NCJ Number
14837
Date Published
1970
Length
216 pages
Annotation
STATISTICAL STUDY OF OFFENSES AND OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS FROM 1956 TO 1962, AND AN OVERVIEW OF LEGAL PROVISIONS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM.
Abstract
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEGISLATION IN GERMANY CONCERNED WITH THE COMMITMENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL TO INSTITUTIONS IS GIVEN, AND THE LAWS CURRENTLY APPLYING ARE LISTED. NO DEFINITION OF MENTAL ILLNESS SATISFACTORY TO BOTH THE MEDICAL AND LEGAL PROFESSIONS HAS BEEN ARRIVED AT. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 55,700 TO 88,800 OF A TOTAL POPULATION OF 2,3400,000 ARE MENTALLY ILL AND THAT, IN THE PERIOD IN QUESTION, THERE WERE FROM 160 TO 180 MENTALLY ILL CRIMINALS, NOT INCLUDING MINOR VIOLATORS. NO INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MENTALLY ILL CRIMINALS WAS OBSERVED. IN 1962, IT IS ESTIMATED, 30 CRIMINAL PSYCHOTICS WERE COMMITTED TO INSTITUTIONS. WHEREAS 0.98 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION WERE GUILTY OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IN 1962, ONLY 0.042 PERCENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL WERE CRIMINAL PSYCHOTICS. THUS IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE FEWER CRIMINALS AMONG PSYCHOTICS THAN AMONG THE NORMAL POPULATION. FURTHERMORE, THE CONCLUSION CAN BE DRAWN THAT NOT EVERY MENTALLY ILL PERSON IS AN ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL CRIMINAL - IT IS NOT MENTAL ILLNESS ALONE THAT MAKES A PERSON DANGEROUS. THE AUTHOR DIVIDES MENTAL ILLNESS INTO FIVE CATEGORIES - FEEBLEMINDEDNESS, ENDOGENOUS (ORIGINATING WITHIN THE BODY) PSYCHOSES, OLD AGE PSYCHOSES, EXOGENOUS (ORIGINATING FROM EXTERNAL CAUSES) PSYCHOSES, AND PSYCHIC ILLNESS CAUSED BY POISONS, SUCH AS NARCOTICS. HE CITES THE TYPES OF OFFENSES HE BELIEVES MOST LIKELY TO BE COMMITTED BY THOSE FALLING IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES AND INCLUDES 29 CASE HISTORIES IN ILLUSTRATION. AN APPENDIX INCLUDES 22 TABLES GIVING STATISTICS ON TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND TYPES OF CRIME COMMITTED BY THE MENTALLY ILL IN SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN AND ALSO RELATING THESE FACTORS TO VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS' PERSONAL BACKGROUNDS AND CRIMINAL HISTORIES. -IN GERMAN