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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Two methods of authenticating past criminal conduct by psychiatric inpatients: a comparison of clinical chart reports and criminal records.

Clinical chart reports on criminal activity based primarily on the patients' own reports were compared with official criminal records of their convictions in a large group of male inpatients suffering from schizophrenia, affective disorder and alcoholism. In 69% of the cases studied there was uniformity between both methods of ascertaining criminal activity. A considerable proportion (26%) of schizophrenic patients' clinical charts indicated criminal behaviour which was not officially registered in criminal records, whereas a substantial proportion (24%) of alcoholics did not report their criminal activities in their clinical records in spite of these being recorded in their criminal records. The conclusion is that official criminal records provide an incomplete account of infractions of the law by psychiatric, especially schizophrenic patients. The information recorded in official records seems to be less accurate than that in clinical charts in the case of schizophrenics, but more veracious in the case of alcoholics. When investigating the frequency of criminal behaviour by psychiatric patients these findings will therefore have to be taken into consideration.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Does drug abuse lead to criminal behavior? An analysis based on criminal registers of 117 drug-related deaths, examined in 1992 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Vienna, Austria.

That there is a link between drug abuse and criminal behavior has been established. However, explaining the nature of this relationship has proven difficult. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the traditional view that drug abuse leads to future criminal behavior holds true in case of the drug-related deaths examined in 1992 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Vienna, Austria. For this purpose postmortem reports and criminal registers of 117 drug-related deaths were analyzed. A total of 43% of the examined sample had no criminal register. Regarding age at time of death there was no difference between those with or without a criminal register. A total of 57% had at least one conviction. A minority committed about one third of offenses. Property offenses were the most frequent type. Those who started their criminal history with a property offense were younger at time of first conviction and committed more offenses during their life. In summary, the traditional view that drug abuse leads to future criminal behavior does not seem to hold true in case of the drug-related deaths examined in 1992 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Vienna, Austria. The results of this retrospective study speak in favor of a view that drug abuse may be a part of contemporary delinquent behavior, rather than the cause of criminality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1963

INSANITY AND CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. SOME COMMENTS ON THE REPORT OF GOVERNOR'S SPECIAL COMMISSIONS ON INSANITY AND CRIMINAL OFFENDERS.

The definition proposed by the Commissions on Insanity and Criminal Offenders for determining criminal responsibility will not resolve the issue between offenders who are considered blameworthy and regarded as criminals and those who are not. No formula is satisfactory for differentiating responsibility and irresponsibility. Determinism, which is the fundamental tenet of all science, is violated by the assumption that an individual can wilfully elect to commit an act which, in fact, is the result of causal antecedents. This concept is in conflict with the basic premise of criminal law that an individual is considered criminally responsible unless it can be proved to the contrary. Since it is unlikely that any proposal to abolish the concept of criminal responsibility would be even considered, it is suggested that no definition be used at all. Laws similar to those for the disposition of the mentally ill could be enacted, with emphasis not on the concept of criminal responsibility and moral blameworthiness but on the offender's dangerousness to others, the disposition then being planned to fit the offender rather than the offense.

California↗
PubMed1998

Weapons of choice: previous criminal history, later criminal activity, and firearm preference among legally authorized young adult purchasers of handguns.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between criminal activity and preference for a particular class of handgun among young adults who purchase handguns legally. DESIGN: Historical cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 5,360 authorized purchasers of handguns in California in 1988 who were 21 to 25 years of age, divided into two groups: all eligible purchasers with a previous criminal history (n = 2,765), and a random sample of purchasers with no such history (n = 2,595). Handguns were classified as small and inexpensive or larger and expensive. Associations were assessed by relative risks adjusted for gender and race or ethnicity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Handgun purchasers with a previous criminal history were more likely than those without such a history to purchase a small, inexpensive handgun (relative risk (RR) = 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16-1.42). Among handgun purchasers with no previous criminal history, those who purchased a small, inexpensive handgun were more likely than purchasers of other handguns to be charged with new crimes after handgun purchase (RR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.34-2.24) and were nearly twice as likely to charged with new crimes involving firearms or violence (RR = 1.93; 95% CI, 1.38-2.69). CONCLUSION: In this population, criminal activity both before and after handgun purchase was associated with a preference for small, inexpensive handguns.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Rationalizing criminal behaviour: the influence of criminal sentiments on sociomoral development in violent offenders and nonoffenders.

