Theses and Dissertations

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Date of Award

1-1-2009

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PhD)

Department

Center for Psychological Studies

First Advisor

Lenore E. Walker

Second Advisor

David L Shapiro

Third Advisor

Craig Marker

Keywords

court, mental health, mental health court, probation, specialty courts, therapeutic jurisprudence

Abstract

The present study examined felony mental health court and mental health probation used in conjunction and whether those on mental health probation had a reduced rate of rearrest and psychiatric hospitalization as compared to participants on regular probation or not on either form of probation. The research explored whether specific variables predicted a reduced rate of hospitalization and arrest among the participants on mental health probation. Results found mental health probationers did not significantly differ from the probationers in their rate of rearrest, and were rearrested more frequently then participants not on probation. Mental health probationers did not differ significantly from regular probationers or those without probation in psychiatric hospitalization frequency. Within the mental health probationers type of crime, presence of a violent crime, age, gender, education level, history of substance abuse, prescription of psychiatric medication, diagnosis, mental retardation and prior psychiatric hospitalizations did not predict arrest. The above variables also did not predict psychiatric hospitalization, with the exception of a history of psychiatric hospitalization which predicted a higher rate of

hospitalization while on mental health probation. Factors influencing these results and limitations of the present study were offered.

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