NCJ Number
140669
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents data on the implementation of Canada's Patients Under Warrants of the Lieutenant Governor, which provides for the hospitalization of persons found legally unfit to stand trial (UFST) or not guilty by reason of insanity.
Abstract
Data indicate the number of warrant patients in Canada and the "turnover" in warrants. Information is also provided on the kinds of psychiatric disorders suffered and the seriousness of the crimes involved. Other data indicate how long the patients spend on warrant until full vacation, differences among Provinces on the warrants, the relationship between diagnosis and crime and length of detention. Many marked changes in the characteristics of the warrant population over 3 years are indicated, and data show whether or not the Boards of Review have met their statutory obligations. Data indicates that patients under Warrants of the Lieutenant Governor have averaged approximately 1,100 in Canada in recent years. The current database indicates that almost two-thirds of the patients in the system had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, and approximately one- third had been accused of homicide; 16 percent had been charged with attempted murder, 25 percent with assault, and 10 percent with various minor offenses. Time on warrant, particularly for persons deemed not guilty by reason of insanity, was found to be positively related to the seriousness of the alleged offenses. 21 references