Explaining lifetime criminal arrests among clients of a psychiatric probation and parole service

This study examines the extent to which sociodemographic characteristics, c linical characteristics, substance abuse problems, and the array of lifetim e criminal behavior may explain lifetime arrests among offenders supervised by the psychiatric probation and parole service. Three hundred twenty-five clients with new cases at a psychiatric probation and parole service in a large urban center were screened for major psychiatric disorders. They were also interviewed for sociodemographic characteristics, mental health treat ment history, criminal behavior, and arrest history. Hierarchical block mul tiple regression analysis tested a model explaining lifetime arrests. After controlling for age and other demographic variables, the number of lifetim e psychiatric hospitalizations and lifetime occurrences of mania diagnosis significantly explained lifetime arrests. The total model explained about 1 0 percent of the variance in lifetime arrests after controlling for opportu nity variables, which explained 45 percent. The explanatory power of lifeti me hospitalizations and mania support the contention that symptoms, rather than diagnosis, may be the most important clinical factor in explaining cri minal arrest among persons with mental illness. Implications for psychiatri c services include the development of effective jail diversion programs.