Beyond Blame and Retribution: Rethinking Justice through Science and Social Evolution

Nowhere is this more urgent than in the criminal justice system, where pre-scientific worldviews rooted in blame, punishment, and outdated concepts of free will and will power fail to consider social and biological determinants. Despite profound advances in neuroscience, trauma research, behavioral genetics, and the developmental origins of health and disease, legal systems continue to operate on outdated assumptions—much like those that once blamed obesity on a lack of willpower.

This transdisciplinary event explored how to integrate modern scientific understanding into legal frameworks and reimagine carceral systems. By shifting from punitive models to evidence-based approaches informed by the latest scientific insights into social determinants, brain science, and biological systems that affect behavior, including connections between the microbiome and mental health, we can create a more just and compassionate society. Justice must evolve alongside science to ensure systems truly serve humanity’s collective well-being and flourishing.