NCJ Number
57496
Journal
British Journal of Psychiatry Issue: 9 Dated: SPECIAL PUBLICATION (1975) Pages: 296-301
Date Published
1975
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE TREATMENT OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS INVOLVING CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND ADVOCATES INTERMEDIATE PENALTIES FOR OFFENDERS THAT WILL PROVIDE SUPERVISION AND NORMAL SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.
Abstract
DESPITE THE APPLICATION OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY TO THE CRIMINAL REHABILITATION PROCESS, A SHARP CONTRAST BETWEEN TREATMENT DURING IMPRISONMENT AND DURING LIBERTY EXISTS. IMPRISONMENT, OR SIMILAR INSTITUTIONALIZATION, TENDS TO ISOLATE THE INDIVIDUAL FROM NORMAL SOCIAL SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AND TREATMENT DURING LIBERTY OFTEN LACKS THE MINIMAL CONSTRAINTS NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECIDIVISM. INTERMEDIATE PENALITIES AND DEGREES OF PERSUASION ARE REQUIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE JOINT APPOINTMENT OF CONSULTANTS FROM THE CORRECTIONS AND MEDICAL FIELDS RESULTS IN GREATER CONTINUITY OF TREATMENT PROCESSES AFTER THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS. THE GOAL IS A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTARY PATIENTS WHICH PROVIDES ADEQUATE SOCIAL READJUSTMENT AND SOCIAL CONDITIONING WITHOUT ELEMENTS OF RETRIBUTION. THE SPECIFIC TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS IS DEPENDENT UPON THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR DISORDERS. GENETIC EFFECTS IN BEHAVIOR DISORDERS HAVE BEEN EXAMINED IN STUDIES OF TWINS AND IN SURVEYS OF SUBJECTS WITH CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES. STUDIES OF BATTERED CHILDREN NOTE AN INTERPLAY BETWEEN EMOTIONAL TRAUMA AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. DIAGNOSIS MAY BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE INSUFFICIENT COLLABORATION OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS, BUT SUCCESSFUL THERAPY CAN BE COORDINATED THROUGH THE COURTS. THE USE OF TRANQUILIZERS, HORMONAL TREATMENT, AND OPERANT CONDITIONING HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN CERTAIN ASPECTS OF OFFENDERS THERAPY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK).