Scott Alexander explains why 'doing something' about mentally ill homeless people is more complex than it seems, detailing current processes and challenges in implementing alternatives. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques the common call to 'do something' about mentally ill homeless people, explaining why seemingly simple solutions are often impractical or ineffective. He details the current process for dealing with disruptive mentally ill homeless individuals, highlighting its limitations and the numerous challenges in implementing alternative approaches. The post emphasizes the need for specific, well-thought-out plans rather than vague demands for action, and critiques articles that criticize 'soft' approaches without offering concrete, feasible alternatives. Shorter summary

Scott reviews David Friedman's book on unconventional legal systems, exploring how different societies have developed unique ways to enforce laws and resolve conflicts without centralized government. Longer summary

This book review explores David Friedman's 'Legal Systems Very Different From Ours', which examines various historical and contemporary legal systems that differ significantly from modern state-run systems. The review highlights how these systems, from medieval Iceland to Gypsy communities, solve problems of law enforcement and conflict resolution without a centralized state. It discusses the economic incentives and cultural evolution that shape these systems, and how they often rely on community enforcement rather than imprisonment. The review also touches on the book's optimistic view of cultural evolution and its relevance to current debates about police and government reform. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines bail reform as a potential solution to high incarceration rates in the US, discussing its impacts, alternatives, and the effectiveness of bail-paying charities. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the issue of high incarceration rates in the US and focuses on bail reform as a potential solution. He explains how the current bail system disproportionately affects poor defendants, leading to longer sentences and more convictions. The post examines alternatives like Washington DC's system without monetary bail and the effectiveness of charities that pay bail for defendants. Alexander compares the cost-effectiveness of bail reform charities to other efficient charities and suggests both short-term (supporting bail-paying charities) and long-term (systemic criminal justice reform) solutions. He concludes that while bail reform may not be the most important change needed in the US criminal justice system, it could be one of the easiest to implement. Shorter summary

The post shares insights and anecdotes from a forensic psychiatry conference, covering topics like the insanity defense, criminal psychology, and death penalty cases. Longer summary

This post summarizes highlights from the author's notes taken at a forensic psychiatry conference. It covers various aspects of forensic psychiatry, including the insanity defense, methods for detecting fake insanity pleas, predicting recidivism, death penalty cases, and anecdotes from criminal cases. The author presents surprising statistics about the insanity defense, describes techniques used to detect malingering, and shares interesting fragments of stories from criminal cases. The post also touches on issues related to jury selection in death penalty cases and the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques the concept of 'rape culture', arguing that society actually treats rape more seriously than many other crimes, contrary to what the term implies. Longer summary

Scott Alexander expresses confusion and skepticism about the term 'rape culture'. He examines five claims associated with the concept and argues against each one, concluding that society actually treats rape as particularly heinous compared to other crimes. He discusses how the criminal justice system handles rape cases, victim-blaming behaviors, sexual objectification, and the disproportionate attention given to rape compared to other issues. The post uses various examples and statistics to support its arguments, maintaining that the concept of 'rape culture' is misguided and contradicts observable societal attitudes towards rape. Shorter summary