Administration of justice for mentally ill criminal offenders

Administration of Justice in Cases of Mentally Ill Offenders

Final Project Summary

Administration of justice in criminal accusations concerning mentally disturbed people has been neglected for many years. Mentally disturbed individuals have very slim chance in receiving fair trials under the current judicial system. It is evident that many people with such symptoms of emotional instability end up with sudden violent incidences, which render them vulnerable to criminal offences. However, these people do not receive the chance of proving their innocence during such acts. Instead, such offenders are judged equally or even more harshly as compared to offender with normal emotional status. The study of this develops clear knowledge and gives distinct evidence to transparency of the judicial system.

Statistics reveal that mentally disturbed people get arrested much often and at a higher rate. The rate at which the jury receives violent cases of mentally disturbed people is growing by the day. On the other hand, it is imperative to realize the situations that surround the lives of such individuals in order to realize the weaknesses and avoid further arrests of these people. This research is primarily meant to point out the weaknesses in the criminal justice administration that lead to the conviction of such people with emotional problems rather than finding curative measures of the same. This is vital because other people with emotional illnesses have been convicted of murder and receives capital punishment yet their discernment for right and wrong was impaired.

The Hypothesis to be examined

The null hypothesis in the criminal justice administration states that mental destabilized people are innocent of accusations of any criminal activity. In addition, their violent actions and irresponsible behaviors are triggered by certain circumstance that provokes their mental illnesses.

Operationalization of Concepts (Babbie, 2012)

Mental illness is the state of an individual acting on impulse without any discernment of the consequences of the actions.

An offender is either

a) Mentally ill (unstable)

b) Mentally stable

Variables in the Hypothesis (Babbie, 2012)

Independent variable: judgment

Dependent variable: mental illness