NCJ Number
128202
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1991) Pages: 54-71
Date Published
1990
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study examines use of Britain's Mental Health Act of 1959 to transfer sentenced prisoners to Broadmoor Hospital between November 1, 1960 and September 30, 1983.
Abstract
The sample consisted of 380 cases, of which 72 percent had received determinate prison sentences and 28 percent life sentences. Over the 23-year period, annual admissions to Broadmoor declined. There was an increase in admissions, however, in the proportion of cases admitted at a late stage of sentence. Figures for length of stay and time of departure revealed that sex offenders stayed significantly longer than other categories of offenders. Most of the prisoners who were transferred during determinate sentences and subsequently released form Broadmoor into the community were detained in the hospital beyond the expiration of their original sentences. Patients admitted during the 1970s were more likely to be detained beyond the expiration of their sentences than patients admitted during the 1960s. The implications of this change, and possible explanations for it, are discussed. 2 figures, 7 tables, 23 references, and 1 appendix (Author abstract modified)