NCJ Number
116772
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling, Services and Rehabilitation Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: special issue (1989) Pages: 161-173
Date Published
1989
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This 1976 study developed a profile of the older (50 years or above) mentally ill offender using data for 64 men in 5 California jails.
Abstract
Of these, 73.4 percent were single, 57.8 percent were white, 24.2 percent had been arrested for drunk driving, 65.5 percent were employed at time of arrest, and 89.1 percent were recidivists. The mean educational level was 10.22 years. Of these offenders, 20.3 percent were given a diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III diagnosis. The majority of these mentally disordered (MD) offenders (76.9 percent) had personality disorders; 15.4 percent were schizophrenic, and 15.4 percent were diagnosed as neurotic depressives. Further, 61.5 percent of the MD men were alcohol dependent. All had prior convictions: 84.6 percent for felonies, 76.9 percent for misdemeanors, and 30.8 percent for driving under the influence. The MD men had been voluntary patients in State hospitals (38.5 percent), County mental health in patients (30.8 percent), and patients in the psychiatric wards of veterans hospitals (30.8 percent). Collectively, these data suggest that MD offenders have a history of recidivism both within the criminal justice and the mental health systems; and that they experience difficulty functioning in society. 5 tables and 26 references.