Cognitive developmental theory suggests that mature-level sociomoral reasoning (Stages 3 and 4) can provide a protective factor, or buffer, against antisocial and violent criminal behavior. This study explored whether the influence of internalised criminal sentiments could undermine this buffer. The sample was high-risk men and women offenders (n = 99) convicted of serious violent index offences, and men and women nonoffender university students (n = 101). Moral reasoning was measured using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form, whereas criminal sentiments were assessed using the Criminal Sentiments Scale. Based on moral reasoning development level the sample was classified into groups: mature- or immature-level moral reasoners. The results suggested that mature-level sociomoral development might not protect a person from identifying with criminal others, and that law violation could be rationalized regardless of sociomoral level. Gender differences were neither expected nor found. The applied implications of the findings are considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Violence of young criminals predicts schizophrenia: a 9-year register-based followup of 15- to 19-year-old criminals.

Violent and aggressive behavior in preschizophrenia adolescents has been described in several studies. Our aim was to investigate the extent to which violent conviction in late adolescence predicted later schizophrenia in a cohort of young criminals. We performed a 9-year register-based followup of a complete national cohort of young convicted criminals. A total of 780, 15- to 19-year-old subjects identified in 1992 were followed up in 2001 with register linkage of the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, the Danish National Criminal Register, and the Danish National Cause of Death Register. Analyses with Cox regression were performed to identify predictors of later schizophrenia. We found at followup that 3.3 percent of the cohort had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and 4.5 percent with any psychosis. Conviction of violence in late adolescence was significantly associated (odds ratio = 4.59 [95% confidence interval (1.54; 13.74)]) with future diagnosis of schizophrenia. Violent behavior can thus be seen as part of the preschizophrenia phase of young criminals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Serious criminality among adolescents. II. Criminality, psychiatric morbidity and mortality 15-20 years after the first mental observation].

The purpose of the present study was to enlighten the prognosis for young delinquents, who had been subject to a mental report for the court, regarding later psychiatric illness, mortality and criminal relapse. The study was retrospective based on register information about psychiatric admissions, death courses and later criminal commitments. After less than 20 years, 11% were found psychotic, 22% had died and 90% of the survivors had committed a total of 831 criminal offences from drunk driving to homicide. We conclude, that at present no institutions in Denmark are suitable for the treatment of young delinquents with severe criminal records. Most of the young delinquents have psychological and behavioural disturbances from childhood, and early intervention is needed followed by careful documentation and follow-up studies in order to improve the prognosis for these young people.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Criminal decision making: the development of adolescent judgment, criminal responsibility, and culpability.

Theories of judgment in decision making hypothesize that throughout adolescence, judgment is impaired because the development of several psychosocial factors that are presumed to influence decision making lags behind the development of the cognitive capacities that are required to make mature decisions. This study uses an innovative video technique to examine the role of several psychosocial factors--temporal perspective, peer influence, and risk perception--in adolescent criminal decision making. Results based on data collected from 56 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years revealed that detained youth were more likely to think of future-oriented consequences of engaging in the depicted delinquent act and less likely to anticipate pressure from their friends than nondetained youth. Examination of the developmental functions of the psychosocial factors indicates age-based differences on standardized measures of temporal perspective and resistance to peer influence and on measures of the role of risk perception in criminal decision making. Assessments of criminal responsibility and culpability were predicted by age and ethnicity. Implications for punishment in the juvenile justice system are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Criminals' explanations of their criminal behavior, Part II: A possible role for psychopathy.

