The Importance Of Mental Crimes In Canada

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Upon committing a crime in Canada, a judge must determine not only if the accused did in fact commit that crime, but also if they were in control of their actions by assessing their state of mind. Accountability needs to be determined of an individual action to be convicted of crimes. An individual does not have accountability of their crimes if they have no knowledge of their actions or do not understand right from wrong. If the accused is found that they were not in control of their actions, and have no accountability to the crime they committed they are deemed not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder (Nevid, Greene, Johnson, Taylor & Macnab. 2001). Regarding not criminally responsible individuals, an extensive assessment needs to be conducted and public safety needs to be accounted for. Canada has made great improvements on the criminal code and the way not criminally responsible individuals are cared for.
Currently in Canada the term Not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder (NCRMD) is used to describe individuals who have plead guilty but not criminally responsible for a crime they have committed. This plead is put in place and regulated through the criminal code to properly care for mental illness. Individuals are treated for their disorder, not punished for it. Individuals are hospitalized until they can safely reintroduce into the community. However this is not always the way people with a mental illness who committed a crime were treated. The former term that was used is not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). During this time these individuals were placed in a psychiatric facility indefinitely and often without proper treatment. Changes to the criminal code regulated this issue (Neevid...

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... what to do with people who are mentally ill. People who are found to be mentally ill are treated differently than others who commit crimes due to the fact that they may not know what they are doing at the moment. The Canadian criminal system has made it this way so that they get the proper treatment they deserve rather than being charged and put back into the community. Public safety remains always a key factor when deciding what to do with people who are found not criminally responsible. From assessments to specialized hospitals it has played a positive role in our community by allowing these resources to benefit not only the mentally ill but everyone who is being affected on a day to day basis. Not everything is perfect but if more research is put into people with mental illness in regards to medication it possibly could prevent future incidents from happening.

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