Mortality among habitually violent offenders

doi:10.1016/S0379-0738(98)00209-6

Forensic Science International

Volume 100, Issue 3, 29 March 1999, Pages 187-191

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(98)00209-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

There are no published studies about mortality among habitually violent offenders, although it would be essential to take into account the possibly higher mortality rate of this population, when the incidence of committing violent offenders is calculated as a function of age. We studied mortality during the age range 30–50 years among 102 habitually violent male offenders, who were considered to be dangerous to the lives of other people, during the 24.5-year period 1971–1995 (in the range 3.5 months–24.5 years, the average prison time was 6 years, 7 months and 11 days). In Finland, the deathrate in the group of men aged 30–50 years is 3.7/1000/year, but among these habitually violent male criminals, the mortality rate was observed to be 18.1/1000/year. Therefore, the relative risk for dying in this age group was 4.9-fold when compared with the normal male population aged 30–50 years. A finding of this magnitude has a substantial effect, when the real incidence of committing homicides or other violent offenses is calculated as a function of age. This is an important issue in forensic psychiatry, since it is generally believed that the incidence of committing violent crimes is decreased between the ages of 30 and 50 years, and age is used as one predictive factor when the risk of forthcoming violent behavior is assessed.

Introduction

It has been suggested that there is an increased mortality rate in criminals mainly due to violent deaths such as suicides and accidents and diseases related to alcohol abuse [1]. Mortality rates are especially high among released general prisoner population in all age groups [2].

In Finland, there are about 3500 prisoners in institutions yearly. Many of these persons (19%) are sentenced to 2–12 years imprisonment because of violent crimes. Among these persons there is a small group of men called ‘prisoners held in preventive detention for dangerous recidivists’ (‘Pakkolaitos’ in Finnish). Each of them has committed several serious crimes of violence. These men are not numerous, and only 13–17 persons have been held in special security sections each year under the law relating to incarceration in preventive detention for dangerous recidivists.

The aim of this study was to compare differences in mortality between habitually violent criminals and the normal male population. In this study we investigated the mortality rate among habitual violent offenders in the age range 30–50 years of age, which is important to know, for example when studying the real relationship between age and violent behavior.

Section snippets

Material and methods

The material consisted of 102 male criminals. During the years 1971–1995, 42 of them were sentenced by the Prison Court to detention in an institution called the ‘special security section’. These criminals are called ‘prisoners held in preventive detention for dangerous recidivists’. They are considered very dangerous to other people’s lives and, according to the law, they are not allowed to be set free ‘until they are harmless’ according to investigations by the Prison Court. At the same time

Results

Among the seclusion group, 11 men of 42 had died (26.2%), and in the other group, the mortality rate was 35% (21 of 60). All deaths occurred between the ages of 30 and 50 years (range 34–49 years). Among 30–50 year-old men in Finland, the average yearly death rate is 3.7/1000/year [3]. Among habitually violent male criminals, the mortality rate was 12 deaths/662 person years, equivalent to 18.1/1000/year in the same age group. Therefore, the mortality rate was 4.9-fold greater than among the

Discussion

The mortality rate in this sample was about five-fold when compared with the normal male population in the age range 30–50 years. Compared with general the Finnish prison population [2] death occurred twice as often. The suicide rate was the same as among unselected prisoners [2], but accidental and homicidal deaths happened nearly four times more often than in the general prison population (20% vs. 5%). Among the normal male population aged 25–65 years in Finland, the most important causes of

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