Reconviction and revocation rates in Flanders after medium security treatment

To examine the criminal outcome of Flemish forensic psychiatric patients ('internees') after medium security treatment. Also, the effect of conditional release on recidivism of two subgroups (internees under conditional release and internees who received unconditional release) was examined.

Reconviction rates and revocation rates were collected for all participants. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to investigate recidivism rates while controlling for time at risk.

During the 10-year period, 502 offenders were discharged from medium security treatment. Over a follow-up period averaging 3.6years, 7.4% of discharged patients were reconvicted or received a new 'not guilty by reason of insanity' (NGRI) verdict for a violent offence. One-quarter of the population had their conditional release revoked. Part of the study population was granted unconditional release. Reconviction rates were higher after unconditional release in comparison to conditional release.

The results of this study suggest that the court supervision of NGRI patients in Flanders is effective in protecting the community from further offending.