ABSTRACT
Legal decision-making has a major influence on how long a person spends in secure care and when (or if) the person is released into the community. The main bodies involved in this decision-making are Mental Health Review Tribunals (MHRTs) and Parole Boards. The initial part of this chapter will describe the functioning of these bodies before moving onto discuss how the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are used to enhance the management of offenders in the community. Finally, this chapter will conclude by outlining the systems that are in place to protect patients' rights and advocate on their behalf.
