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PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT OF THE DANGEROUSNESS OF MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS

NCJ Number
64554
Journal
CRIME AND/ET JUSTICE Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (1978) Pages: 249-257
Author(s)
V L QUINSEY; R AMBTMAN
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS TO DISPOSITION RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HOSPITAL COMMITTEE AND TO DANGEROUSNESS RATINGS OF INDIVIDUAL CLINICIANS.
Abstract
OFFENDERS STUDIED WERE THOSE CLASSIFIED UNDER WARRANT OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (WLG), DETAINED INDETERMINATELY AS UNFIT FOR TRIAL OR NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. DATA OBTAINED ON THE 105 WLG'S INCLUDED THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION; 33 BACKGROUND VARIABLES SUCH AS AGE, DIAGNOSIS, LENGTH OF STAY, ETC.; THE SEVERITY OF THE OFFENSE; AND THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR PROGRESS NOTES. THE SEVERITY OF OFFENSE WAS WEIGHED FOR PREMEDITATION, AND THE PROGRESS NOTES RATED BEHAVIOR IMPROVEMENT OR DECLINE AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION. ALL VARIABLES WERE DICHOTOMIZED, AND IT WAS DETERMINED WHETHER EACH VARIABLE SIGNIFICANTLY DISCRIMINATED WLG'S WHO WERE RECOMMENDED FOR TRANSFER FROM THOSE WHO WERE NOT. IN TERMS OF THE OFFENSE LEADING TO THE CURRENT ADMISSION, 53 PERCENT OF THE WLG'S HAD KILLED AT LEAST 1 PERSON AND 10 PERCENT HAD COMMITTED ONLY A PROPERTY OFFENSE. PATIENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RELEASE IF THEY HAD SHOWN UNAMBIGUOUS PREMEDITATION IN THEIR OFFENSES, HAD RECEIVED 4 OR FEWER NEGATIVE PROGRESS NOTES, AND IF THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION AT THE TIME OF THE CONFERENCE. THE SECOND PART OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF A QUESTIONNAIRE FILLED OUT ON EACH WLG BY FOUR SENIOR CLINICAL STAFF PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE. THESE DANGEROUSNESS RATINGS SHOWED THAT PATIENTS WHO WERE SEEN TO BE DANGEROUS WERE THOUGHT UNABLE TO ADJUST TO ANOTHER INSTITUTIONAL SETTING, LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM FURTHER TREATMENT, MORE MENTALLY ILL, AND INAPPROPRIATE FOR RELEASE. REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO PREDICT FROM PREDICTOR VARIABLES RANK-ORDERED BY RESPONDENTS. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT RATERS DID NOT ORDER VARIABLES OF IMPORTANCE IN SIMILAR OR CONSISTENT WAYS. THIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VALIDITY AND ACCURACY OF SUCH JUDGMENTS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MRK)