NCJ Number
74445
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Competency to stand trial, offender classification, matching offender and program, and behavior prediction are discussed as some areas in forensic mental health which require additional research and evaluation.
Abstract
Determining defendants' ability to consult with an attorney not only requires ruling out serious mental retardation or psychopathology but also calls for an investigation of the appropriateness of the match between the accused and their counsel. Forensic experts' task of determining competency is confounded by the disagreement over what constitutes mental illness and the lack of a precise meaning of the ability to consult with an attorney. Forensic mental health practitioners are also charged with classifying offenders and providing programs that best suit their needs and those of the correctional environment and society. However, effective classification is not being implemented because confusion exists over the purpose of corrections, organizational problems exist in current classification procedures, and sufficient research into the effectiveness of classification decisions is lacking. In the area of matching offenders and treatment programs, a major deficiency has been ensuring that immediate effects of treatment are extended over a long period. Research must determine which offender-treatment matches must occur not only to produce treatment gain but also to maintain that gain over extensive followup periods. In the area of predicting dangerous and delinquent behavior, predictions would be more accurate of practitioners were to predict only extremes in behavior. Future research should aim at improving this process. Twelve references are provided.