Citation

Ogloff JRP. Psychiatry Psychol. Law. 2002; 9(1): 1-33.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1375/pplt.2002.9.1.1

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There is a disproportionate number of people with serious mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. Few of these people meet the legal criteria to be considered formal "forensic patients" (i.e., found unfit to plead or not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder). Instead, many are detained in remand gaols and are eventually sentenced. This article will provide an overview of the prevalence of mental illness among those in the criminal justice system. Information will be provided concerning the need for mental health services in gaols. An overview will be presented of the way in which the Province of British Columbia in Canada has developed correctional and forensic mental health services to identify and accommodate the needs of mentally ill people in the criminal justice system. Attention is paid, as well, to the related issues of diversion from gaols and the need for suicide risk identification and management in gaols. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Language: en

Keywords

Canada; criminal justice; forensic psychiatry; human; mental disease; mental health service; prevalence; prison; responsibility; review; suicide