Suffering from large and small stresses, modern people are exposed to mental illnesses such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, and panic disorders. And sometimes, they shock our society by committing serious crimes due to such stress and mental disorders.
So far, when a crime by a person with mental disabilities occurs, the government has focused on treatment through facility admissions such as institute of forensic psychiatry or medical treatment in prison. However, recent incidents of mental illness-driven crimes have been caused by people living in the community and are often caused by people with previous criminal and treatment records. Therefore, a need to emphasize preventive management and prevention of recurrence rather than retroactive punishment is strongly being raised.
On the other hand, the high recidivism rate of criminals with mental disabilities is also pointed out as a problem. According to the National Police Agency’s “Crime Statistics for 2016”, incidence of criminals with mental disabilities is higher among 9-time or more offenders (17.1%) than among first-time offenders (14.7%). Along with social and economic factors faced by criminals with mental disabilities after release, the fact that they are unable to receive continuous treatment is also cited as a cause of recidivism.
As a result, since December, 2016, the government has introduced and implemented a ‘treatment order system’, which suspends sentences for mentally and physically disabled criminals, alcoholics, etc. who need treatment and are at risk of recidivism, and orders them to be first treated in a specialized hospital under the supervision of a probation officer. The government is also strengthening the treatment and management of persons with mental disabilities in the society by introducing the probation system for ex-offenders whose treatment period has expired.
As community management is becoming more important for the prevention of crimes by persons with mental disabilities through the revised law, the need to effectively provide guidance, supervision, and social reintegration in crime prevention and probation stages at the police level is being raised.
This study seeks to identify a link between the community mental health care system and the community criminal justice system, to strengthen the treatment, protection, and management of criminals with mental disabilities.