Post release arrest experiences of federal prisoners: A six-year follow-up

The likelihood of further criminal conduct is important in allocation decisions for parole supervision resources. In this article, the relationship between arrest-free time after release (alone and in combination with other variables) and the probability of subsequent arrest is examined for a relatively large random sample of released federal prisoners (N=1,806). A six-year follow-up period is made possible by the use of “rap sheet” records provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Knowledge of this relationship may be used to provide empirical guidance for decisions about the intensity and/or duration of supervision; and a method for the practical application of this knowledge in case decision-making is illustrated.     

The demographic and psychiatric characteristics of 110 personal injury litigants.

One hundred ten litigants who were suing for emotional damages were assessed by the author for medical-legal reasons. Most of the plaintiffs were involved in motor vehicle accidents and suffered from "whiplash" injuries. Semi-structured interviews were used to reach criteria based on DSM-III-R diagnoses. Requests for consultation, on average, came 25 months after the patient's accident. Approximately 70 percent of patients had evidence for continuing physical injuries to account for the physical and emotional symptoms. The most common DSM-III-R diagnoses were psychiatric condition affecting physical illness (N = 56), major depression (N = 27), and somatoform disorder (N = 12). Alternative diagnoses relating the effect of the accident on the patient's life included: emotional reaction to physical condition (N = 29), difficulty coping with developmental tasks (N = 20), severe depression (N = 20), aggravation of normal premorbid personality (N = 18), aggravation of abnormal premorbid personality (N = 14), phobia (N = 7), no permanent effect (N = 12), and independent illness (N = 2). Severe emotional problems and disability are common among litigants. The causes of their suffering are more complex and less poorly understood than is assumed from the pejorative labels that are sometimes applied. Lawyers and the courts need the help of psychiatrists to understand this suffering. Empirical data such as these may lead to better classification systems and improve our understanding and treatment of these patients.