ABSTRACT

In the early years of forensic psychiatry, the profession acted largely in response to the needs of the legal system. Psychiatrists consulted with attorneys, formed opinions, wrote reports, and testifi ed in court, all in the service of helping to answer legal questions related to mental health. What happened to evaluees aft er the legal question was answered-how and where they were treated, whether they were restored to health, how best to manage future risk-was not the province of forensic psychiatrists. Such matters were largely left to general psychiatrists and criminal justice agents.