New Frontiers for Conditional Release: Applying Lessons Learned from Other Offenders with Mental Illness

• Published in: Behavioral sciences & the law Vol. 34; no. 2-3; pp. 407 - 422
• Main Authors: Gowensmith, W. Neil, Peters, Amanda J., Lex, Indira A., Heng, Anika K.S., Robinson, Kevin P., Huston, Benjamin A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Commitment of Mentally Ill; Community Mental Health Services; Crime; Criminal justice; Criminals; Forensic psychiatry; Forensic Psychiatry - legislation & jurisprudence; Forensic Psychiatry - methods; Humans; Insanity Defense; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - psychology; Models, Theoretical; Parole & probation; Patient Discharge - legislation & jurisprudence; Patient Discharge - standards; Patient Discharge - trends; Risk Assessment
• ISSN: 0735-3936; 1099-0798
• DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2217

There is relatively little research in the literature on insanity acquittees as compared with the large number of studies focused on the supervision and treatment of probationers and parolees with mental illness. Ideally, the latter literature could be successfully applied to insanity acquittees discharged from an inpatient hospital on “conditional release.” This article describes the challenges faced by persons on conditional release as well as the gaps in extant conditional release literature. Then, five evidence‐based models for the supervision and/or treatment of probationers and parolees with mental illness are applied to a theoretical conditionally released population (mental health courts, forensic assertive community treatment teams, the risk–need–responsivity model, informed supervision practices, and HOPE probation). Benefits and limitations are noted, and recommendations for such crossover are given. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.