Tough on Crime or Beating the System

Abstract

Homicide defendants asserting the insanity defense make a volatile combination. Numerous studies review inmates with murder convictions, yet the literature is not rich regarding defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) for murder. This study analyzes 27 years of insanity acquittals in Missouri, finding significant differences between those defendants found NGRI for murder and those found NGRI for other crimes. The get-tough-on-crime initiatives found in the criminal justice system may have led to longer hospital stays post-1996 for NGRI murder acquittees, yet hospitalization lengths increased for all NGRI acquittees, a potential unintended consequence. Policy implications and future research directions are discussed.

Exploring the nature and prevalence of targeted violence perpetrated by persons found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder

“…A recent structured review demonstrated that the odds of perpetration of any violent behavior increased substantially when a variety of mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD), personality disorders, or substance use was present (Whiting et al., 2021); a specific link between psychosis and violence has also been supported (Douglas et al., 2009). As individuals who are found NCRMD in Canada (Crocker et al., 2015a) and internationally (Dirks‐Linhorst & Kondrat, 2012) are most frequently diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, the role of the different symptoms of psychosis in targeted violence is an important area of inquiry.…”