Competency to Stand Trial: A Restoration Manual for Forensic Providers

Competency to stand trial has become a major concern for the criminal justice system. As more and more people with mental illness are being arrested, jails are becoming the largest providers of mental health care in the United States. Many of these detainees are found incompetent to stand trial and cannot proceed with their court cases until restored to competency. In order to facilitate the movement of these cases through the forensic system, effective restoration programs need to be developed. By doing so, many challenging problems can be alleviated, such as overcrowding in jails, long waiting lists at forensic hospitals, and the overall cost to the public. This manual was written to provide guidelines for restoring competency to defendants in a structured and efficient manner. Practical information is presented to assist forensic providers from their patient’s initial finding of incompetency to the final disposition of the case. In addition, instructional materials and other resources are provided, which include definitions of court terminology, educational activities, competency tests, court report templates, and a certificate of completion. Forensic providers are encouraged to customize the contents of this manual to comply with specific State statutes. Read more