Forensic psychiatry and prison mental health

Forensic Psychiatry, the use of psychiatry in legal proceedings or purposes, is generally understood to be a specialization within psychiatry operating within various fields of law, such as juvenile and family law, civil law, and administrative law. Forensic psychiatry is most widely known, however, for its interaction with criminal law, including penitentiary regulations.

Among those who are incarcerated, unnecessary physical, mental, and social damage caused by detention itself should be prevented, and a return to society, with a minimal chance of repeating criminal behavior, should be the ultimate objective. Prison Mental Health involves efforts to effectively support prisoners that suffer from a psychological disorder and reduce the number of prisoners that develop psychological difficulties as a result of being imprisoned.

FGIP's aim in this program area is to focus, where possible, on the whole chain of necessary forensic and prison mental health interventions, starting with prevention (e.g. of juvenile delinquency), crisis services and forensic psychiatric assessment, forensic psychiatric treatment of prison mental health services in places of detention, rehabilitation and resocialization of forensic psychiatric patients and, last but not least, all aspects related to social integration.

Additionally, in most of the countries where we are active we are increasingly involved in policy development.

A concern with respect for human rights strongly underpins our work in this program area as abuses are, unfortunately, all too common.