TY  - BOOK
AU  - Smith,Richard Rein
AU  - Francis,Dick
TI  - Pick a Crime
T2  - Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2016///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Science fiction
KW  - Short stories
KW  - Psychological fiction
KW  - Crime -- Fiction
N1  - Release date is 2016-04-04; Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Original publication data not identified
N2  - "Pick a Crime" by Richard R. Smith is a science fiction novel set in a near-future society that has devised an elaborate system to prevent crime. Written during the mid-20th century, the book explores a world where criminal tendencies are monitored and treated through a system called the CPA (Crime Prevention Association), which eliminates the existence of crime, punishes no one, and instead rehabilitates criminals into law-abiding citizens. The narrative centers around an individual named Joe Harper, whose desire to commit a crime ironically leads him to seek social acceptance and a livelihood.  In the story, Joe, classified as a Dangerous Criminal Tendencies (DCT), reflects on a society where crime is nearly eradicated, but at the cost of personal freedom and autonomy. Frustrated with his status and unable to secure employment because of his label, he devises a convoluted plan to commit a crime, believing that being caught would grant him a path to rehabilitation and a normal life. After attempting to stage a robbery, Joe is apprehended and undergoes a treatment process that rewires his thoughts and impulses. The conclusion reveals a dark twist: while he becomes a non-criminal, he is left feeling like a shell of his former self, governed by the CPA's enforced morality, indicating the story's themes of freedom, identity, and societal control. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51656
ER  -