NCJ Number
103972
Journal
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (1986) Pages: 203-216
Date Published
1986
Length
14 pages
Annotation
All 29 women found incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity in Quebec between January 1973 and December 1975 were the subjects of a study of their reintegration into society and their contacts with the judicial and mental health systems during the 7 to 10 years following the court judgment.
Abstract
Most subjects were over age 30, poorly educated, and unemployed at the time of their crimes. More than half had previous psychiatric hospitalizations. Five had prior criminal records. Almost three-fourths committed violent crimes. Six of the 10 accused of murder or attempted murder tried to kill themselves shortly after the alleged crime. One-third of those judged incompetent to stand trial were not charged once they were able to stand trial. They were all accused of nonviolent crimes. Contrary to findings of other studies, the subjects did not exhibit aggressive behavior during hospitalization. They also received no treatment specific to their criminal behavior. During the followup period, at least 12 subjects were rehospitalized. Four subjects repeated nonviolent offenses. The lack of recidivism among the violent offenders suggested that situational factors were associated with their crimes. The different psychological profiles of the offenders, particularly those acting on impulse and those with longstanding delusions, suggest the need for specific intervention strategies for each group. Tables and 54 references.