13 Criminal Incapacitation Effects Considered in an Adaptive Choice Framework PHILIP J. COOK Editors' Note Philip Cook's analysis of the possible adaptations made by offenders to policies of incapacitation constitutes a valuable example of the policy applications of a rational choice perspective. Taking as his starting point the assumption that people adapt their behavior in the light of information about the costs and benefits of alternative courses of action, Cook draws on the "danger compensation" thesis current in the road safety field to argue that such adaptations may sometimes act to partially negate the effects of policy. He shows clearly that selective incapa- citation measures may, depending on the extent to which different classes of offender adapt their behaviors in the knowledge of the changing costs and benefits involved, very well lead to an increase rather than a decrease in overall levels of crime. His is a hypothetical example and needs to be fleshed out with interview and behavioral data, but it illustrates how important it may be for policymakers to obtain a clearer understanding of the way in which crime-control policies—whether incapacitative, deterrent, rehabilitative, or preventive—are perceived, evaluated, and reacted to by their intended objects. Neglect of the offender's perspective probably underlies the catastrophic failure of rehabilitation, and a similar neglect may well lead to the failure of many of the new deterrent policies. The situation can only be remedied by a large investment in research into offender perceptions. One incontrovertibly effective method of preventing someone from committing crimes is to eliminate his or her opportunities for crime by means of physical restraint. Execution and solitary confinement are totally effective in this respect. Partial methods such as exile, maiming, and imprisonment may also be highly effective methods of incapaci- tation. In a period of intense concern about criminal activity, it is not surprising that such a plausibly effective mechanism for reducing crime has great appeal. The public ' s interest in reducing crime by incapa- citating active criminals has created a receptive audience for the