NCJ Number
46766
Date Published
1978
Length
19 pages
Annotation
SUMMARIES OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS OF ONGOING RESEARCH INTO THE BRONX, NEW YORK, COURT RELATED UNIT (CRU), A PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR MENTALLY ILL AND VIOLENT MALE DELINQUENTS, ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE CRU HAS BEEN IN OPERATION NEARLY 2 YEARS. IT IS A JOINT EFFORT OF THE DIVISION FOR YOUTH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE, AND CONSISTS OF AN INPATIENT DIAGNOSTIC UNIT (IPDU) AND A LONG-TERM TREATMENT UNIT (LTTU). ALTHOUGH SERIOUS PROBLEMS WERE EXPERIENCED DURING THE FIRST 10 MONTHS, A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. A STUDY OF REFERRAL INTO AND PATHS THROUGH THE CRU INDICATES THAT THE FAMILY COURT REMAINS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF REFERRALS. YOUTHS ADMITTED HAD USUALLY COMMITTED EXTREMELY VIOLENT OFFENSES; OTHERS HAD COMMITTED LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES, BUT HAD DISPLAYED VIOLENT BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. PROFILES FOR YOUTHS ADMITTED INDICATE THAT THEIR AVERAGE AGE IS 15, MOST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIME AND HAVE A PREVIOUS CRIMINAL HISTORY, AND ALMOST HALF HAVE HAD PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE YOUTH'S FAMILIES HAD ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS. A PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION OF THE YOUTHS INDICATES THAT THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED AS SCHIZOPHRENIC, MORE LIKELY TO DIAGNOSE AS PERSONALITY/BEHAVIOR DISORDERED, ARE LIKELY TO BE EVALUATED AS EXPERIENCING SERIOUS ILLNESS, AND MORE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE PROBLEMS IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AND IN SCHOOL THAN ARE SUBJECTS IN A CONTROL GROUP ADMITTED TO OTHER DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE FACILITIES. THE TWO GROUPS ALSO DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY IN DEPRESSION, ASSAULTIVE ACTS, ANTISOCIAL ATTITUDES, AND SEXUAL PROBLEMS. AN ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR RATING FORMS INDICATED THAT YOUTH ADMITTED TO THE CRU PROGRAM APPEAR TO BE IMPROVING; VIOLENT AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS HAVE DECREASED, RESPONSES TO THE PROGRAM ARE GENERALLY POSITIVE, AND STAFF ARE PERCEIVED AS HELPFUL AND SYMPATHETIC. TO DATE, ONLY FOUR ADMITTED YOUTHS HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY THE LTTU AT PROGRAM COMPLETION. NONE OF THESE HAS BEEN REARRESTED OR REHOSPITALIZED SINCE RELEASE. A COMPARISON OF STAFF ATTITUDES TOWARD CRU YOUTHS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM AND 1.5 YEARS LATER SHOWED THAT GREATER SYMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING, AND MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES HAVE DEVELOPED OVER TIME. CRU STAFF INDICATED THAT EXTERNAL AGENCIES, GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS INFLUENCED ALL PHASES OF THE CRU PROGRAM, BUT EXERTED A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ONLY FOR ADMISSION CRITERIA AND INTAKE PROCESSING. A PRELIMINARY COMPARISON WITH OTHER PROGRAMS FOR MENTALLY DISORDERED, VIOLENT YOUTHS INDICATES THAT WHILE PROFESSIONALS SEE A GREAT NEED FOR SUCH PROGRAMS, THEIR AVAILABILITY VARIES GREATLY FROM STATE TO STATE. (JAP)