title: Are release recommendations for NGRI acquittees informed by relevant data?
abstract: We conducted a retrospective review of factors involved in clinical recommendations for release of patients adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Medical records from 91 patients in a maximum security forensic hospital who participated in a formal hearing process to determine suitability for release were reviewed. The purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to examine the process involved in day to day clinical decision-making regarding release from a maximum security forensic hospital and (2) to determine what factors in a patient's clinical and legal history were related to recommendation decisions. Multivariate statistical methods revealed that among the clinical, demographic, and legal information available to clinicians at the time a formal release recommendation was made two factors emerged that were significantly related to release recommendations: PCL-R score and the age at which the patient committed his first criminal offense. Patients with high levels of psychopathy and those who engaged in criminal behavior at a younger age were less likely to be recommended for release from a maximum security forensic hospital.
authors.affiliation: Tulane University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1440 Canal Street TB 53, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. gmire@Tulane.edu
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Manguno-Mire
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Bertman-Pate
authors.forename: Darla R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.forename: Hilary W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D008145:Louisiana; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States