"The path to prison starts at conception," explains Kaye McLaren , a researcher helping New Zealand investigate its crime problem. And so, she—along with the nation’s top Youth Court judge and its Children’s Commissioner—propose setting up national databases of (1) children likely to grow up to be criminals, and (2) grown-ups likely to have those children who are likely to grow up to be criminals.
"It can easily be seen as Big Brother and stigmatizing," the judge admitted, but, really, it’s only "a holistic assessment to identify those with high-risk factors and provide them with positive intervention and assistance." Right. Positive intervention against those criminal conceptions, right there in the womb. Why wait till they actually commit a crime?
We launched the First Things 2023 Year-End Campaign to keep articles like the one you just read free of charge to everyone.
Measured in dollars and cents, this doesn't make sense. But consider who is able to read First Things: pastors and priests, college students and professors, young professionals and families. Last year, we had more than three million unique readers on firstthings.com.
Informing and inspiring these people is why First Things doesn't only think in terms of dollars and cents. And it's why we urgently need your year-end support.
Will you give today?
