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Route of discharge for special (high-security) hospital patients with personality disorder

Relationship with re-conviction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Sophie Davison ,
Elizabeth Jamieson  and
Pamela J. Taylor
Sophie Davison*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
Elizabeth Jamieson
Affiliation:
Broadmoor Hospital Authority
Pamela J. Taylor
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, and Broadmoor Hospital Authority
*
Correspondence to: Dr Sophie Davison, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park. London SE5 8AF. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

A considerable proportion of patients with personality disorder are discharged directly to the community from special (high-security) hospitals.

Aims

To examine whether patients with personality disorder discharged directly to the community are more likely to be re-convicted than those transferred to psychiatric hospitals of lesser security.

Method

Re-conviction data for a f ive-to nine-year follow-up were collected for a four-year (1988–1991) special hospital discharge cohort of patients with personality disorder.

Results

Individuals discharged directly to the community were not significantly more likely to be re-convicted than those transferred to less secure psychiatric hospitals. However, patients discharged to the community without formal conditions of supervision were more likely to be re-convicted than those discharged to the community with conditions or those transferred to other psychiatric hospitals.

Conclusions

Formal supervision after discharge may be more important than actual destination in influencing the likelihood of re-conviction.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 175 , Issue 3 , September 1999 , pp. 224 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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