Dangerous mentally disordered criminals: unresolvable societal fear?
The average person fears dangerous criminals, especially those suffering from mental illness. Existing mental health and criminal justice systems provide social control for some of these dangerous individuals, but may be inadequate to deal with those mentally disordered offenders who were not found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI). In California, innovative laws have attempted to address this problem. However, putative lack of efficacious treatment of mentally ill criminals, insufficient economic support, and individual liberty concerns loom as limiting factors in solving the criminal and psychiatric recidivism problem posed by non-NGI dangerous mentally disordered offenders.
Leong
G B
GB
School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.
Silva
J A
JA
Weinstock
R
R
D002140:California; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D003415:Crime; D003416:Criminal Law; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D001523:Mental Disorders