Monitoring and management of psychiatric symptomatology in conditionally released insanity acquittees

Community treatment of insanity acquittees is a highly controversial matter among legislators, mental health professionals and the public. At issue is the balancing of public safety concerns with least restrictive, non-punitive rehabilitation alternatives for insanity acquittees. Attempts to determine predictors of dangerousness in mentally ill offenders have produced mixed results with questionable practical value. In view of this, many mental health professionals are instead recommending that research on insanity acquittees be focused on evaluating the effectiveness of mandated community treatment programs for insanity acquittees. One area being designated for such research is the monitoring and management of psychopathology in conditionally released insanity acquittees, as mental deterioration in this population is a primary concern in assuring public safety. This thesis examined the monitoring and management of psychiatric symptomatology in a subsample of conditionally released insanity acquittees