What are the goals of the Depravity Scale research effort?
The Depravity Scale research is an international research effort that aims to scientifically standardize the definition of legal terms such as “heinous,” “atrocious,” “evil,” and “depraved,” which are currently used in the justice system to impact the severity of sentences. This research will establish a consistent and fair distinction for the worst of crimes – incorporating input from the general public. Ultimately, the research will develop an operational Depravity Standard, which will assist judges and juries at the sentencing phase of trials. This objective, evidence-based instrument will measure the specific intents, actions, and attitudes of a crime – the “what” of a crime, as opposed to the “who” or the “why” – to distinguish the aspects of a crime’s fact pattern as reflective of depravity, and thus warranting a more severe sentence.
