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Analyzing offense patterns as a function of mental illness to test the criminalization hypothesis
Jillian Peterson1, Jennifer L Skeem, Eliza Hart
1Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USA.
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.)
|December 3, 2010
Summary
Most offenders with mental illness do not fit the criminalization hypothesis. Their criminal behavior, like that of other offenders, is often driven by reactivity and impulsivity, not solely by psychosis.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Criminology
Background:
- Offender mental health programs often assume untreated symptoms drive criminal behavior.
- The
- criminalization hypothesis
- suggests unique offending patterns in individuals with mental illness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the criminalization hypothesis in offenders with serious mental illness.
- To compare offending patterns between offenders with and without mental illness.
Main Methods:
- 220 parolees (111 with serious mental illness, 109 without) were interviewed.
- Offenders were classified into five lifetime offending pattern groups.
- Distributions of mental illness across groups were compared.
Main Results:
- Only a small minority (7%) of offenders with mental illness fit the criminalization hypothesis.
- Most offenders with mental illness (90%) and without (68%) were in the 'reactive' group.
- Reactivity, hostility, and substance dependence were common drivers of crime for both groups.
Conclusions:
- Offending patterns in serious mental illness are diverse.
- Psychiatric service linkage may help a minority, but broader treatment is needed.
- Targeting impulsivity and criminogenic needs is crucial for reducing recidivism in most offenders.
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