There are now more mentally disordered persons living in U.S. communities than ever before (Whitmer, 1980), due to rapid deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill from state hospitals. One result of this trend has been that the mentally ill are apparently placed at greater risk of arrest, and detention within the criminal justice system. In a number of states, research suggests that deinstitutionalization from civil hospitals has affected the flow of admissions to forensic hospitals. The present study evaluates diversion of the mentally ill through the criminal justice system by examining changes within the Florida State Hospital Forensic Unit from 1979 to 1985--a period during which the state of Florida has experienced a rapid and relatively steady decline in its civil hospital population. A total of 100 admissions to the Florida State Hospital are reviewed during equivalent periods in 1979, 1982 and 1985. / Although demographically similar to forensic patients in other states, forensic patients in Florida were described by an extremely high rate of psychosis, a high incidence of previous arrest and of institutionalization in state civil hospitals. The 1979 group of forensic admissions had significantly more previous arrests than either the 1982 or 1985 groups. Accordingly, the severity of offenses committed by 1979 forensic referrals was somewhat greater than that of the remaining two groups. Admissions in 1982 and 1985 were much more likely to be referred for hospitalization following arrest for a 'nuisance' offense. Forensic admissions in 1985 more frequently manifested evidence of chronic mental illness, and other psychiatric symptoms. / Evidence from the present study indicates that recent forensic referrals in Florida might be treated as effectively in less restrictive settings. No systematic evidence was found to support the contention that Florida forensic hospitals are used to detain psychiatric patients for excessive periods of time. Results are seen to provide some support for the hypothesis that reductions in the capacity of state mental health programs may lead to the criminalization of the mentally ill. Means of providing more effective screening of the mentally ill within the criminal justice system are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: B, page: 5064. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76008 |
| Contributors | PETERS, ROGER HUGH., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 239 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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