Psychopathic personality: An emotionally and behaviorally disordered state characterized by clear perception of reality except for the individual’s social and moral obligations and often by the pursuit of immediate personal gratification in criminal acts, drug addiction, or sexual perversion. – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

While psychiatrists may quibble, the dictionary definition of psychopath should be accompanied by photographs of two former local folks, Lisa Hanson and Daniel Asselin.

Like many readers, we were dismayed by the personality study that emerged from a two-part series that began a week ago Sunday in the Sun Journal. Hanson was, as the headline on that series suggested, the “Face of Crack.”

Despite years of breaking the law, bearing and then abandoning children, and time in prison, Hanson jauntily announced that she will most likely return to drugs when she leaves prison in September. Maybe she’ll have another baby, she said, after having trouble recalling the names of her first eight.

That’s a psychopath for you – personal gratification without concern for the harm to others. She seems certain to again become a menace to society.

Asselin, meanwhile, was in court last week, looking for a plea deal on another drunk-driving charge. He is the career boozer who used his car to run down and kill 18-year-old Mark Blanchette, a promising young teen, in 1996.

Unreformed, unrehabilitated and, apparently, unrepentant, he was arrested in Bangor after serving four years in prison, skunk-drunk again, and driving without a license.

This guy has killed once. If he is found guilty, we beg Justice Jeffrey Hjelm to lock him up for as long as possible to keep him from killing again.

These are two twisted people who deserve to remain behind bars.