A profile of mentally disordered offenders admitted to inpatient psychiatric services in the United States

This research note presents data about mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) treated in inpatient psychiatric services. Data are derived from 1980 admission surveys by the Survey and Reports Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). These data report for the first time inpatient services provided to MDOs by non-Federal general and private hospitals. A total of 31,773 MDOs were admitted, with 85% going to state and county mental hospitals. The largest group, including admissions for evaluation, was ISTs (58%), followed by mentally disordered prisoners (32%), NGRIs (8%), and MDSOs (3%). Women and whites tended to be overrepresented among MDOs as compared to prison and jail inmates. Clear diagnostic differences by legal status were found, with schizophrenia predominant among NGRIs (81%) and alcohol and drug abuse disorders more frequent among ISTs. Overall, state and county hospitals in both 1967 and 1980 were the primary locus of care for mentally disordered offenders.     

Economic Crime and Casinos: China’s Wager on Macau

Notwithstanding the results of some empirical studies, casinos and gambling are widely considered to be breeding grounds for a range of deviant behavior and criminal offenses. As one writer expressed it, “the world of gambling offers a portfolio of anonymous expenditure” which allows for money laundering and other illegal activities associated with the legal operation of casinos. This paper examines economic and white-collar criminal activities and case histories of offenses related to Macau’s growing casino industry, now the highest revenue generating in the world. A Portuguese colony from 1557 until 1999 when it was returned to China, Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with its own governing officials operating under the PRC maxim of “one country, two systems.” The dramatic recent growth of the casino industry in Macau offers a unique opportunity to examine issues of economic crime and law enforcement within the context of the People’s Republic of China’s recently acquired political and economic stewardship in this SAR. The paper documents white-collar and organized crimes that present new challenges and risks to China now that Macau has become an international marquee.     

Mortgage origination fraud and the global economic crisis

Research Summary The study outlined in this article analyzed the responses of 23 subjects previously and currently employed in the subprime lending industry to understand the implications and role of white-collar crime in the contemporary subprime mortgage crisis and to document the rationalizations that offenders use to explain their involvement in mortgage-related crimes. The subjects represented five sectors of the primary mortgage market, including brokerage, lender, escrow, title, and appraisal offices. Secondary sources of data for the study included media accounts, government reports, and industry studies. The research findings detail accounts of mortgage frauds in the subprime lending industry that resulted from inadequate regulation, the indiscriminate use of alternative loan products, and the lack of accountability in the industry. Policy Implications The study results suggest that the problem of mortgage origination fraud would be prevented best by major reform of financial policies and lending practices that characterize the subprime mortgage industry. Several broad recommendations are proposed in this article that highlight the need to recognize the potential for insider fraud, to enhance government regulation and oversight, to tighten loan qualification requirements, and to increase standards of underwriting. Observations are offered concerning the need to highlight white-collar crime in understanding the global financial crisis and to preventing future debacles.