PERSONS DETAINED at the GOVS PLEASURE JAN1977.Pdf
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Research a~d Statistics Division New South Wales Department of Corrective Services NSW Corrective Se!Vices Due Date A REPORT ON PLEA.: 1977 An oYerview 1tation in New South W< th particular reference t' mtion, review and release C' 1 s pleasure. ·~. This report was prepared by E.C. Seysener (B.S.W. (Hons) U.N.S.W,) under· the direction of the Senior Research Officer, lJ.S, Dewdney (M.A. (Hens) U.n .s. W.. ; Dip, Soc. Stud; Dip. Crim. Mel b.) TABJoE OF....,_,. COITTENTS __ SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION 1 SECTION 2. LEGISLA.TION 3 A. Special Verdict 3 (a) N.s.w. Mental Health Act 1958 3 (b) Transfer of Governor's Pleasure Prisoners to Psychiatric Hospital 3 (c) N.S.W. Legislation- An Historical Perspective 3 (a:) The English Legislation 4 (e) A Comparison of the Trends in N.s.w. and England 4 (f) Cane,dian Legislation 5 B. Variations in the Governor 1s Order 5 c. Statutory Review Provisions 5 (a) 1~ .SoYf. Legislation - Health commission 5 (b) Department of Corrective Services 6 (c) English Legislat.i.on 6 (d) CanacUan Legislat5.on - Boards o:f Review 7 D. Diminished Responsibility 7 (a) The Legislation -N.s.w. Crimes Act 1900 7 (b) The Legislation - El1.gland and Canada 8 (c) Use of Diminished Responsibility in England 8 (d) Use in N.s.w. 8 SECTION 3. DI[PL:EMEJ:fTATION OF THE LEGISLATION 10 A. Introduction 10 B. Court Procedure and Disposition 10 (a) The Defence of Mental Illness 10 (b) Disposition in N.s.w. 13 (c) Disposition in England 13 (d) Disposition in Canada 14 c. Detention of Governor 1s Pleasure Prisoners 14 (a) Department o~ Corrective Services, N.S~Wo 14 (b) Health ConmLiesion of N,S.W. 15 (o) Detention in England 17 D. Revi~l and Release 17 (a) Department of Corrective Services, N,S,W. 17 (b) Health Commission of N.S.W. 20 (c) Reviev1 and Release in England 21 (d) Review in Canada 22 E. Supervision on Release, N.S.W, 22. SECTION 4-. DESCRIPTI\TE STATISTICS OF GOVERUOR 1 S PLEASURE DETAIN"EES 24 Table 4. i Location of G.P.s in Custody 24 Table 4.2 Stat~s of Released G,P.s -??~ Table 4-.3 Classification of Outcomes for Remaining G.J?.s. 25 Table 4-.4 Summary 26 Table 4.5 Reasons for Revocation 26 Table 4.6 Offences of G.P.s 27 Table 4.7 Length of Time in Custody before Release from Prison 28 Table 4.8 Length of Time in Custody for G.P.s Currently in Custody 29 SECTIOl~ 5. SELECTED CASE ILLUSTRATIONS 29 SECTION 6, DISCUSSION OF PROCEDURES -~ THE EMERGING IS&'UES 36 A. Introduction 36 n·. The concept of Dangerousness and its Prediction 36 (a) General 36 (b) Sociological Research - "Operation Baxstrom11 37 (c) Clinical Research 38 C. Individual Rights 38 (a) The Right to Appeal uno.er British Law 38 (b) Right to Appeal in. the Uni tec1 States 38 (c) l"'""..::ison as a Place of Detention in N .s • 39 D. Court Procedures and Disposition 39 (a) Present Disposition Procedures 39 (b) Judicial Attitudes 40 E. Detention of Goven1or's Pleasure Offenders in r£ison 4i F. Review in Department of Corrective Services 43 (a) The Parole Board 43 (b) Psychiatric Assessment 43 (c) Delays in the Review Process 44 G. Interface of the Two Systems - Corrections and Health 45 (a) Roles 45 (b) Proposals for Changing Roles and Responsibilities 47 H. Supervision on Release 49 SECTION 7. ALTERNATIVES IN PROCEDURE A11D LEGISLATION 51 A, Alternative Forms of Disposition 51 (a) General Comments on Current. Pro~edure 51 (b) N.s.w. Proposed Mental Health Act 51 (c) The Canadian Proposal 52 (d) The English System - Hospital Orders 53 B. Alternative Forms of Review 53 (a) N.s.w. Proposed Mental Health Act 53 (b) The Canadian System - Boards of Review 54 (c) The English System - Advisory Board to the ' Home Secretary 54 c. In Conclusion 55 References 57 Appendix; Mental Health Act 1958, sections 23, 29, 29A & 29B -1- 1 . 1 The :focus of this report :Ls on those cJ~:l.minally disordered offenders who have been tried ano. :found. to be nn.ot gull·ty on the e;rounds of me!l.tal illnes,s 11 , The <dm o:f the report :5.s to outline the relevant legislation e.nd to ClescJ:j_ be the p:cocesses and rroced.u.res a.dopted in the detentions t;."'en:tm.el1.