The most serious criminals are sociopaths, and a small percentage of these career criminals commit a high percentage of all serious crimes. Moreover, the most serious criminals are not deterred by the prospect of being caught and punished and they cannot be rehabilitated. The criminal justice system should be more selective in its enforcement and sentencing. In particular, the criminal justice system should distinguish between those who commit one or two offenses and the much smaller group of chronic offenders. Because crime rates are not generally affected by the threat of harsh penalties, the most effective strategy may be to identify high-rate offenders and put them behind bars for a long time. Selective incapacitation is considered to be a common sense alternative to the deterrent strategy.