Author(s)

Paul Jenkins

National University, La Jolla, California, USA.

In 1986 the state of California enacted the Mentally Disordered Offender law. Its purpose is to protect society from certain inmates with dangerous but treatable severe mental disorders, and to provide treatment for those inmates in the most appropriate setting. The designation has significant consequences for inmates, including often being initially paroled to a state hospital, rather that straight to the community. This paper describes the MDO certification process and explores some of the related professional, ethical, and moral issues related to the MDO process. The paper concludes that the intention and basic framework of the MDO program are sensible and morally justifiable, however, it is also appropriate and necessary to reconsider the factors that are assessed in the process, how those factors are assessed, and how that information is used.

Assessment, Mentally Disordered Offender, Forensic

Jenkins, P. (2020) MDO Evaluation in California: History, Review, and Discussion. Psychology, 11, 679-691. doi: 10.4236/psych.2020.115046.