Autism behind bars: a review of the research literature and discussion of key issues

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulties coping at all levels of involvement in the criminal justice system. Questions remain, however, regarding the presence and type of difficulties faced by individuals with ASD in the context of incarceration within prison settings. Despite the potential impact for community safety and concerns regarding justice, these issues have received very little academic attention. The research that does exist is generally limited by poor methodology and small sample sizes. The current paper provides a brief review and discussion of the limited extant literature regarding the experiences of prisoners with ASD with the view to summarising areas of difficulties potentially faced by such individuals. It is hoped that this brief review may highlight the need for academic attention in order to inform practice and policy regarding the criminal justice response to this potentially vulnerable population.     

Prisoners,pups, and PTSD: the grass roots response to veterans with PTSD

As the human–animal bond is increasingly recognized as therapeutic, the role of animals, most frequently canines, grows. A contemporary pairing of animals and humans can be found inside prisons. While the dogs trained by inmates are most frequently adopted out to the community, today dogs are being trained to assist veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as part of a grass roots effort to fulfill the mental health needs of veterans. The growing number of veterans with PTSD and concomitant issues including addiction, unemployment, homelessness, and crime, makes the mental healthcare issues of veterans a social problem. The civilian-led effort to provide veterans with dogs is a continuation of the public’s involvement with the proliferation of prison-based animal programs. While this next generation of animal programs has overwhelming community support, it also suffers from similar limitations as its predecessors. With no universal agreement as to the training methods or level of skills needed by the dogs, their efficacy at lessening the symptoms of veterans’ PTSD remains largely unknown.     

Relationship Abuse and Victims’ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Associations with Child Behavior Problems

This study examined associations among male-to-female physical and psychological relationship aggression, female partners’ PTSD symptoms, and behavior problems among the children (n = 62) of men enrolled in a treatment program for relationship abuse perpetration. Psychological aggression was a stronger predictor of child behavior problems than physical assault. Restrictive engulfment and hostile withdrawal behaviors evidenced the strongest bivariate associations with child behavior problems, and were the strongest predictors of this outcome when considering four distinct forms of psychological aggression together. Victim PTSD symptoms largely mediated the effects of psychological aggression on child behavior. Findings suggest that male-to-female psychological aggression and victim PTSD symptoms play an important role in understanding behavior problems among children living with male relationship abuse perpetrators. Portions of this work were presented at the annual convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans, Louisiana, November, 2004.     

社会转型视野下对"命案必破"的思考

＂命案必破＂目标从提出伊始就备受争议,但如果从我国所处的特定时代背景——社会转型期来考察,这一提法又具有一定的积极意义。当前,我国正处于社会转型期,极易出现社会失序,主要是严峻的犯罪形势和公共权威的弱化对社会秩序和稳定存在着严重威胁。科学地实践＂命案必破＂,不仅有利于维护社会治安秩序的稳定,而且有利于强化警察执法权威。     

Theorising sexual media and sexual violence in a forensic setting: Men's talk about pornography and offending

This article reports findings from a discourse analytic study which critically explored the language of mental health nurses, and detained sexual offenders, in relation to pornography in one high-security hospital. It recognised previous empirical investigation, and pro-feminist theorising, into mediated representations and male sexual violence, but situated the research process in a forensic nursing context. Decision-making about access to, or restriction of, commercial sexual literature, as a component of therapeutic intervention and offender management, reveals tensions between service-user rights and treatment goals. The aim was to access nurse and patient talk in a specific culture. Semi-structured interviews with eighteen nursing staff, and nine patients, were used to co-construct accounts of pornography, sexual offending, and treatment. Analysis and data collection were undertaken concurrently. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Data was coded to identify theoretical/conceptual themes and sub-themes representing discursive repertoires. Attention was given to how textual variation positioned respondents in relation to each other and the institution. Findings suggested collective male talk textured the environment, promoted gendered inequality, marginalised female nurses, and undermined rehabilitation. Shared discourse enabled male staff and patients to relate to each other as men, while maintaining distance through constructions of otherness. Discussion focuses on discriminatory discursive-practices, where men's talk about pornography and sexual violence embodied gendered knowledge/experience and contributed to a toxic culture. Consideration is given to ways of resisting institutional impediments and promoting positive therapeutic relations.     