The author reviewed the literature concerning the effect of criminals' current psychopathology on their explanations about their crimes. He then studied 100 incarcerated men, examining the associations between their explanations and various historically documented aspects of psychopathy. Previously and independently documented patterns of pathological lying, lack of remorse or guilt, callousness or lack of empathy, and failure to accept responsibility for their own behavior were significantly associated with the offenders not admitting responsibility for their crimes. Further, independently described histories of pathological lying were associated with criminals' blaming their convictions on a faculty criminal-justice system, while histories of failure to accept responsibility for their behavior were associated with blaming someone else for their index crimes.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Total serum cholesterol level, violent criminal offences, suicidal behavior, mortality and the appearance of conduct disorder in Finnish male criminal offenders with antisocial personality disorder.

Associations between low total serum cholesterol (TC) levels and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), violent and suicidal behavior have been found. We investigated the associations between TC levels, violent and suicidal behavior, age of onset of the conduct disorder (CD) and the age of death among 250 Finnish male criminal offenders with ASPD. The CD had begun before the age of 10 two times more often in non-violent criminal offenders who had lower than median TC levels. The violent criminal offenders having lower than median TC levels were seven times more likely to die before the median age of death in the study material. The violent offenders having lower than median TC levels were eight times more likely to die of unnatural causes. The mean TC level of these male offenders with ASPD was lower than that of the general Finnish male population. Low TC levels are associated with childhood onset type of the CD, and premature and unnatural mortality among male offenders with ASPD. The TC level seems to be a peripheral marker with prognostic value among boys with conduct disorder and antisocial male offenders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The impact of Canadian Criminal Code changes on remands and assessments of fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility in British Columbia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact in British Columbia of the 1992 Criminal Code of Canada amendments dealing with remands for fitness to stand trial and not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) assessments. METHOD: Information on 620 remands for evaluation of fitness to stand trial and/or NCRMD were collected from a sample obtained in British Columbia from 1992 to 1994. The data collected included length of remand order, length of evaluation, criminal charges, psychiatric diagnoses, and the decisions about fitness or NCRMD. RESULTS: Remands increased by about 20% in a 1993-1994 fiscal year compared with the previous year. The majority of evaluations continue to be conducted in an inpatient facility. The goal of a 5-day evaluation period is rarely met: only 12.5% of inpatients were released within 5 days of admission, and the average length of evaluation was about 3 weeks. The use and success of the NCRMD defence appears to be on the rise. In addition, there were some striking differences in remands from metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in terms of rates of referral and recommendations of unfitness or NCRMD. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that Bill C-30 has not yet had the anticipated impact on remands as inpatient evaluations continue to be the norm and evaluations typically take several weeks. Suggestions for policy reform and future research are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[An analysis of criminal liability in a criminal case involving an epileptic].

This paper presents the case of an epileptic patient who killed his wife during the intermittent period of epilepsy: three different units were asked to give the forensic psychiatric appraisement which came to three different conclusions, namely, the patient should be entitled to no criminal responsibility, partial criminal responsibility, and full criminal responsibility with respect to these three conclusions, the authors make a detailed discussion and give their own opinions.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Predicting criminal justice outcomes with the Psychopathy Checklist and Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form: a meta-analytic comparison.

