Programs, Predictors, and More Progress: A Narrative Review of the Competency Restoration Literature

Much of prior competency literature has evaluated differences in competent and incompetent defendants. However, there has been a recent surge of research assessing restorability patterns among incompetent defendants, comparing those who restore to those who are difficult to restore, particularly in response to significant inpatient restoration waitlists which are extending case proceedings and instances of pretrial incarceration. In this review, I discuss differences in restoration program modalities, including advantages and disadvantages related to client outcomes and impacts of each. I then outline the current literature in relation to predictors of restorability opinions and outcomes, including individual differences and case characteristics. Lastly, I provide recommendations for future research directions in this area, emphasizing gaps in the literature and constructs in need of more robust analysis.