| Abstract: | The management and treatment of mentally disordered offenders is significantly hindered by our lack of detailed knowledge of this population. The present investigation attempted to identify five groups of male, mentally disordered offenders that are distinctive with respect to treatment needs: career criminals, chronic schizophrenics, violent psychotics, violent middleclass individuals, and intellectually handicapped subjects. It was hypothesized that patterns of recidivism and relapse would be different for each of these groups. A sample of 181 males previously judged unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity were followed for an average of 6.1 years after discharge to the community. Factors relating to recidivism but not to relapse were found to distinguish the five groups. |
