Intellectual abilities and motivation toward substance abuse treatment in drug-involved offenders: a pilot study in the Belgian criminal justice system

Crime and Legal Issues among Intellectually Disabled Individuals

Intellectual Disability (ID) can be caused by a variety of factors, which may lead to a variety of signs and symptoms. Individuals with ID are living in societies where during the past decade there is a steady increase in the amount of research focused on civil law, criminal law and mental health. In this chapter, there will be a theoretical presentation of the research on ID regarding criminal law and the different forms of aggressive behavior such as sexual violence, homicide, theft, arson and alcohol-drug abuse. There will be information on research regarding civil law and the most common problems for individuals with ID, such as financial capacity and capacity for medical consent. Finally, there will be a section for the most important issues regarding the trial and conviction for individuals with ID and a presentation of a recent research on attitudes toward ID and legal issues. The above will be examined through the prism of current neuropsychological data, while cross-cultural restrictions will be discussed.

Implicit motive profile of treatment-seeking opiate users: high affiliation and low achievement

Research on basic human motives (achievement, affiliation, and power) encoded at the emotional level recently returned to the forefront of scientific research. To date, there are only a few studies on the pattern of implicit motives of substance users, so the present study examined opiate users participating in methadone maintenance treatment (N = 80) along these dimensions, comparing them to 40 non-substance users. Participants were asked to create stories on the basis of the pictures of the Thematic Apperception Test. The stories were analyzed using the content analysis method of David Winter (1991). Like other substance user groups, opiate-dependent persons used less achievement and more affiliation notions in creating stories, while there was no significant difference between the two groups concerning power notions. The results proved to be independent of the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms, despite substance users reporting higher levels of these, and suggest that motivational factors are worth considering in treatment planning.

Intelligent diagnosing of intellectual disabilities in offenders: food for thought

Research on offenders with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in the criminal justice arena is on the rise, reflected by a growing number of relevant publications each year. However, there is a long recognized methodological problem that hampers the comparability of empirical studies and that raises doubts about the accuracy of prevalence rates, comorbidities, and various correlates and characteristics. In this paper we will argue that the crux of the problem can, on the one hand, be found in the plurality of assessment methods for intelligence and adaptive functioning, which are not all sufficiently reliable and valid. On the other hand, assessment of IQ in criminal justice and mental health-related areas appears to be informed more by practical aspects and needs rather than grounded in a solid theoretical model. Hence, we suggest that the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence has potential value in this regard, and deserves a closer look. Finally, we will discuss its incorporation into, and possible implications for, criminal justice practice and future study designs.

Mentally ill offenders in prison: the Belgian case

According to the EUPRIS-study on mental health in prisons (2007), available data on mental disorders in prison are scarce. Therefore, this study aims at summarizing and discussing the available knowledge on incarcerated mentally ill offenders concerning: (1) the screening and assessment for detecting mental health; (2) the psychiatric expertise in order to evaluate the mental status; and (3) the development and provision of forensic psychiatric treatment and care. These findings will be applied to the current situation in Belgium, which is a particularly interesting case. Belgium is currently facing difficulties concerning a large population of interned mentally ill offenders residing in correctional establishments. Implications with regard to the penal code, general or mental health legislation, screening, assessment, and treatment could deliver interesting viewpoints on how this problem could be tackled more effectively. Therefore, the findings will be discussed with reference to the international scientific and policy debate, focusing on ethical implications.

Assessment of Japanese stimulant control law offenders using the Addiction Severity Index--Japanese version: comparison with patients in treatment settings

The present study assessed problems in Japanese prisoners (inmates) who abused methamphetamine. Fifty-two male inmates were assessed in 2005-2007 using the Addiction Severity Index-Japanese version and compared with 55 male methamphetamine abusers in hospitals and recovery centers. The chi(2) and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests showed that the inmates had a significantly lower education level, more frequently had full-time jobs, had more experience living with a sexual partner, and more frequently had a history of juvenile delinquency and criminal records than patients. Although psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and hallucinations, were not common among inmates, suicidal behavior and trouble controlling violence were common in both groups.

Therapiemotivation, Psychische Belastung und Persönlichkeit bei Inhaftierten des Jugendvollzuges

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Therapiemotivation spielt für den Verlauf und Erfolg von Behandlungsmaßnahmen eine entscheidende Rolle. Fragestellung: Deshalb wurde der Frage nachgegangen, mit welchen psychischen Merkmalen (Psychische Belastung, Persönlichkeit) die Therapiemotivation bei jungen Häftlingen zusammenhängt. Methode: Es wurden 217 männliche Inhaftierte des Jugendvollzuges bezüglich der psychischen Befindlichkeit (KASSL, BSI), der Persönlichkeit (NEO-FFI; SKID-II Fragebogen), haftspezifischer Variablen und der Therapiemotivation (TMSF) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen Zusammenhang zur Therapiemotivation für die Variablen Erwartung der Therapiewirksamkeit, psychische Belastung, Neurotizismus sowie für dependente, depressive, schizotypische, negativistische und Borderline-Persönlichkeitsanteile. Schlussfolgerungen: Inhaftierte des Jugendvollzuges sind bzgl. intramuraler Behandlung nicht prinzipiell unmotiviert. Die Therapiemotivation bei Inhaftierten hängt jedoch nur gering bis mäßig von personalen Faktoren ab. Ergänzend dazu sollten im Strafvollzug deshalb auch externale Variablen (z.B. Therapieauflagen) erfasst und im Behandlungs-/Haftverlauf betrachtet werden.