·t, and rel(=:ase oi~ thj.s catesory o.f of.fencler ¢ This leaves aside those other ce.tegories o:f mentall:r-di.sordered offenders vvho . come \Yithtn the crimi.nal-just.ice system: p€n:--sons found :not f1t to l)lead and. prisoners who become mentaD.y ill while servine; a cJ eterminate sentence, Refere!lce ts m::'~de to these categories o:f offenc1e:rs Ythen :i.t is considered to have bea.ring on t)oe j)rocesses that affect persons detained at thG Governor 1 s Plea.sure-x·, 1 ,2 A descrir)tion of what !1ct})IJe11S to G,P,s i.n the Corrections-Health system leads to consideration of the prol:Jlems involved i.n implementing preseDt legisJ.2.tion ancl an exe-rnination of possible a1tern?.~tive systems of dispos :t tion t:r'eetment and review, A brief description of legislation and practice in other Commonwealth countries is intr0d.ucerl to illustrate alternatives in philosophy and manae:er1ent of this catee;ory of offender. 1 .3 The central issue hi.nges on where th.e responsibility for management of G.P.s shou.ld lie, The dual system ap:proach involving both the De1)artment of Corrective Services and the Health Commission, leads to a reluctance to classify such indi vicluals as either criminal or menta11y ill, The offender is not treated like an ordinary criminal, but neither is he treated like an. ordinary mentally-ill :person, 1 .4 Some of the trencl.s in at"\:;j_tudes that highlie;ht the need for re-examination of this group of offender can be summarized as follows: * The abbrevie.ted notation, G.P.s, is nsed in this report to refer to persons detained at the Governor.' s Pleasure, -2- (i) The gro~Nl1'1fS conrmJ.Y'!J..t::y orientation o:f.' psychiatric ce.:ce otncl. the concurreEtly shorter hos:pi t5.1- ization per:i.ods :for the mentalJ.y ilL ( ij.) A grow.tnc~ emph8.. s5~s on tren,tm.::;nt fac11i ties o..:r~d concern abo·at tJJ.e l)OSsiblP. det:cimenta1 effect3 of certain lep;al proced.l)_res., ( J .. lJ.) Grov;:LT){3; concern a1Jout -t-::::::-a:~1s~s·-::·ession o:C' cj_ v:L]_ l.i.berties(i ) \' J.V'. A re-exar.:J.inat1on of the assu:mpti.. o:ns need -3- (a) 2.1 Sectj_on 23 of the Mental Health Ac·i; 1958 rncov:i.des 'fo~ a srYaci.al ve:::?d5.ct to be broug1rt; j_n whe:r.·e it-. can lle shown that the offe:rvl.er was menta.l1y ill at the tir,l.e of the offence: a verdict le2-,cl5.ne to acq_ui ttal o:0. the r~~cun.nds of mental illness o In the ease of snc!1. a verdict the 2udze shall oJCder that ~ ~" su.ch person be ke:rt in strict custody, in s·n..ch :place a!ld 1n su.ch ma:nne~c' as to such 2u.dc;e seems f:i.t u:a.ti1 the Governo!:' s s F1ee.sure i.s knovJn, and the:re .... upo:r. the G-overnor m?.--Y c5.ve f:T1J.cl1 orcl.eJ? fo:c- the sa.fe custody of S1.Jch person duriYJg tht~ Governo:!' t s Pleasure i.n e. r>rison e.s the GoveJ.:rJ.or deems flt .. 2.2 Section 23(4-) of the r,cental He0lth Act provides for the transfer of GoP~s from prison to a :psychie..:trtc 11.0S}!ttal in the form of a Schedule J:'hree completed by two mec1ic2"l practi. ti.oners, A Schedule Three req_ub:es evidence of observable mental ilJ.ness which sue;5ests that I"'l:csons treated with drues and being kept in :cemj_ssi.on by those drugs are not elj_gible for scheduling, The prob1ems that this provision in the legisl<ttion creates for a.pr.>ropriate placement of G.P.s are discussed in paragraphs 6.19-6,20, (c) li,.S,W. Lerrj_slation- A.n Historical Per~ctive 2.3 Under the first legislation enacted in N.S.W. in 1878, wh .~c. h conca~ne~ - d provJ.s~on. Ior' d"~spos~ ·~· ,.J.on o.·f G,_ P .s, ~hc •. e Governor was not required to make an order until Schedules were completed for transfer of the G.P. to a hospj_tal for the crj_minally j_nsane, From thi.s it must be concluded that. the person was detained in prison after trial and only entered a mental hospital on completi.on of Sehedules, ------------------------------- * Abbreviation for New South WaJ.es -4- 2.4 Th8 I:una<?.y :~81; 189FJ introclucf:S cche p:r ov.i.s.i.on for the Governor to r1ake an order .in respect of a11 (L, 1? ~s if he so wishes anCl the order was .for safe custody i.:n :'such ga.ol or other pla.ce of confinement as to the Governor seems .f_ite 11 The provision fo1? SchedulhJ.g was retained., f,Tthour:h t'J.e Governor could exsrcise his discret.i.on as to place of custod3r ,.