NCJ Number
87034
Date Published
1982
Length
124 pages
Annotation
A followup study of ex-patients of the Henri van der Hoeven Clinic in Utrecht, Netherlands, traced the preplacement and postplacement histories of the 627 mentally disturbed offenders treated there from the clinic's founding in 1955 to 1977.
Abstract
Data were obtained from criminal justice records and the clinic's case files; interviews were held with 331 ex-patients. The central research question concerned the connection between the present functioning of ex-patients and the treatment they received at the clinic. Also studied were changes in the clinic's inmate population over the years in terms of social background and offenses. Length of stay at the institution and the manner in which treatment was concluded were examined in relation to recidivism and social functioning after release. The general trend shows increasingly younger-aged admissions for more violent offenses, while the duration of treatment has become shorter. Recidivism appears to be influenced by the type of discharge -- 70 percent of those transferred to other institutions committed subsequent offenses, while only 31 percent of those released on parole recidivated. Resocialization and current level of adjustment appeared greater with those from better original backgrounds and direct release from the clinic. Tabular data, footnotes, and 37 references are given. Study instruments, a glossary, correspondence, a photograph of the clinic's facility, and graphs are appended.