On the outcome of the treatment of mentally disordered criminal offenders (according to §64 German penal code) suffering from addictive disorders

Background

To present findings on criminal conviction and recidivism rates of 277 criminal offenders ordered to a forensic psychiatric facility caring for addictive disorders between 1996 and 2001.

Methods

Cluster- and regression-analytic procedures identified predictive variables for declaring the forensic psychiatric hospitalization as useless, and for relevant criminal offences after discharge.

Results

About 85% of the study sample showed more than four offences and more than 1.5 years of imprisonment before admission to the index-treatment episode. About half of the patients was successfully treated as indicated by being released on licence. Socialization in institutions, social desintegration before admission, and absconding during the index-treatment episode are important factors increasing the probability of declaring the hospitalization as useless. In the 2-year observation period, the criminal recidivism rate was 40.0%.

Conclusion

Social reintegration of this group of mentally disordered criminal offenders is as difficult as important. Findings on recidivism rates indicate a need for extending the number of specialized forensic outpatient departments and a need to focus on primary prevention.