NCJ Number
114891
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 63-81
Date Published
1988
Length
19 pages
Annotation
In France, as in Quebec and elsewhere, the penitentiary psychiatrist is confronted daily with multiple dilemmas of a moral, ethical, and practical nature.
Abstract
He or she is obliged to practice within the constraints of laws, policies, and regulations that are not necessarily sensitive to the need of the mentally disordered inmate. The distinction in French law between the 'mad' and the 'bad' and the role of the psychiatrist in placing the accused in one or the other of these categories is described, as is the penal system and one regional treatment center for prison inmates. Problems related to the prescription and distribution of medication are presented to illustrate the constraints and ethical dilemmas inherent in psychiatric practice within a penal institution. (Author abstract modified)