CRJS466IP5 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJS466IP5 - Research Paper Example uffers from either major depressive, manic, and mixed episodes coupled with hallucinations, delusions, catatonic behaviour, or disorganized speech (Hodgins & Drmed, 2004). According to James & Glaze (2006), patients with schizoaffective disorder are at higher risks of engaging in crime compared to those suffering from disorders like schizophrenia, Bipolar, and unipolar affective disorders. Additionally, patients from minority groups whose gender orientation was male were more likely to engage in violent crime hence arrested. James & Glaze (2006) also reveal that by 2005, more than half of the prison and jail inmates demonstrated mental health problems in state, local and federal prisons. Originally, persons with schizoaffective disorder with a recent history of mental health issue diagnosed by a health professional were not eligible for conviction given that they were said not to be understand their actions even though they were aware they had commited them. This is indicated by the 2005 statistics that revealed that approximately 10% of federal prisoners, 15% of state prisoners, and 24% of local jail inmates demonstrated one symptom of psychotic diso rder. In the case of Panetti, it was revealed that prior to the crime, he camouflaged military fatigues and shaved his hair (Birnbaum, 2006). During the killing, his wife and daugher pleaded with him for their lives and he only sprayed them with the victim’s blood befor escaping to a close bunkhouse. Despite having suffered numeruous episodes of schizopherenia and schizoaffective disorder prior to his crime, the judge rulled that he was fit to stand trial since he could represent himself. (Birnbaum, 2006) Owing to his hallucinations and the fact that he claimed that he had been possed by a strange personality he called â€Å"Sarge’ it was just to remand Panetti for mental evaluation. Panetti claimed that Sarge was responsible fo the killings as he had been compelled to kill the Alvarados. However, the court found