Civil Committment and the Mentally Ill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Civil Committment and the Mentally Ill - Essay Example In criminal trials, insanity defense refers to the defense plea adopted by the defendant as a plausible argument that exempts them from criminal liability as they were legally insane during the commission of the crime. According to a study quoted in Waterloo Cedar falls Courier about 1% of the defendants, who are charged with a felony use the Insanity Defense in order to evade punishments or any legal repercussion as a result of the crime in the United States. And out of this 1%, only one-fourth of the people are successful in getting exempted from legal trial. After the defendant raises the insanity defense, the judge commits them to a competence examination, in order to check the validity of their claims. These evaluations are carried out in proper medical and psychological facilities and the individual is put through countless tests and the defendant’s social history is assessed. (Greene et.al, 2006, p. 222) Over the years, the insanity defense has attracted a huge amount c riticisms and controversies regarding its applicability and due to lack of development in this area. The most critical aspect that is raised by the insanity defense is the fact that it does not incarcerate dangerous criminals but send them off to a hospital facility, where they are given treatment and eventually frees them.