Diagnostic Moderators of the Risk-Recidivism Relationship for Offenders with Mental Illness

Recent research suggests that early onset of criminality is a potential marker for a subgroup of offenders with mental illness (OMI) for whom general risk/need factors are more relevant. The present study examines whether the presence of certain psychiatric diagnostic categories (i.e., Psychotic Disorders, Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders, Substance use Disorders) moderates the prediction of arrest outcomes using Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) total scores in an archival sample of N = 179 OMI probationers. Moderator analyses demonstrated that LSI-R total scores predicted arrest outcomes significantly better for those with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder using path and survival analytic methods. Hierarchical regressions using LSI-R subscales as predictors revealed lower pro-criminal Attitudes for Mood Disordered participants, while more severe Criminal History and Family/Marital problems characterized those diagnosed with Personality Disorders. This study adds to the developing literature on subgroups of OMI for whom general risk/need factors are particularly important and highlights personality disturbance as another potential characterizing feature.

Investigating the Distance to Crime for Offenders With Mental Illness: How Routine Is Routine?

Research consistently demonstrates that offenders do not travel far to crime. Although this finding has been observed across different types of offending and offenders, one group rarely examined within this paradigm is offenders with mental illness (OWMI). We calculated the distance to crime for a group of offenders with a documented mental illness and compared that distance to those in other publications for other samples. We found that our sample of OWMI traveled about the same and in some cases shorter distances to crime than other offenders. Although this study has limitations, we believe it nevertheless lends support to the environmental criminology paradigm and provides important policy implications, as well as questions for further research.

Proven Strategies for Engagement, Effective Change and Enduring Risk Reduction with Offenders

Research indicates that at least 70% of offenders reach criteria for personality disorder other than antisocial and, due to the closure of mental health hospitals world-wide; there are an increasing number of offenders with mental illness located in prisons. To fully assess and reduce the risk an offender poses and to try to remediate that risk, the underlying drives to offend must be understood and addressed. To do this an offender must be genuinely engaged. It is suggested that this is in part due to having poor attachment histories and no internal model of a healthy attachment. This paper is written by a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist with a long standing proven record of establishing and running services for and working therapeutically with men with mental health issues with outstanding results in risk reduction alongside and by an expert by experience who has in-depth personal insights into the both the processes needed for effective engagement and change. It describes useable strategies as to how to successfully engage offenders and how to develop a healthy and reparative therapeutic relationship. It describes the importance of a collaborative clinical formulation to aid the development of a coherent narrative and of an emotionally present and engaged therapist. The need to work on both victim and offender issues to bring about real change and risk reduction is elucidated throughout.