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Civil commitment outcomes of incompetent defendants
Gwen A Levitt1, Illa Vora, Kelly Tyler
1Department of Psychiatry, Maricopa Integrated Health System and Maricopa County Superior Court, Phoenix, AZ, USA. glevitt@cox.net
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|September 21, 2010
Summary
Defendants found not competent and not restorable (NCNR) in Maricopa County are admitted to hospitals. These NCNR patients receive different treatment, including longer hospital stays, compared to those not involved in the criminal justice system.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Mental Health Law
- Hospital Administration
Background:
- In Maricopa County, individuals found not competent and not restorable (NCNR) are typically admitted to acute-care inpatient hospitals.
- Many NCNR patients may not meet standard admission criteria if not for their criminal offense evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether NCNR patients are treated differently from non-NCNR patients admitted to acute-care hospitals.
- To assess admission status and commitment outcomes for NCNR patients compared to community-admitted patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 293 NCNR admissions.
- Comparison with 280 matched community-admitted (non-NCNR) patients.
- Analysis of admission criteria, court-ordered treatment (COT), and length of stay.
Main Results:
- NCNR patients met fewer standard admission criteria than non-NCNR patients.
- NCNR patients received court-ordered treatment (COT) 22% more often.
- NCNR patients experienced longer hospital stays despite being assessed as less dangerous.
Conclusions:
- NCNR individuals admitted to acute-care hospitals appear to be treated differently from non-NCNR patients.
- The criminal justice evaluation process may influence admission and treatment of NCNR patients.
- Further research is needed to understand disparities in mental health care for NCNR populations.
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