Importance of Integrated Knowledge of Mental Health and Crime - Literature review Example

CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY By How Has Our Integrated Knowledge Of Mental Health And Crime Impact On The Way The Health And Criminal Justice Systems Diagnose And Treat Offenders/Patients? Introduction Clinical criminology is a new scope of science that provides an individual with an in-depth understanding of the offending behavior or a criminal or a mental health patient. This science deals particularly with the key role played by law breaking, mental illnesses, personality disorder, as well as cognitive impairment in an individual. The science pays special attention to sexual offending and personality disorders, such as psychopathy, in order to provide a thorough grounding in theory, as well as provide a link as to how this relates to the practice in the criminal justice system. Students taking a course in criminal psychology engage in a number of informed debates over major issues in criminology from this perspective, which in turn equips them with the necessary knowledge and skills to design, conduct, as well as critically appraise varied cases related to criminal psychology (Adler & Laufer 2012, p.46). This knowledge in clinical criminology provides learners with an integrated knowledge of mental health and crime, as well as the capability to discern its impact on both the health as well as the criminal justice systems, especially in the manner in which they diagnose and treat patients or offenders respectively. Prins (2010) argues that it pays particular focus on the mental stability of an individual, as well as how this mental disorder may lead to their inappropriate behavior or their tendency to violence, such as domestic violence and sexual violence. This knowledge enables concerned practitioners to know the best strategies to employ in dealing with an individual who has mental disorders. It employs the schools of knowledge in areas of psychology, mental health and criminology with a particular focus on diagnosing and treating cases such cases both in prison as well as within the community (Barlow & Decker 2010, p. 77). Historical Background Sometimes back, it was difficult to relate crime to mental disorders. However, with the high rates of insanity within the modern day society, forensics is adopting the strategy of mental disorders as the leading cause of the increased incidences of crime within the society. They attribute to case such as drug use and abuse, alcoholism, as to be the leading cases of mental instability within the society. When an individual is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he or she has a grave tendency to commit crime as their minds lose the sense of judgment and self-control. For instance, most female victims of rape suffer the ordeal whilst under the influence of drugs such as alcohol, and as such, are unable to oppose their offenders from proceeding with the beastly act (Ben-Aron, Hucker & Webster 1985, p.67). However, other serious cases of mental instability that also lead to crime also exist, especially those caused by stress and depression, or anxiety. This is why a judge always asks the defendant if he or she was of sane mind while committing the crime, and possibly sends them to the clinic to have them tested for mental stability. This shows that the criminal justice system nowadays recognizes the grave consequences of an unstable mind and the great havoc it may cause to the society if untamed (Ben-David & Silfen 1993, p.122). According to Morrison (2013), this leads to the massive efforts put forward for the management and treatment of mental disorder cases both in prison as well as within the community. Most prisons now have an in-house psychologist who evaluates and analyses the mental stability of each prisoner, relating their condition to the crimes that they committed leading to their incarceration. On the other hand, most community hospitals have a specialized psychotic’s wing, which deals entirely with mental health cases and strives to treat and manage patients diagnosed with any form of mental disorders in order to restore them back to sanity. Prison Management of Mental Disorder Cases As mentioned earlier, some prisoners are in prison mainly because of their mental disorders. For instance, take a criminal who smoked too much weed, got his mind confused then hacked his family to death. He has to answer charges of manslaughter and murder, yet he was not in his right mind when undertaking the crime. Furthermore, he had no way of controlling himself, or the right mental capacity to deter him from committing the crime. As such, the prison officer in charge of the mental health of the prisoners works to ensure that the prisoner comes to terms with his crimes, and the mental instability that led them to committing the crimes. He then works around to ensure the prisoner recovers his sanity and recognizes the damages he caused (Carr, Marshall & O’reilly 2004, p.99). Community Management of Mental Disorder Cases The community also has systems of recognizing mental instability among its members, especially those who perform activities that are different from the expected norms and traditions of the society, such as walking naked, shouting aimlessly, or performing various acts of violence. The integrated knowledge of mental health and crime plays an important role in determining the way the community handles these cases, as well as provide a quicker and less bothersome alternative to the management and treatment of mental disorders within the community. As such, this also leads to the elimination of various cases of crime in the society, thereby reducing the level of crime to ensure peace and stability within the community. On the other hand, it champions for the treatment of mental health cases in order to ensure appropriate management of one’s actions and behaviors (Ferracuti & Wolfgang 2013, p.45). Conclusion According to Oliveira & Zaffaroni (2013), clinical criminology is the new style of dealing with cases of crimes related to mental disorders within the society. As such, for every crime committed within the society, there should be an extensive evaluation of the mental capacity of the criminal before the execution of the crime, and establish the possibility of any form of mental instability that necessitated the performance of the crime. Treatment of such cases is now much simpler owing to the great advances made in medicine and psychology, as well as the acceptance and recognition of mental disorders by the criminal justice system (Hilton, Jackson & Webster 1990, p.187). References Adler, F. & Laufer, W. (2012) the Criminology of Criminal Law. New York: Transaction Publishers. Barlow, H. & Decker, S. (2010) Criminology and Public Policy: Putting Theory to Work. New York: Temple University Press. Ben-Aron, M., Hucker, S. & Webster, C. (1985) Clinical Criminology: The Assessment and Treatment of Criminal Behavior. Chantilly, Virginia: M & M Graphics. Ben-David, S. & Silfen, P. (1993) Clinical Criminology: A Bridge between Forensic Professionals. Med Law 1993: 12 (6-8): 479 -85. [Online] Available At http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8183056 Carr, A., Marshall, W. & O’reilly, G. (2004) The Handbook Of Clinical Intervention With Young People Who Sexually Abuse. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. Ferracuti, F. & Wolfgang, M. (2013) the Subculture of Violence: Towards an Integrated Theory in Criminology. London: Routledge. Hilton, N., Jackson, M. & Webster, C. (1990) Clinical Criminology: Research, Theory and Practice. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press. Morrison, W. (2013) Criminology, Civilization and the New World Order. London: Routledge. Oliveira, E. & Zaffaroni, E. (2013) Criminology and Criminal Policy Movements. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America. Prins, H. (2010) Offenders, Deviants, or Patients? Explorations in Clinical Criminology. London: Taylor & Francis. Read More