what society considers to be) normal life working a day job or shooting up people, it makes you wonder what else, much more minor things, can be influenced by your health.

Bad relationships, divorces, cheating, etc. Makes you wonder how much of these issues related to behavior have some of their roots in health. Worker productivity. If your body is unknowingly in a chronic state of stress, how much control do you have over not being able to focus at work or at school?

We should stop judging behavior from an outward, completely moral stance, as if everybody is at the same place. “You just didn’t work hard enough. Be a better partner. You’re in jail because you made that choice.” It’s clear that some level of determinism of behavior exists due to health. I’m sure countries would benefit from having better workers, better social dynamics, and better citizens in general. Health is a way to start.