Mental disorder and legal responsibility: The relevance of stages of decision making

The paper discusses the relevance of decision-making models for evaluating the impact of mental disorder on legal responsibility. A three-stage model is presented that analyzes decision making in terms of behavioral control. We argue that understanding dysfunctions in each of the three stages of decision making could provide important insights in the relation between mental disorder and legal responsibility. In particular, it is argued that generating options for action constitutes an important but largely ignored stage of the decision-making process, and that dysfunctions in this early stage might undermine the whole process of making decisions (and thus behavioral control) more strongly than dysfunctions in later stages. Lastly, we show how the presented framework could be relevant to the actual psychiatric assessment of a defendant's decision making within the context of an insanity defense.     

Suicide Case Due to Phosphoric Acid Ingestion: Case Report and Review of Literature

Ingesting caustic substances represents a common event which may result in serious injuries of the gastrointestinal system. Severity of injury depends on the type of ingested substance: Caustic burns are more frequently associated with acid ingestion and their severity depends on type, concentration, time of exposure, and amount of the ingested substance. We report a case of phosphoric acid ingestion leading to death in a patient with depressive disorder. While reports ingestion of other acids and organophosphates can be found in the literature, there are no reports detailing a death due to phosphoric acid ingestion. We hope that presenting the findings in this case can aid death investigators in future cases that may involve ingestion of such a substance. After autopsy pH, phosphate and calcium ions concentration in the blood were analyzed. The cause of death was due to systemic effects: metabolic acidosis, hypophosphatemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperkalemia.     

道路交通事故轻度精神伤残者智能损害评定

目的探索道路交通事故轻度精神伤残者智能损害评定方法和价值。方法通过分析智商测定在轻度精神伤残者评定中的运用,探索智商测定在轻度精神伤残者智能损害评定中的运用价值。结果不同性质颅脑损伤组间不同智能损害程度构成比有统计学差异（P〈0.05）;量表智商与颅脑损伤性质有关（P〈0.05）,除继发全面性与继发局部性损害（P〈0.05）、继发局部性与混合性损害之间（P〈0.01）有统计学差异外,其余各组两两之间均无统计学差异;不同颅脑损伤程度组间不同智能损害程度构成比无统计学差异;量表智商与颅脑损伤程度呈负相关（P〈0.01）,除中型与重型损伤之间无统计学差异外,其余各组两两之间均具有统计学差异;智能损害程度、量表智商均与精神伤残等级呈正相关（P〈0.01）;量表智商并非评价智能损害的唯一指标,智能损害也并非精神伤残唯一的构成因素。结论智商测定对评价智能损害与精神伤残具有一定参考价值,精神伤残评定需根据颅脑损伤性质与程度、智能损害或精神障碍程度以及生活、社会功能状况综合评定。     

治理我国实践中司法鉴定失序的正途

司法鉴定制度作为司法制度的组成部分在诉讼中发挥着关键性的作用。然而,在我国司法实践中因相关职权履行不到位衍生了鉴定失序的现象,尤其是目前“诉讼掮客”引发的“鉴定黄牛”,更加剧了司法鉴定的乱象。由于理论对鉴定失序的原因研究不充分,司法实践对此现象分析的错位,在一定程度上干扰了司法鉴定制度改革的方向。基于此,深化司法鉴定制度改革更需要在强化司法行政有效管理和保障鉴定能力提高的基础上,更需要司法机关在实践中积极地扮演“第二守门员”的角色,履行鉴定启动决定权和鉴定使用选择权的控制职能,借助于鉴定人出庭作证来控制重复鉴定,同时还应通过保障当事人的鉴定权利使司法机关采纳鉴定意见获得可接受性,进而降低当事人重复鉴定的欲望,使司法实践中鉴定失序在正途中被不断纠正。     

限定刑事责任能力评定量表在器质性精神障碍司法鉴定中的运用

目的探讨《精神病人限定刑事责任能力评定量表》在器质性精神障碍犯罪嫌疑人司法鉴定中的运用。方法多中心收集73例被评定为限定刑事责任能力的器质性精神障碍犯罪嫌疑人,完成量表评定,同时将限定刑事责任能力进行三级划分。结果小部分组、部分组、大部分组量表评定总分的平均分依次升高且存在显著性差异,分别为22.00±2.24、27.46±5.46、31.94±4.93;量表共15个条目与评定分显著相关,相关系数从0.233至0.661不等;因子分析得到7个因子,能解释76.306%变异,判别分析结果表明68.5%的样本能被正确划分。结论精神病人限定刑事责任能力评定量表内部构建合理,在器质性精神障碍犯罪嫌疑人司法鉴定中,其评定总分能有效反映三级限定刑事责任能力之间差异。