DETERMINATIONS OF DANGEROUSNESS IN FORENSIC PATIENTS - AN ARCHIVAL STUDY

The involvement of mental health professionals in determinations of da ngerousness is both common and controversial. Among the various contex ts for these evaluations, the release of potentially violent forensic patients from maximum security facilities evokes justified concern fro m involved experts and apprehension to outrage from the immediate comm unity. We sought to examine how conclusions are reached on dangerousne ss at two sequential stages: clinical recommendations and Manifest Dan gerousness Hearings decisions. In an archival study of 245 patients, w e found that lack of progress in the institution and physical assaulti veness were the strongest correlates with dangerousness. In contrast, experts and review boards appeared to be relatively less influenced by diagnosis, types of treatment, and sociodemographic variables.