TREATMENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL OFFENDER - SOME CONCEPTUAL AND PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE

• NCJ Number: 34607
• Journal: Quarterly Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1972) Pages: 34-42
• Author(s): S A SHAH
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Pennsylvania Assoc on Probation, Parole & Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE OVER-USE OF THE CONCEPT OF 'MENTAL ILLNESS' IN EXPLAINING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE USE OF BEHAVIORAL-ORIENTED ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES IS PROPOSED AS A PARTIAL SOLUTION.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR MAINTAINS THAT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL ILLNESS ARE LARGELY DEFINED BY THE VALUES AND PRIORITIES OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM. THE TENDENCY AT PRESENT, THE AUTHOR ARGUES, IS TO DEFINE TOO MANY FORMS OF NONCONFORMING BEHAVIOR AS MENTAL ILLNESS, AND TO SEEK THERAPEUTIC CURES FOR THESE BEHAVIORS. INSTEAD OF THIS BROAD APPLICATION OF THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT, THE AUTHOR PROPOSES AN ASSESSMENT APPROACH WHICH ATTEMPTS TO 1) IDENTIFY CLASSES OF BEHAVIOR WHICH REQUIRE MODIFICATION, AND 2) TO ALLOW INFERENCES ABOUT THE FACTORS WHICH MIGHT CONTROL THIS BEHAVIOR AND SUGGEST USEFUL TREATMENT INTERVENTIONS.