The group included 38 non-Hispanic white persons, 31 black persons, 12 Hispanic persons, and 2 from other groups. Forty percent were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Sixty-eight percent of the detainees had been charged with violent felonies; 25 percent were charged with murder, attempted murder, or manslaughter. Those who reported paranoid delusions were statistically more likely than others to be charged with a violent crime. The victims of alleged violent acts were primarily family members. No significant association existed between ethnic background and the severity of legal charge or having a competency evaluation ordered. Suicidal ideation and thought disorders were more prevalent in nonwhite mentally ill elderly detainees than in white detainees. Tables and 29 references (Author abstract modified)