Search results for ‘Subject term:"mentally disordered offenders"’ Sort:
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Liaison and diversion for mentally disordered offenders
- Author:
- NACRO
- Publisher:
- NACRO
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 56p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This good practice guide sets out for commissioners, managers and practitioners how diversion schemes should be established, funded and organised. It identifies the elements that make up a good scheme – able to meet the needs of different groups and individuals – and provides a checklist to evaluate schemes’ operation.
Gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure units National cohort study in England and Wales
- Author:
- MADEN Anthony
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 189(2), August 2006, pp.168-172.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Previous research has shown that there are gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure units, but these have not been adequately explained. The aim was to investigate gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure psychiatric units. All people discharged from medium-secure units in England and Wales between April 1997 and March 1998 were followed up for 1 year (n=959; 12% women). Reoffending was estimated by collecting reconviction data from the Home Office's Offenders' Index or from files at the mental health unit up to 2 years after discharge. Women were less likely than men to be reconvicted within 2 years of discharge (9% v. 16%, OR=0.49, 95% CI 0.25-0.98). Adjustments for history of self-harm, drug or alcohol problems and previous offending substantially reduced the gender difference. In the full model the OR was 0.97 (95% CI 0.45-2.12). Some or all of the gender differences in reoffending between men and women are explained by self-harm, alcohol and drug problems and previous criminal history.
Legal theory and case law defining the insanity defence in English and Welsh law
- Author:
- MEMON Rafiq
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(2), June 2006, pp.230-252.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The insanity defence has long been the focus of controversy and academic study. It impinges on a number of subjects and areas of expertise including psychiatry, law, ethics, and morality. The origins of the defence go back centuries both in statute law and case law. The crystallization of the defence occurred in the seminal M'Naghten's case (1843). From there the eponymous M'Naghten rules were exported and modified in various jurisdictions around the world. However, the focus of this short paper is on the history and meaning of the defence as it currently applies in English and Welsh law. An account of legal theory forming the foundation to the defence is provided. Historical case law pre-M'Naghten and post- M'Naghten is explained with particular emphasis on the meanings attached to the four elements making up the defence. The bulk of the material relates to the statutory insanity defence available for trials on indictment at the Crown court. However, there is also a pre-existing and ancient common law insanity defence available for cases in summary trial at the magistrates court. This latter defence is briefly reviewed towards the end of the paper.
Forensic psychiatry in India: time to wake up
- Authors:
- SAKAR Jaydip, DUTT B.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(1), March 2006, pp.121-130.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper gives an overview of the status and practice of forensic psychiatry in India. It traces the origins of mental health legislation and describes the fundamental aspects of criminal law as it relates to psychiatry, particularly with reference to provisions for diverting mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) to rudimentary and often non-existent mental health services. The archaic nature of mental health law, coupled with the criminal justice system's ignorance of underlying fundamental principles, affects thousands of MDOs. The breaches of human rights and absence of access to legal redress combine to highlight the lamentable condition of the MDO, an invisible group, despite recent efforts by the judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission of India. The research concludes by identifying core areas that require radical rethinking for the care and management of this dually disadvantaged group to reach acceptable standards.
What's in a name?: reasons for changing names among English high security hospital patients
- Authors:
- VOLLM Birgit, JAMIESON Liz, TAYLOR Pamela J.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(1), March 2006, pp.37-52.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Up to one fifth of offender patients change names, but their reasons for this have not been studied. This study investigates reasons for name change among serious offender patients. All patients resident in an English high security hospital with documented name changes were approached for interview. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by one person (BV). Audio-transcripts were analysed using qualitative methodology. Two main groups emerged: those who changed name(s) once or twice and those who had multiple name changes. For the former, three major themes of changing emerged: making or breaking family ties, wanting a fresh start, and difficulties with the name itself. Multiple changers were more idiosyncratic in their reasons for name changing and choice of name and achieved little satisfaction with the changes. The authors conclude that understanding the reasons for name change among people with mental disorders is important for their continuing treatment, as it may indicate internal mental change.
