The study examines the social, political, and professional contexts in which definitions and attributions of mental disorder and criminal violence are created and applied, as well as how the construct of "dangerousness" centrally mediates the relationship between these two phenomena. Although much of the relevant research is methodologically flawed, on balance it has found little evidence of a correlation, much less a causal relationship. Apparent recent increases in violence among the mentally ill are the consequence of higher concentrations of young persons, psychopaths, and individuals with histories of criminal and violent conduct inside psychiatric hospitals. The relationship between mental disorder and criminal violence can be illuminated by analyses of patterns and structures of medical (mental health) and legal (criminal justice) institutions. Contemporary trends toward decarceration, increasing participation of mental health officials in courts and prisons, confinement of individuals in both mental health and criminal justice facilities, and selective media reporting of violence by ostensibly mentally ill persons have likely resulted in the apparent increases in serious violence with roots in mental pathology. 120 references.