Since the attempted assassination of President Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr., avid attention has again focused upon the supposed deficiencies and abuses of the insanity plea, and the nation has witnessed many attempts in various jurisdictions either to alter or to abolish the plea. Unfortunately, these efforts have been conducted within a context where little empirical data on the operation of the plea is available to guide policymakers. The present article represents an effort to summarize the information that is currently available concerning the frequency with which the plea is made, the characteristics of defendants involved, and the subsequent psychiatric and criminal histories of these individuals.
The insanity plea: The uses and abuses of the insanity defense
