Recovery of Offenders Formerly Labeled as Not Criminally Responsible: Uncovering the Ambiguity From First-Person Narratives

Abstract

The recovery paradigm is a widely accepted strength-based approach in general mental health care. Particular challenges arise when applying this paradigm in a forensic context. To address these issues, the present study examined recovery based on first-person narratives of offenders formerly labeled as not criminally responsible of whom the judicial measure was abrogated. Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain information on lived experiences and recovery resources of this hard-to-reach and understudied population. The interviews focused on recovery and elements that indicated a sense of progress in life. Key themes were derived from the collected data. Descriptions of recovery resources followed recurrent themes, including clinical, functional, social, and personal resources. Participants also reported ambiguous experiences related to features of the judicial trajectory. This was defined as forensic recovery and can be seen as an additional mechanism, besides more established recovery dimensions, that is unique to mentally ill offenders.

Family Support Groups for Family Members of Mentally Ill Offenders: Therapeutic Factors

“…The inclusion criteria were based on the rationale that MFG therapy is an effective treatment for families living with patients with bipolar and psychotic disorders (Asen, ; McFarlane, ). Further, we have focused on this patient population because these patients, until a recent change in the law, were often placed under an internment measure after conducting minor ‘public’ offences, particularly when they had a long psychiatric history of non‐treatment compliance (Aga et al., ; Vandevelde et al., ). The current living and treatment conditions of the mentally ill relative, the familial background, and the nature of the criminal offence played no role in the selection of the family members.…”

“…Family members of mentally ill offenders experience a range of emotional, financial, and psychological burdens and a double stigma, because their relative is not only seen as a psychiatric patient but also as a criminal (MacInnes & Watson, ; Rowaert et al., ; Tsang, Pearson, & Yuen, ). This is further aggravated by the fact that, until recently, mentally ill offenders – even when they only committed a minor offence – have often been incarcerated in correctional settings (e.g., prison), because of a lack of sufficient treatment facilities in (forensic) psychiatric settings (Abracen, Gallo, Looman, & Goodwill, ; Aga et al., ; Sheehy et al., ; Vandevelde et al., ). As a result, family members often become even more socially isolated, with little or no support from family, friends, or professionals (Nordström, Kullgren, & Dahlgren, ; Ridley et al., ).…”

‘The Art of Understanding in Forensic Psychiatric Care’ – From a Caring Science Perspective Based on a Lifeworld Approach

“…It is important to listen and to acknowledge someone by listening to what the other (i.e., the patient) has to say as a subject-contributing to a feeling of being understood and therefore acknowledged (Dahlberg & Ekman, 2017;H€ orberg, 2015). Patients cared for in a forensic psychiatric setting describe needs of feeling a sense of belonging in order to being able to be themselves and to feel being accepted (Aga, Vander Laenen, Vandevelde, Vermeersch, & Vanderplasschen, 2017). Koskinen and Lindstr€ om (2015) assert that a carer who listens, shows compassion and is together with the patient in his/her struggle in suffering can take the patient out of his/her loneliness and thus alleviate suffering.…”

An Interview Study of Professional Carers’ Experiences of Supporting Patient Participation in a Maximum Security Forensic Psychiatric Setting

“…The study emphasised the importance of being involved as a patient and that good communication between caregiver and patient is fundamental to impact care and exert influence (Selvin, Almqvist, Kjellin, & Schr€ oder, 2016). Another study showed that patients' needs of being accepted and belonging were critical for their ability to be themselves (Aga, Vander Laenen, Vandevelde, Vermeersch, & Vanderplasschen, 2017). Participation in forensic psychiatric care is complex due to its corrective and disciplinary nature.…”