2013-11: Crime analysis in forensic care (Call 2013-11)

Target group

In principle, crime analysis can be applied to any group of patients in forensic care. The product has been designed within the clinical setting and due to the time and effort required, it is primarily suitable for this group of patients.

Crime analysis mapped out

Crime analysis plays an important role in forensic psychiatric care in the Netherlands. However, there was an insufficient insight into how this was done. In this report, therefore, extensive research has been done into the crime analysis in forensic care. On the one hand, this research focused on the clarification of concepts; on the other hand, the research looked into the content of the crime analysis and its precise working method. Two literature studies and a practical study were conducted to gain insight into both principles. Although no evidence-based practice or best practice for crime analysis could be identified from the results of these studies, they did provide points of departure for the development of an intervention for crime analysis. Together with various methods for testing the intervention in practice, this has resulted in a guideline for crime analysis that can be applied in all forensic psychiatric care.

Crime analysis is the factual description of the events that led to the crime committed. The thoughts, feelings and behaviour of the patient are systematically questioned and explained. The patient's personality, a psychiatric disorder, (lack of) skills and possible substance abuse play a role. Also, the patient's situation before and at the time of committing the offence may have influenced the eventual criminal behaviour. This study looked at how the crime analysis of patients at different forensic institutions is structured, to gain insight into different working methods and what is actually meant by 'crime analysis in patients' among professionals. An inventory of how these institutions give substance to crime analysis would eventually enable us to work towards an ideal-typical model. Based on these practice-based methods and available scientific knowledge about the effectiveness of crime analysis, a standard model has been formulated for the use and interpretation of crime analysis as a method within forensic care.

Application and effects

After a pilot study in the field, the tools created for the implementation and application of crime analysis turned out to be concrete, comprehensible and specific. The guide can be applied in different contexts within forensic clinical care because it is described in very general terms. This work method also contributed to the motivation and treatment readiness of the patients; recommendations for specific patient groups are very useful. However, implementing this guide throughout forensic psychiatry will take more time and effort, which is why the KFZ Programme Committee has put out a new call. In this respect, adjustments to the care pathways, enabling the implementation of the guide, are very important. The professionals who will be using the guide should also be trained, and be prepared to handle this adjustment. Finally, the various contexts in which the professionals work and what this does for the application of the crime analysis must also be considered.

Executive party

Pompestichting, in cooperation with De Rooyse Wissel