NCJ Number
50896
Journal
CANADIAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION JOURNAL Volume: 20 Issue: 6 Dated: (OCTOBER 1975) Pages: 461-466
Date Published
1975
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE PREHOSPITAL AND HOSPITAL CAREERS AND POSTHOSPITAL ADJUSTMENT OF 56 MALE DEFENDANTS COMMITTED TO A MAXIMUM SECURITY PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTION IN ONTARIO ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
ALL OF THE SUBJECTS HAD BEEN AT THE OAK RIDGE FACILITY FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS (AVERAGE 8 YEARS) AND HAD BEEN DISCHARGED FROM THE FACILITY AT LEAST 4 MONTHS (MEAN 30.5 MONTHS) PRIOR TO FOLLOWUP. THE SUBJECTS WERE MEN IN THEIR 30'S WHO HAD WORKED AS LABORERS PRIOR TO THEIR ADMISSION TO OAK RIDGE. MOST HAD COMMITTED A SERIOUS OFFENSE AGAINST A PERSON. THE MAJORITY WERE DIAGNOSED PSYCHOTIC. AT THE TIME OF FOLLOWUP 50 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY, 43 PERCENT WERE IN PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES, AND 5 PERCENT WERE IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. NINE PERCENT OF THE PATIENTS EITHER WERE RETURNED TO THE MAXIMUM SECURITY HOSPITAL OR HAD COMMITTED NEW OFFENSES. INTERVIEWS WERE COMPLETED WITH 27 OF THE MEN FOR WHOM FOLLOWUP DATA WERE OBTAINED. THESE MEN GENERALLY EXHIBITED FEW PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND APPEARED TO HAVE ADJUSTED WELL TO THE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY OR COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY LIVED. AS A GROUP, THE MEN APPEARED TO HAVE MADE A BETTER VOCATIONAL THAN SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. THE LOW RATE OF RECIDIVISM AMONG THE SUBJECTS PERHAPS CAN BE EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT THE MEN WERE RELATIVELY OLD WHEN RELEASED, THAT FEW WERE RELEASED DIRECTLY TO THE STREETS, AND THAT MOST WERE NONCRIMINALS WHO HAD COMMITTED A SINGLE VIOLENT ACT, USUALLY AGAINST A MEMBER OF THEIR OWN FAMILY. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM) --SUMMARY IN FRENCH.