'Rotten Social Background': Should the Criminal Law Recognize a Defense of Severe Environmental Deprivation?

Abstract

Considers whether socioeconomic deprivation also known as rotten social background RSB can ever constitute a criminal defense Summarizes social scientific and medical literature on the contribution of extreme poverty and deprivation to criminal behavior Canvasses existing criminal defenses and analyzes their ability to accommodate RSB defendants Identifies the forms that an RSB defense might take and the costs and benefits of each option