As the field of violence risk assessment has expanded, the quest for understanding the relationship between violence and mental illness has been a driving force in the evolution of contemporary practice. From Steadman and Cocozza’s groundbreaking study in the wake of Baxstrom, to Monahan’s reframing of the clinical-actuarial debate, to the recent work of the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, the relationship between psychopathology and violence has been at the forefront of the field. In the broader framework of risk assessment in criminal justice, understanding the relationship between violence and mental disorder is crucial. First, from a methodological standpoint, the development and validation of risk assessment tools and methods within psychiatric populations has produced a range of useful tools that might be applied to broader offender populations. Second, although the dynamics between mental illness and violence carry certain particular characteristics, many of the strongest predictors of violence among individuals with mental illness also are strong predictors of violence in the general population. Third, although the boundaries between the mental health and criminal justice systems always have been somewhat blurred, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners widely recognize that the growing number of individuals with serious mental illness and criminal involvement present substantial challenges to virtually every aspect of the criminal justice system. Examinations of the relationship between mental disorders and violent behavior can be found throughout history and across cultures. Table, references