Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism

Background Violence among released prisoners with psychosis is an important public health problem. It is unclear whether treatment in prison can influence criminal behaviour subsequent to release. Aims...

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Main Authors: Artemis Igoumenou, Constantinos Kallis, Jeremy Coid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2015-10-01
Series:BJPsych Open
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472400001010/type/journal_article
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author Artemis Igoumenou
Constantinos Kallis
Jeremy Coid
author_facet Artemis Igoumenou
Constantinos Kallis
Jeremy Coid
author_sort Artemis Igoumenou
collection DOAJ
description Background Violence among released prisoners with psychosis is an important public health problem. It is unclear whether treatment in prison can influence criminal behaviour subsequent to release. Aims To investigate whether treatment in prison can delay time to reoffending. Method Our sample consisted of 1717 adult prisoners in England and Wales convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence. We used Cox regression to investigate the effects of treatment received in prison on associations between mental illness and time to first reconviction following release. Results Prisoners with current symptoms of schizophrenia reoffended quicker following release. Nevertheless, treatment with medication significantly delayed time to violence (18% reduction). Treatment for substance dependence delayed violent and non-violent reoffending among prisoners with drug-induced psychosis. Conclusions Identifying prisoners with psychosis and administering treatment in prison have important protective effects against reoffending. Repeated screening with improved accuracy in identification is necessary to prevent cases being missed.
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spelling doaj.art-aa8e080466c14eafa411d6bdcad7c4782023-03-09T12:28:35ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242015-10-01114915710.1192/bjpo.bp.115.000257Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivismArtemis Igoumenou0Constantinos Kallis1Jeremy Coid2Violence Prevention Research Unit, Queen Mary University, London, UKViolence Prevention Research Unit, Queen Mary University, London, UKViolence Prevention Research Unit, Queen Mary University, London, UK Background Violence among released prisoners with psychosis is an important public health problem. It is unclear whether treatment in prison can influence criminal behaviour subsequent to release. Aims To investigate whether treatment in prison can delay time to reoffending. Method Our sample consisted of 1717 adult prisoners in England and Wales convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence. We used Cox regression to investigate the effects of treatment received in prison on associations between mental illness and time to first reconviction following release. Results Prisoners with current symptoms of schizophrenia reoffended quicker following release. Nevertheless, treatment with medication significantly delayed time to violence (18% reduction). Treatment for substance dependence delayed violent and non-violent reoffending among prisoners with drug-induced psychosis. Conclusions Identifying prisoners with psychosis and administering treatment in prison have important protective effects against reoffending. Repeated screening with improved accuracy in identification is necessary to prevent cases being missed. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472400001010/type/journal_article
spellingShingle Artemis Igoumenou
Constantinos Kallis
Jeremy Coid
Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
BJPsych Open
title Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
title_full Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
title_fullStr Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
title_full_unstemmed Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
title_short Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
title_sort treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472400001010/type/journal_article
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AT constantinoskallis treatmentofpsychosisinprisonsandviolentrecidivism
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