NCJ Number
179679
Date Published
1999
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This overview of the psychiatric assessment of potentially violent persons who come into contact with the legal system addresses the psychiatric assessment of risk factors, civil commitment, the release of insanity acquittees, probation, parole, and stalking.
Abstract
The discussion of the psychiatric assessment of risk factors focuses on dynamic risk factors, which are those amenable to some form of intervention. Among the risk factors that should be considered are past violence, mental illness, psychotic symptoms, personality traits, substance abuse, weapons, stress, "organic" factors, and violent threats. The discussion of civil commitment focuses on using it to prevent imminent harm to self or others. The physicians' role is to assist the court in deciding whether or not to commit a person. The threshold issue in civil commitment is the presence of mental illness, which is generally defined by statute. Civil commitment statutes usually require that due to the mental illness, a person constitutes a danger to self or others, or is unable to care for his/her basic physical needs. Psychiatric assessment of the violent offender must also be conducted when determining whether to release insanity acquittees from civil commitment. Psychiatrists may also be called upon by judges prior to sentencing to evaluate defendants for possible probation rather than incarceration. In addition, psychiatrists may be called upon to evaluate incarcerated defendants who are being considered for release from prison. Stalking is discussed as a category of violent behavior. Categories of stalkers identified include those who stalk an ex-intimate partner; those who stalk out of a delusional disorder; those who stalk out of pathological jealousy; and those who stalk as a means of observing and choosing potential victims for a future violent crime. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the clinical evaluation of stalkers. 92 references