NCJ Number
67918
Journal
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (1979) Pages: 95-102
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
CHANGES AT THE PATUXENT INSTITUTION, MARYLAND'S TREATMENT FACILITY FOR CHRONIC, EMOTIONALLY UNBALANCED OFFENDERS, FOLLOWING AMENDMENT OF THE LAW GOVERNING ADMISSIONS TO THE INSTITUTION ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
UNDER THE OLD LAW, CONVICTED OFFENDERS DIAGNOSED AS 'DEFECTIVE DELINQUENTS' WERE COMMITTED TO PATUXENT UNDER INDETERMINATE SENTENCES. UNDER THE NEW LAW, OFFENDERS FOR WHOM TREATMENT AT PATUXENT IS RECOMMENDED MAY REFUSE TO ENTER THE INSTITUTION, AND OFFENDERS ADMITTED TO PATUXENT MAY REQUEST TRANSFERS TO OTHER FACILITIES AT ANY TIME. IN ADDITION, THE TREATMENT STAFF MAY REFUSE TO ADMIT A REFERRED OFFENDER WHO APPEARS UNLIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM TREATMENT, AND MAY ALSO REQUEST TRANSFERS FOR UNCOOPERATIVE INMATES. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOLLOWING ENACTMENT OF THE NEW LAW ARE DESCRIBED, TOGETHER WITH CHANGES IN DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND IN THE INMATE POPULATION UNDER THE NEW LAW. ONE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS IS THE NEED TO ASSESS INMATES' MOTIVATION IN SEEKING TREATMENT AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR SUCCESS. UNDER THE NEW LAW, PATUXENT HAS BECOME A MORE TREATMENT-ORIENTED INSTITUTION, BECAUSE INDETERMINATE SENTENCES NO LONGER FORCE THE CONTINUED INCARCERATION OF PERSONS UNWILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM. IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING ENACTMENT OF THE NEW LAW, THE PATUXENT INMATE POPULATION REMAINED THE SAME WITH REGARD TO AGE AND IQ, BUT INMATES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE BLACK, TO BE FROM URBAN AREAS, AND TO HAVE COMMITTED SERIOUS CRIMES THAN UNDER THE OLD LAW. TABLES ARE PROVIDED.