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What insights does "A Good Man..." offer to the student of criminal justice? Discuss the nature of the crime and the behavior of The Misfit.

The nature of crime in this story is anything but cut and dried.  The Misfit is the "criminal", but the actions of the grandmother - and more specifically, the prejudices - are portrayed as just as criminal.  Throughout the story, she judges others and makes condescending assumptions about them and about their background.  She fails to connect with other human beings.  It is only when facing death that this happens, suggesting that her "crimes" have deserved this punishment.

Furthermore, although the character of the Misfit is clearly identified as the criminal, O'Conner makes some specific authorial choices to avoid having him be a stereotype.  He is polite is speech to the family.  He indicates that it is only the grandmother's folly in recognizing him that is causing their deaths.  He attributes his crime to a neglected upbringing.  And, most importantly, O'Conner names him "Misfit" and not "Criminal".  A misfit is someone who has behaved wrongly, but is not to be considered "bad", only "misguided".  Clearly, crime has little to do with individual deviant behavior.  It is clarified by O'Conner as having many causes and many forms.