ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 9

Dangerous Mentally Disordered Criminals: Unresolvable Societal Fear?
Leong, GB
Assistant professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA

Arturo Silva, J
Assistant professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA

Weinstock, R
Associate clinical professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA

(Received 8 January 1990; accepted 2 February 1990)

Abstract

The average person fears dangerous criminals, especially those suffering from mental illness. Existing mental health and criminal justice systems provide social control for some of these dangerous individuals, but may be inadequate to deal with those mentally disordered offenders who were not found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI). In California, innovative laws have attempted to address this problem. However, putative lack of efficacious treatment of mentally ill criminals, insufficient economic support, and individual liberty concerns loom as limiting factors in solving the criminal and psychiatric recidivism problem posed by non-NGI dangerous mentally disordered offenders.

Keywords:
psychiatry, jurisprudence, mental illnesses, dangerousness, mental disorder, criminals, insanity, social control

Paper ID: JFS13020J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13020J
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