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Forensic Research with the Mentally Disordered Offender

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Book cover Ethical Issues in Prison Psychiatry

Part of the book series: International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine ((LIME,volume 46))

Abstract

Mentally ill persons stand at the intersection of several social systems, particularly health and justice, but are equally the concern of the correctional and welfare systems. Health care systems claim control of the mentally disordered person on the premise that they suffer from an illness, indeed a disease for those mental health professionals bent on a biological understanding of mental conditions, and that such illness deprives them of the ability to make proper decisions and entitles them to specialized care, treatment and protection. The Justice system states that the mentally disordered are in need of protection from themselves and, more importantly, protection of others so that the mentally ill do not cause them harm. Correctional systems also lay claim to the mentally ill by virtue of the fact that a large number of them end up in prison and that prisons are veritable mental health institutions. Finally, the Welfare system ‘claims’ the mentally ill based on the fact that they are incapacitated to work and are in need of financial and housing support, and even aid-in-living supports for those most severely ill, such as persons suffering from dementia. Even when the mentally disordered commit offences, the Justice system considers that they should not be punished with the full force of the law.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and of Community Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, USA

    Julio Arboleda-Flórez (Professor Emeritus)

  2. 483 River Ridge Drive, Glenburnie, ON, K0H 1S0, USA

    Julio Arboleda-Flórez (Professor Emeritus)

  3. Philippe Pinel Professor of Legal Psychiatry and Biomedical Ethics, International Academy of Law and Mental Health (IALMH), Montreal, QC, Canada

    David N. Weisstub

  4. Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    David N. Weisstub

Authors
  1. Julio Arboleda-Flórez
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  2. David N. Weisstub
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julio Arboleda-Flórez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forensic Psychiatry Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Norbert Konrad

  2. Section of Forensic Psychiatry, Division, University of Nottingham and Rampton Hos, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Birgit Völlm

  3. University of Montreal Fac. Medicine, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    David N. Weisstub

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Arboleda-Flórez, J., Weisstub, D.N. (2013). Forensic Research with the Mentally Disordered Offender. In: Konrad, N., Völlm, B., Weisstub, D. (eds) Ethical Issues in Prison Psychiatry. International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0086-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0086-4_5

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