Circumstances Leading to and Characteristics of Belgian Forensic Patients Remitted to Prison

Abstract

In Belgium, when forensic patients infringe their conditional release, they are remitted to prison. Given the poor conditions of detention and the current lack of alternatives, revoking conditional releases has a high impact. However, little is known about which patients are remitted to prison and why. In this article, we compared a sample of remitted patients (n = 50) to a matched control group (n = 48). We found that patients with high actuarial risk factors (as assessed by the Violent Risk Appraisal Guide, VRAG), antisocial personality disorder traits (measured by the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality, CAPP), and substance abuse disorder were more likely to be remitted. New acts of violence and substance abuse are the most prevalent reasons for revoking a conditional release, at 71% and 65%, respectively. The current results are independent of living conditions, and highlight the need for future research regarding this subgroup of forensic patients, who are more likely to be set back in their rehabilitative processes.

Keywords:

• Forensic mental health services
• prison
• offender pathway
• schizophrenia

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 FPC Antwerpen 182, FPC Gent 264, HPS Tournai 370, EDS Paifve 205, and EDS Mons 30.

2 Where the forensic patient can be transferred from prison if they cannot be freed conditionally to residential care or to the community.