Studies that have used either the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R) or the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) to predict criminal justice outcomes (disciplinary adjustment and recidivism) were subjected to meta-analysis and compared. Analogous results were obtained with the PCL-R and LCSF even though the PCL-R takes 2-3 hours and the LCSF 10 minutes to complete. It is concluded that pending further evaluation in which these assessment measures are directly compared, the cost-effectiveness of the LCSF makes it an attractive alternative to the PCL-R in situations where risk of future offender disciplinary maladjustment or recidivism is of principal concern.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Mental health patients in criminal justice populations: needs, treatment and criminal behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Government policy requires that health and social care agencies work more closely together and in partnership with the criminal justice system. There is a well-established relationship between crime and mental disorder. METHOD: The Tracking Project provides for the first time in England the means of collating and analysing data on mental disorder (defined as receiving secondary care as patients of a Mental Health Trust) and crime (defined as all those charged with an offence). Data were collected over a three-year period for all individuals who had contact with the criminal justice system and mental health services in an English county. RESULTS: In a county population of 800,400, some 30,329 were offenders. More than a third had used a health or social care service during the three-year period; 8.0% were mentally disordered. Those offenders aged 25-64 and who contacted the police more than once were significantly more likely to be mentally disordered. Type of offence was also a relevant variable. The probation service showed broadly similar results. DISCUSSION: The research has provided for the first time substantive quantitative evidence of the relationship between crime and mental disorder. The results can be used as the basis for further work to target assessment and risk reduction measures at those most at risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Medicolegal investigation of problems involving criminals and criminal activity.

Proper investigation of cases involving criminals and their victims is essential, particularly if the case in question reveals an unusual situation. The various situations involving the criminal where potential problems may exist are reviewed according to the general problem areas of precustody, custody, and postcustody. A routine examination and documentation of these findings, their presentation, and interpretation is also reviewed. In addition, problems related to unusual cases involving deaths in custody are discussed.

Accidents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Direct genetic manipulation and criminal code in Venezuela: absolute criminal law void?].

The judicial regulation of genetic biotechnology applied to the human genome is of big relevance currently in Venezuela due to the drafting of an innovative bioethical law in the country's parliament. This article will highlight the constitutional normative of Venezuela's 1999 Constitution regarding this subject, as it establishes the framework from which this matter will be legally regulated. The approach this article makes towards the genetic biotechnology applied to the human genome is made taking into account the Venezuelan penal law and by highlighting the violent genetic manipulations that have criminal relevance. The genetic biotechnology applied to the human genome has another important relevance as a consequence of the reformulation of the Venezuelan Penal Code discussed by the country's National Assembly. Therefore, a concise study of the country's penal code will be made in this article to better understand what judicial-penal properties have been protected by the Venezuelan penal legislation. This last step will enable us to identify the penal tools Venezuela counts on to face direct genetic manipulations. We will equally indicate the existing punitive loophole and that should be covered by the penal legislator. In conclusion, this essay concerns criminal policy, referred to the direct genetic manipulations on the human genome that haven't been typified in Venezuelan law, thus discovering a genetic biotechnology paradise.

Criminal Law↗
PubMed1986

The interaction of mental illness, criminal behavior and culture: native Alaskan mentally ill criminal offenders.

The rapid changes experienced by non-Western ethnic groups as they become "acculturated" to Western life-styles are frequently associated with disintegration of the traditional cultures and psychosocial dysfunction of the groups' members. How culture changes lead to maladaptation remains a mystery. As a first step in clarifying this relationship, this paper proposes a method for analyzing the interaction of cultural change and psychosocial maladjustment. It uses Native Alaskans as a paradigmatic example of a group that is undergoing rapid changes and describes in detail a maladjusted subgroup of Native Alaskans--mentally ill criminal offenders. It compares 567 Native Alaskan criminal offenders who were referred to mental health professionals (from 1977 thru 1981) to 939 White Alaskan offenders. We find that alcohol abuse, the dominant social problem for Native Alaskans, is not clearly associated with the degree of sociocultural change. Residence in larger communities and higher educational achievement are associated with greater psychosocial maladjustment. The region of residence (i.e., Native Corporation) has a stronger influence on the rate and type of maladjustment than the ethnic group (i.e., Eskimo, Indian, or Aleut) or the "ethnic density" of the community of residence (i.e., the proportion of Native Alaskans in the population). We emphasize the importance of using such quantitative findings to focus the questions that should be addressed by ethnographic research.

Acculturation↗