Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Treating the condemned to death.

D A Sargent

    The Hastings Center Report
    |December 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary

    Psychiatrists should not treat mentally ill prisoners on death row to restore their competency for execution. This ethical conflict violates medical codes and echoes historical abuses by physicians.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Why Women Get so Short of Breath.

    Hall's journal of health·2022
    Same author

    "STRENGTH TESTS AND THE STRONG MEN OF HARVARD."

    Journal. Boston Society of Medical Sciences·2009
    Same author

    ON THE RELATION OF THE CEPHALIC INDEX TO HEIGHT, WEIGHT, STRENGTH, AND MENTAL ABILITY.

    Journal. Boston Society of Medical Sciences·2009
    Same author

    A Fundamental Mechanism for a New System of Motor Vehicles, Testing Apparatus, and Developing Appliances.

    Journal. Boston Society of Medical Sciences·2009
    Same author

    Physical Training.

    Public health papers and reports·2009
    Same author

    Report of Committee on School Hygiene.

    Public health papers and reports·2009
    JoVE
    x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
    ABOUT JoVE
    OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
    AUTHORS
    Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
    LIBRARIANS
    TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
    RESEARCH
    JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
    EDUCATION
    JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
    Terms & Conditions of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Policies

    Area of Science:

    • Medical Ethics
    • Forensic Psychiatry
    • Criminal Justice

    Background:

    • The practice of restoring competency to be executed for mentally ill prisoners raises significant ethical concerns.
    • Physicians face a conflict between their duty to heal and the state's interest in execution.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To examine the ethical implications for psychiatrists treating death row prisoners to restore competency for execution.
    • To argue against such treatment based on medical ethics and historical parallels.

    Main Methods:

    • Ethical analysis of psychiatric treatment in the context of capital punishment.
    • Review of professional codes of conduct, specifically the AMA Code of Ethics.
    • Historical comparison with unethical medical practices.

    Main Results:

    • Treating prisoners to restore competency for execution creates an ethical dual role, serving both the state and the prisoner.
    • Participation in an act leading to a prisoner's death is prohibited by the AMA Code of Ethics.
    • Such practices are compared to the unethical actions of Nazi physicians.

    Conclusions:

    • Psychiatrists must refrain from treating mentally ill prisoners on death row for the purpose of restoring competency to be executed.
    • Upholding ethical principles and avoiding historical atrocities is paramount in forensic psychiatry.
    Keywords:
    Death and EuthanasiaFord v. WainwrightMental Health Therapies

    Related Experiment Videos