Competency to stand trial among forensic psychiatric patients

Abstract

Objectives This study was to examine competency to stand trial rate of forensic psychiatric in-patients after being discharged from Galya Rajanagarindra Institute, to study causes of relapse and average time for fitness to stand trial.

Materials and methods The sample was consisted of 159 forensic psychiatric in-patients who were sent by courts, police station and relatives under the section
14 of Criminal Procedure Code.  They were discharged from Galya Rajanagarindra Institute during 1st  October, 1999 to 30th September, 2002.  The data collection was divided two phases.  Firstly, the data were collected from in-patient files of Galya Rajanagarindra Institute during March to August, 2004.  Secondly, they were gathered from the criminal procedure during September, 2004 to December, 2006.  The data from 153 cases were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and content analysis from criminal procedure and adjudication report.

Results The results revealed that the competency to stand trial rate was 99.3%. The relapse rate during stand trial process was 22.1%.  The causes of relapse were
lack of continuous treatment (63.6%), inadequate psychiatric treatment (30.3%), amphetamine or alcohol use during on  bail (6.1%).  Average time for fitness to
stand trial was 289 days.

Conclusion  Most of forensic psychiatric patients were able to stand trial. Discontinuous and inadequate treatment were the major causes of relapse during criminal procedure.  The study results will be beneficial to improve after care planning for standing to trial forensic psychiatric cases.