CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM AND PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS

• NCJ Number: 48377
• Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 127 Issue: 6 Dated: (DECEMBER 1970) Pages: 832-835
• Author(s): S B GUZE; D W GOODWIN; J B CRANE
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH-05804; MH-09247; MH-13002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: American Psychiatric Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIMINALITY AND PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS, PAROLE AND RECIDIVISM DATA WERE SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESSED IN A FOLLOWUP TO A 1959 STUDY OF MALE FELONS.

Abstract

THE INITIAL STUDY AND A 3-YEAR FOLLOWUP STUDY OF FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES FOUND THAT: (1) SOCIOPATHY, ALCOHOLISM, AND DRUG DEPENDANCE WERE THE ONLY DISORDERS ENCOUNTERED MORE FREQUENTLY AMONG STUDY SUBJECTS THAN AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION; (2) THE SAME THREE DISORDERS WERE ALSO FOUND MORE FREQUENTLY AMONG FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES, PARTICULARLY MALE RELATIVES, AND HYSTERIA WAS FOUND MORE FREQUENTLY SEEN IN THE SAME INDIVIDUAL. THE FOLLOWING MEASURES OF RECIDIVISM WERE USED: PERCENTAGE REARRESTED, REIMPRISONED, AND RECONVICTED, AT LEAST ONCE. RECIDIVISM WAS DETERMINED ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE SUBJECTS, WHICH TENDED TO PROVIDE HIGHER RATES THAN COMPARABLE POLICE OR FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DATA. RECIDIVISM RATES WERE CALCULATED FOR EACH DIAGNOSIS, AND FOR ACTIVE AND REMITTED ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE. THE RECIDIVISM RATES FOR THE ENTIRE SAMPLE WERE HIGH: 85 PERCENT HAD BEEN REARRESTED, 62 PERCENT MORE THAN ONCE; ALMOST 50 PERCENT HAD BEEN REIMPRISONED, HALF OF THESE MORE THAN ONCE; AND TWO-FIFTHS WERE RECONVICTED OF A FELONY AT LEAST ONCE AND ONE-SIXTH MORE THAN ONCE. FLAT-TIMER STATUS (NO PAROLE), AGE UNDER 40, SOCIOPATHY, ALCOHOLISM, AND DRUG DEPENDENCE WERE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OR MORE INCREASED RECIDIVISM RATES. NONE OF THE RACIAL (BLACK/WHITE) DIFFERENCES APPEARED SIGNIFICANT. DIAGNOSIS OF ACTIVE ALCOHOLISM OR ACTIVE DRUG DEPENDENCE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RECIDIVISM RATES THAN WAS DIAGNOSIS OF REMITTED DRUG DEPENDENCE. THE TWO FACTORS MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM WERE AGE AND THE NATIVE OF THE PRIOR CRIMINAL CAREER. THE INCREASED RECIDIVISM RATES ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIOPATHY, ALCOHOLISM, AND DRUG DEPENDENCE SUGGEST THAT THESE DISORDERS ARE RELATED TO CRIMINALITY. ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE MAY AGGRAVATE SOCIOPATHIC AND CRIMINAL TENDENCIES. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)