Whether community mental health treatment affects recidivism cannot be assessed fairly in the absence of higher levels of service during the first months after release. This study also identifies actuarial risk factors that predict new offenses at a level comparable to that of published risk assessment instruments. Commission of less serious offenses that usually precede felonies may provide an early warning of risk for new felonies and an opportunity for strategic intervention. The low rate of serious violence in the community by mentally ill offenders released from prison suggests that the risk of violence may be a weak and potentially counterproductive rationale for community support and mental health treatment of mentally ill offenders.

No abstract

In a replication of a series of studies conducted by Sue and colleagues in the mid-1970s, demographic and service data were retrieved for the Seattle-King County area from the Washington Mental Health Information System. Caucasian clients were compared against Asian, black, Hispanic, and Native American client groups, and, where possible, against the findings reported earlier by Sue. These clients were compared in terms of basic demographic characteristics, characteristics of staff providing the services, dropout rates, and average number of services received. The most notable findings are (a) that failure-to-return rates are dramatically lower for the current sample than for Sue's and not greatly different for minorities than for Caucasians, (b) that variability in failure-to-return rates is most strongly related to level of functioning and not related to minority status, and (c) that although Asian Americans still average fewer services than Caucasians (other minorities do not differ significantly), the mean number of services had increased substantially for all groups but more for minorities than for Caucasians.

Little research has focused on assessing the risk of mentally ill offenders (MIOs) released from state prisons. Here we report findings for 333 mentally ill offenders released from Washington State prisons. Logistic regression identified sets of variables that forecasted felony and violent reconviction as accurately as state-of-the-art risk assessment instruments. Sums of simple recoded versions of these variables predicted reoffense as well as complex logistic regression equations. Five of these 9 variables were found to be relative protective factors. Findings are discussed in terms of the value of stock correctional variables in forecasting risk, the need to base actuarial risk assessments on local data, the importance of protective factors in assessing MIO risk, and the need for dynamic, situational, and clinical variables that can further sharpen predictive accuracy of emergent risk in the community.

Abstract. Compression and tensile measurements were conducted on newly formulated (baseline) and lower molecular weight (virtually-aged) plastic-bonded explosive PBX 9501. The PBX 9501 binder system is composed of nitroplasticized Estane 5703, TM a polyester polyurethane copolymer. The molecular weight of polyester urethanes can degrade with time as a function of hydrolysis, affecting the mechanical behavior of the polymer or a polymer composite material of high explosives, i.e. PBXs. The molecular weight of Estane 5703 TM was degraded by exposure to high temperature and humidity for different periods of time, and then formulated to produce "virtually-aged" PBX 9501 specimens. Quasi-static and dynamic compression tests were conducted on the baseline and virtuallyaged PBX 9501 as a function of temperature and strain rate. Quasi-static tensile tests were also conducted as a function of temperature and test rate. Rate and temperature dependence was exhibited during both compression and tensile loading. Results also show significant differences between the baseline and virtually-aged specimens for the dynamic compression tests at -15°C, and for the quasistatic compression tests at -15°C, 22°C, and 50°C.