COMPARISON OF BLACKS AND WHITES COMMITTED FOR EVALUATION OF COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL ON CRIMINAL CHARGES

• NCJ Number: 50353
• Journal: Journal of Psychiatry and Law Volume: 2 Issue: 3, Dated: (FALL 1974) Pages: 319-334
• Author(s): G COOKE; E POGANY; N G JOHNSTON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: Federal Legal Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CRIMINAL CHARGES, DIAGNOSES, COMPETENCY FINDINGS, AND DISPOSITIONS WERE STUDIED TO COMPARE THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF BLACK AND WHITE MALES REFERRED TO THE MICHIGAN CENTER FOR FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY IN 1969.

Abstract

RECORDS OF 177 BLACK AND 149 WHITE MALES WERE CATEGORIZED BY RACE, AGE, MARITAL STATUS, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, CRIME, DIAGNOSIS, COMPETENCY STATUS, AND RECOMMENDED PLACEMENT. A RANDOM SAMPLE WAS DRAWN WITHIN EACH RACE THAT CONSISTED OF 70 BLACK AND 70 WHITES. THIS SAMPLE WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) WAS GIVEN, PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTRATION OF THE MMPI, AND MMPI PROFILES FOR BLACKS AND WHITES. IN 1969, BLACKS CONSTITUTED 45.7 PERCENT OF ALL REFERRALS TO THE CENTER. WITH REGARD TO DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTCS, THE POPULATIONS OF BLACKS AND WHITES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT. THE FREQUENCY OF CRIME WAS NOT DISTRIBUTED DIFFERENTIALLY OVER RACE FOR ANY CRIME CATEGORY NOR FOR THE TOTAL OF ALL CRIMES. BLACKS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN DIAGNOSED AS MENTALLY RETARDED OR FUNCTIONALLY PSYCHOTIC AND LESS OFTEN AS HAVING A PERSONALITY DISORDER. COMPETENCY AND PLACEMENT WERE RELATED TO RACE, WITH BLACKS MORE FREQUENTLY JUDGED AS INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND MORE FREQUENTLY PLACED IN A MAXIMUM SECURITY SETTING RATHER THAN IN AN AREA HOSPITAL. MMPI DATA SUGGESTED THAT BLACKS AND WHITES REFERRED FOR EVALUATION DID NOT DIFFER IN THE LEVEL OF PATHOLOGY BUT THAT PATHOLOGY IN BLACKS WAS OVERDIAGNOSED BY CLINICIANS. EFFECTS OF THIS OVERDIAGNOSIS ON DISPOSITION WERE CLEARLY REFLECTED IN THE GREATER FREQUENCY OF THE ADJUDICATION OF INCOMPETENCY FOR BLACKS. MORE STUDY IS RECOMMENDED TO REMEDY THE TENDENCY TO OVERESTIMATE PATHOLOGY IN BLACKS. THE RECRUITMENT AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF BLACKS TO ENTER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS MAY ALSO SERVE TO MINIMIZE THIS TREND. NOTES AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.