NCJ Number
102072
Journal
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume: 477 Dated: (January 1985) Pages: 84-95
Date Published
1985
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Psychiatric evaluations of criminal defendants can be enhanced by improving evaluative settings, evaluator qualifications, and the resources devoted to investigation and other elements of evaluations.
Abstract
The time and attention devoted to defendant psychiatric evaluations depends on whether they are conducted in the private or public sector, in or out of a hospital, and in forensic or general psychiatric facilities. Three sources of variation among psychiatrists influence the nature and quality of their evaluations of defendants: qualifications in general psychiatry, psychiatric ideology, and specialized qualifications. A psychiatric evaluation has three components: clinical observation, extraclinical investigation, and opinion formation. The manner of conducting each component reflects the resources available; the training, ideology, and experience of the evaluator; and the unique features of the case. The quality of pretrial psychiatric evaluations could be upgraded by providing the facilities required for a thorough evaluation, by creating a larger pool of qualified experts, and by requiring greater evaluator expertise. Disagreements would still occur among evaluators but less often due to flawed evaluation procedures. 40 footnotes.