title: The national trajectory project of individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder in Canada. Part 4: criminal recidivism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine criminal recidivism rates of a large sample of people found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) in Canada's 3 most populous provinces, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Public concern about the dangerousness of people found NCRMD has been fed by media attention on high-profile cases. However, little research is available on the rate of reoffending among people found NCRMD across Canadian provinces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the National Trajectory Project, this study examined 1800 men and women in British Columbia (n = 222), Ontario (n = 484), and Quebec (n = 1094) who were found NCRMD between May 2000 and April 2005 and followed until December 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recidivism was relatively low after 3 years (17%). There were interprovincial differences after controlling for number of prior criminal offences, diagnosis, seriousness of the index offence, and supervision by the review boards. British Columbia (10%) and Ontario (9%) were similar, whereas Quebec had almost twice the recidivism (22%). People who had committed severe violent index offences were less likely to reoffend than those who had committed less severe offences. People from the sample were less likely to reoffend when under the purview of review boards, across all 3 provinces.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study, along with other research on processing differences, suggest systemic differences in the trajectories and outcomes of persons found NCRMD need to be better understood to guide national policies and practices.
authors.affiliation: Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Student, Department of Criminology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Yanick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Charette
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec; Associate Director, Policy and Knowledge Exchange, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Anne G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.affiliation: Director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, Brockville, Ontario.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: Student, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; Senior Research Fellow, Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission, BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, Coquitlam, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Tonia L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: National Coordinator, National Trajectory Project, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Malijai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caulet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D057237:Criminals / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology