NCJ Number
80149
Date Published
Unknown
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Methodology and findings are presented from a control study of the detention and rearrest of insanity acquittees and felons in New York State.
Abstract
Acquittees 'not guilty by reason of insanity' (NGRI) included as subjects were 77 persons found NGRI between September 1, 1971, and December 31, 1973. Data cards were prepared listing the sex, race, education, marital status, criminal act, victims, previous arrests, and data of institutionalization. These NGRI subjects were then matched as appropriately as possible with admittees to the State's correctional facilities, using the admission blotters of each institution. Of the 77 potential NGRI subjects, appropriate felon matches were found for 55. Five of the 55 NGRI subjects were subsequently dropped from the study. In matching for offenses, the actual criminal act committed by a given subject was considered, rather than the charge for which he/she was tried. Results suggest that the acquitted NGRI male is institutionalized for a significantly shorter period than if he had been convicted on his arrest charge, while no significant time advantage is observed for the female acquittee; however, there is much greater variability in institutionalization periods for the NGRI acquittee than for the felon group. Subsequent criminal activity was similar for both NGRI acquittees and felons, while subsequent mental hospitalization was much more frequent among the acquittees. Some implications of the findings are discussed. To what extent New York data may be generalizable to other States is unclear. Clinical practice and sound social policy regarding the insanity defense still await more data from other jurisdictions. Tabular data and five references are provided.