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After Homicide: Divided by Systems: A Comparison of Health Service and Probation Service Management of People Who Have Killed

NCJ Number
164994
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1996) Pages: 314-326
Author(s)
J H Stone; A Cameron; P J Taylor
Date Published
1996
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Because there is little evidence of interest in the practical management of those convicted among the many studies of homicide, this investigation determined what actually happened to homicide perpetrators who were managed by different services (probation service versus health service).
Abstract
All homicide cases in treatment or managed by a London hospital and probation office during 1987 were potential study subjects. The actual sample included 24 people from the probation office group who had killed and 20 people from the hospital group who had killed. There was a distinction in the legal classification of homicide between the two groups in that all individuals but one in the probation sample but only four individuals in the hospital sample were convicted of murder. At the time of sentencing, however, there were remarkably few group differences in demography and social or health status. The one significant difference was the higher rate of psychosis among those initially sent to the hospital. Questions were raised about the diagnosis of personality disorder at the time of trial and its effect on sentencing. Both hospital and probation staff seemed to be functioning on a dearth of important information. Closer liaison between probation and health services is recommended to adequately assess and plan the management of people who have killed, and the need to further review the mandatory life sentence for murder is examined. 18 references, 1 note, and 2 tables