2 ms·

On the other hand, if saying "my client is suicidal" got defense attorneys anywhere, the only result would be that suddenly every criminal is suicidal.

DanBC 14y ago
Ideally you'd have mental health hospitals with a variety of security levels. Some of those hospitals are for people who pose no risk to others and who have never been involved in offending behaviour. Other hospitals are forensic, are part of the criminal justice system, and take people who are mentally disordered offenders. You have different levels or different wards - wards for people who pose a serious risk of harm to others; wards for people who pose little risk of harm to others but who are really ill and who would otherwise be in jail. In the UK prisoners have a sentence. They serve the sentence, and then are released. A prisoner who develops a severe mental health problem is transferred to a secure[1] mental health unit (a forensic unit). They stop being a prisoner and become a patient. They get returned to jail when they are well. Some criminals are ill at the time of the offending behaviour, and get sent straight to secure hospitals. These people do not have a sentence. They just have to convince people that they're well. And once they've done that they get returned to jail to continue serving their sentence. So being a patient means things like forced medication, and a lack of information about when you're going to be released or what you need to do to get out. I take your point though. I hope I haven't suggested that people can use mental ill health as an excuse for offending behaviour. [1] Secure is a jargon word here, meaning units for people with some police involvement. There are plenty of locked wards, but they don't get called secure units. And there are 'section 136 places of safety' which used to be police cells (still are in many places) but which should really be somewhere therapeutic / clinical. (Section 136 is used by police to take people who are 'mad in public' to a place of safety to be assessed by a doctor.) EDIT: Wow, wall of text. Sorry.

DanBC 14y ago

Ideally you'd have mental health hospitals with a variety of security levels. Some of those hospitals are for people who pose no risk to others and who have never been involved in offending behaviour. Other hospitals are forensic, are part of the criminal justice system, and take people who are mentally disordered offenders. You have different levels or different wards - wards for people who pose a serious risk of harm to others; wards for people who pose little risk of harm to others but who are really ill and who would otherwise be in jail. In the UK prisoners have a sentence. They serve the sentence, and then are released. A prisoner who develops a severe mental health problem is transferred to a secure[1] mental health unit (a forensic unit). They stop being a prisoner and become a patient. They get returned to jail when they are well. Some criminals are ill at the time of the offending behaviour, and get sent straight to secure hospitals. These people do not have a sentence. They just have to convince people that they're well. And once they've done that they get returned to jail to continue serving their sentence. So being a patient means things like forced medication, and a lack of information about when you're going to be released or what you need to do to get out. I take your point though. I hope I haven't suggested that people can use mental ill health as an excuse for offending behaviour. [1] Secure is a jargon word here, meaning units for people with some police involvement. There are plenty of locked wards, but they don't get called secure units. And there are 'section 136 places of safety' which used to be police cells (still are in many places) but which should really be somewhere therapeutic / clinical. (Section 136 is used by police to take people who are 'mad in public' to a place of safety to be assessed by a doctor.) EDIT: Wow, wall of text. Sorry.