NCJ Number
78374
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (1981) Pages: 53-59
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The Isaac Ray Center of Chicago has established services for the assessment, treatment, and followup of potentially violent mentally disordered offenders, using a full professional staff and providing significant linkages with the Cook County criminal justice system and State mental health centers.
Abstract
The assessment phase includes careful screening; the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) is used to determine psychiatric disorders, which must be accompanied by previous violent behavior in order to qualify the offender for treatment. Exclusion criteria include the need for more structured treatment, substance abuse, antisocial personalities, and lack of environmental support or adequate living situations. Treatment consists of an eclectic problem-oriented model with biological and psychosocial interventions. Treatment goals address reduction of future violence potential, remission of psychopathology, and development of healthy interpersonal relationships. Interventions range from supportive counseling to insight-oriented psychotherapy. The center makes a long-term commitment to the individual to follow treatment and, with decompensation, to facilitate immediate rehospitalization. Followup involves a gradual diminishment of services, monitoring of continued adjustments, and periodic reassessment of needs for additional treatment. The application of a conservative treatment standard has necessitated rehospitalization of approximately one-fourth of the offenders treated at the center. Finally, close contact is kept with the courts regarding the offenders' progress. A table and 17 references are provided.