The process of criminal commitment for pretrial psychiatric examination: an evaluation

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Legal Medicine
• Mental Health Law

Background:

• Examined 87 pretrial commitments to Worcester State Hospital in 1975.
• Analyzed hospital admission statistics from 1966-1975.
• Focused on a 1971 revision of Massachusetts law concerning pretrial commitments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utilization and outcomes of pretrial commitments under revised Massachusetts law.
• To investigate trends in pretrial commitments compared to other hospital admissions.
• To explore the potential function of pretrial commitment in managing 'deviant' individuals.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of hospital records for pretrial commitments.
• Statistical analysis of all hospital admissions over a decade (1966-1975).
• Comparative analysis of commitment types and final court dispositions.

Main Results:

• Only 2 out of 87 pretrial commitments led to a final court disposition of commitment.
• Pretrial commitments significantly increased between 1972 and 1975.
• Other types of hospital admissions showed a decrease during the same period.

Conclusions:

• The study questions the efficacy and purpose of pretrial commitments, with low final commitment rates.
• The rise in pretrial commitments suggests a potential shift towards using them for social control of deviants.
• Further attention is warranted regarding the implications of pretrial commitment practices.