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Where They Go and What They Do: The Longitudinal Careers of Forensic Patients in the Medicolegal Complex

NCJ Number
106408
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 29 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1987) Pages: 275-291
Author(s)
R J Menzies; C D Webster
Date Published
1987
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This Canadian study uses 3 case studies and a longitudinal study of 571 subjects that underwent forensic psychological assessments to determine the criminal justice and mental health experiences of these subjects with a view toward their improved management.
Abstract
A qualitative analysis was conducted on the clinical files of all patients evaluated by the Brief Assessment Unit of the Metropolitan Toronto Forensic Service, which assesses the mental health of accused persons remanded from the courts, from January 23 through December 31, 1978. The cohort was tracked for 2 years following assessment. Significant numbers of the cohort had been imprisoned, subjected to intensive and recurrent psychiatric hospitalization and assessment, and managed with less intrusive modes (probation and outpatient care). The cyclical and apparently ineffective handling of the subjects is due to an ill-defined administrative structure and the failure to develop a workable policy for managing forensic patients. An administrative structure that spans various ministries and their related institutions should be tailored to mentally disordered offenders. 1 table, 1 figure, and 26 references.

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