Mapping the introduction of a mental health awareness in custodial settings self-directed workbook across eight care services improvement partnerships
- Authors:
- BROOKER Charlie, SIRDIFIELD Coral
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Workforce Development, 1(4), 2006, pp.29-35.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
Approximately 90% of prisoners experience mental health problems, substance misuse problems or both. However, prison reception screening tools are not always effective in enabling staff to identify mentally disordered prisoners. This paper charts the pilot implementation of a mental health awareness workbook designed for use in custodial settings across England. It examines the variety of approaches adopted to implement the workbook, staff views on the usefulness of the workbook, and barriers to implementation encountered in each area. Recommendations made for best practice in delivering the workbook in other areas suggesting a need for changes to its format, but also that time should be ring-fenced for staff to participate in this training, in groups led by experts such as in-reach team members.
The dynamic prediction of antisocial behavior among forensic psychiatric patients
- Authors:
- QUINSEY Vernon L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(12), December 2006, pp.1539-1565.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Staff ratings of 595 supervised forensic psychiatric patients on the Proximal Risk Factor Scale and the Problem Identification Checklist were completed monthly for an average of 33 months. During the follow-up, there were 265 incidents, 86 of which were violent. The average ratings, excluding those from the index month, differentiated patients who had incidents from those who did not. As well, the average ratings distinguished between individuals with and without incidents of a violent or sexual nature. There were significant increases in staff ratings in the months preceding the index incident month. Within-patient analyses showed that changes in dynamic risk scales comprising the best items for predicting incidents of any kind and violent or sexual incidents were strongly related to their respective outcomes and were significantly related to outcome in an independent sample. Changes in monthly staff ratings predict the imminent occurrence of antisocial and violent behaviours.
The role of mental illness in homicide-suicide in New Zealand, 1991 – 2000
- Authors:
- MOSKOWITZ Andrew, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(3), September 2006, pp.417-430.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Prior studies of homicide-suicide (H-S) have largely glossed over the relevance of mental illness (MI), either ignoring the issue outright or defining H-S cases as intrinsically related to MI or not. While such positions have methodological or theoretical justifications, it was felt that a finer-grained analysis was possible and might prove fruitful. As part of a large population study on homicide and MI in New Zealand, all H-S cases over a 10-year period were identified through a police database and their Coronial Services files reviewed. Thirty-three H-S cases (0.08 per 100,000 prevalence) were identified. Fourteen perpetrators (42.4%) were classified as MI; among these were all five of the female perpetrators and 32% of the male; 20% had not previously been in treatment. Most of the MI perpetrators killed their children and then themselves. In contrast, only a few of the H-S perpetrators who killed a current or former partner were MI. It is concluded that H-S events in New Zealand appear broadly similar to such events in other countries, and that MI plays a significant role in some forms of H-S. However, the relationship between gender, H-S motivation, and mental illness is clearly complex and in need of further study.
A concept analysis of 'forensic' nursing
- Author:
- KETTLES Alyson McGregor
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Forensic Practice, 8(3), September 2006, pp.16-27.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Forensic nursing is a term applied to nurses working in many different areas of clinical practice, such as high security hospitals, medium secure units, low secure units, acute mental health wards, psychiatric intensive care units, court liaison schemes, and outpatient, community and rehabilitation services. This article uses the strategy of concept analysis to explore the term 'forensic nursing' and find a working definition of forensic mental health nursing. The historical background and literature are reviewed using concept analysis to bring the term into focus and define it more clearly. Forensic nursing is found to derive from practice. A proposed definition of forensic nursing is given.
High functioning autistic spectrum disorders, offending and other law-breaking: findings from a community sample
- Authors:
- WOODBURY-SMITH M. R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(1), March 2006, pp.108-120.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The prevalence and pattern of offending and other law-breaking among groups of men and women with High Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome (ASDs) living in the community has not, so far, been examined empirically. In this study, the illegal behaviours of a small sample (N = 25) of people with ASDs were investigated. Unexpectedly, both self-report and ‘official’ data indicated that the rate of law-breaking, including offending, was very low. Indeed, it was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that of a stringent non-ASD comparison group (N = 20). Despite similarities, however, there were some striking differences between the patterns of illegal behaviours in the two groups. The participants with a diagnosis of an ASD were significantly (p<0.01) less likely to report that they had engaged in illicit drug-taking; in contrast, they were significantly more likely (p<0.05) to report activities which could be categorised as ‘criminal damage’. Moreover, they tended to have a greater history of violent behaviours. The methodological limitations of this study, particularly the difficulties of recruiting an adequate community sample of people with ASDs, are discussed, together with the implications for the development of services for the small minority of men and women with this diagnosis who are involved in criminal offending and other law-breaking.