Outcome of patients rehabilitated through a New Zealand forensic psychiatry service: a 7.5 year retrospective study

Abstract

This paper describes a 7.5 year retrospective study of all patients discharged from inpatient forensic services to forensic community team (FCT) follow-up from the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Service. Patients' files were studied for clinical, criminal, and risk data, type of service delivered, and final level of function achieved in the community. Rearrest, re-hospitalization, and reimprisonment data were obtained from clinical, court, and prison records.105 patients were included. The most common diagnosis was a psychotic disorder, and index offending behaviour was typically violent. The median period of inpatient stay was 36 months and mean subsequent FCT follow-up 21.7 months (SD 17.8). The majority of patients were from Maori and Pacific Island ethnic groups. At the end of the study, half were in independent living, half were in some form of employment, and 19% were readmitted to a forensic hospital. One patient was rearrested but not reimprisoned whilst under forensic community team care. However, 9 of the 48 who were discharged to general mental health services were rearrested and 5 reimprisoned. Only two offences were as serious as the original index offence. Broad based assertive, mandated, and committed forensic rehabilitation can achieve high quality outcomes. These levels of function may not be sustained under less assertive care.

Introduction to this Special Issue: Conditional Release

“…627–640) demonstrate the overall effectiveness of maintaining individuals on CR in community‐based programming. Findings from these articles are consistent with recent research on CR, demonstrating modest recidivism rates and a low rearrest rate, especially for violent offenses (see also Callahan & Silver, ; Simpson, Jones, Evans, & McKenna, ; Vitacco et al ., ; Vitacco, Vauter, Erickson, & Ragatz, ). Further evidence underscoring the generally positive results surrounding CR should be welcomed by policymakers who have a stake in mental health programming.…”

Assessing Insanity Acquittee Recidivism in Connecticut

“…The topic of community‐based forensic treatment for mentally ill offenders has also been of great international interest (see Table ). The studies by Ong et al () and Simpson et al () demonstrate rates of recidivism comparable to or even less than the more recent American studies. Skipworth et al () found significantly higher rates of recidivism, but this may be related to the longer duration of follow‐up (which is often linked to higher recidivism rates) and the study follow‐up beginning in 1976, prior to the advent of more intensive community supervision.…”

International Trends in Demand for Forensic Mental Health Services

“…In a follow-up of all forensic patients discharged from the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Service in New Zealand from 1998 to 2004, the majority were single men with a mean age of 38 years. Eighty-nine percent had a primary psychotic diagnosis (predominantly schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder), 22% were diagnosed with a personality disorder, 78% had a co-morbid substance abuse disorder, and most had a criminal history where violence was the predominant index behavior (Simpson, Jones, Evans, & McKenna, 2006). An evaluation of data from the Department of Health and Ministry of Justice in England and Wales found that 88% of the forensic services population was male, 84% were between 26 and 64 years of age, and nearly half were detained for violent or sexual offenses (Rutherford & Duggan, 2007).…”