Topical theme of mentally disordered offenders. Reputation of Herschel Prins, Editors and Contributors.

In its narrowest sense, "mentally disordered offender" refers to the approximately twenty thousand persons per year in the United States who are institutionalized as not guilty by reason of insanity, incompetent to stand trial, and mentally disordered sex offenders, as well as those prisoners transferred to mental hospitals. The real importance of mentally disordered offenders, however, may not lie in this figure. Rather, it may reside in the symbolic role that mentally disordered offenders play for the rest of the legal system. The 3,140 persons residing in state institutions on an average day in 1978 as not guilty by reason of insanity (see Chapter 4), for example, are surely worthy of concern in their own right. But they represent only 1% of the 307,276 persons residing in state and federal prisons in the same period (U. S. Dept. of Justice, 1981). From a purely numeric point of view, the insanity defense truly is "much ado about little" (Pasewark & Pasewark, 1982). The central importance of understanding these persons, however, is that they serve a symbolic function in justifying the imprisonment of the other 99%. The insanity defense, as Stone (1975) has noted, is "the exception that proves the rule. " By exculpating a relatively few people from being criminally responsible for their behavior, the law inculpates all other law violators as liable for social sanction.

Differences in the perception of certain psychopathological and criminal behaviour are analysed in this volume, as the author believes conflicting assumptions may hinder the effective implementation of a number of key criminological and clinical policy initiatives.

In recent years there has been growing concern and controversy surrounding the care and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. Consequently, there have been a series of legislative and policy developments during the last decade, which have led to changes in attitude and the way that suchoffender-patients are treated. Such changes have focused primarily upon timely therapeutic intervention and diversion from the criminal justice system. Care or Custody?: Mentally Disordered Offenders in the Criminal Justice System considers these issues in depth. It is a comprehensive and scholarly text which identifies some of the practical difficulties that occur when mentally disordered offenders come into contact with the criminal justicesystem. The law in this area is complex and this book will enable professionals involved in the subject to gain a better understanding of the law and policy with regard to mentally disordered offenders. Judith Laing also analyses and addresses some of the theoretical issues and concerns surrounding the treatment and detention of mentally disordered offenders. The book will therefore assist and inform legal, mental health, and related practitioners working in this field, and will also provide atheoretical overview of the law for academics and students.

This new edition provides readers with a fresh, updated guide to the latest developments in the social context, management, and treatment of offenders in mental health care.

Drawing on extensive case studies and his experience as director of psychiatric services at the Regional Treatment Centre in Ontario, Geoffrey Conacher traces the MDO management process from initial assessment, through secure stabilization, to preparation for release and subsequent community supervision. He outlines the difficulties of managing a population of serious offenders and highlights elements of treatment that are essential if the MDO is to be reintegrated into the community. Conacher also considers dangerousness, issues of treatment, and forensic aspects of mental disorder, as well as psychiatric concerns that are particular to the prison context, such as ethical issues, predatory sexual behaviour, self-mutilation, suicide, the "inadequate offender," and the predictably dangerous mentally disordered offender. Management of the Mentally Disordered Offender in Prisons makes an important addition to existing psychiatric literature by bringing to the fore a neglected area of tremendous social concern.

This comprehensive book addresses the complex issues associated with the criminalization of mentally ill offenders in the United States and the ways in which social workers and other mental health professionals can best channel their efforts to create better services and treatment. Specialists in law enforcement, community-based mental health and outreach, the legal community, the corrections environment, and substance abuse providers present best practices and programs that offer rehabilitation alternatives to mentally ill offenders. Unique to this volume is the perspective provided by key players of the criminal justice system including a judge, a prosecutor, an advocate, a defense attorney, and a mentally ill offender. The last section provides in-depth research into the challenges of placing the dually-diagnosed offender into alternative-to-incarceration programs.