Care of the mentally ill offender. A model service

Caring for mentally ill offenders has been a contentious issue in almost all parts of the world. In some countries such as New South Wales in Australia, a humane approach has gradually evolved over the years. This paper describes a successful service delivery model for forensic patients in a metropolitan psychiatric hospital in Sydney. Issues relating to selection criteria, problems associated with caring for the mentally ill offender in a general psychiatric hospital environment and the integration of the forensic patients with civilian psychiatric patients are discussed.