Discussion: Psycholegal issues of competency and insanity

In a minimum of 300 words, compare and contrast the differences between the psycholegal issues of competency and insanity (also known as criminal responsibility): Briefly identify the legal standard used to determine competency through an evaluation. What psycholegal questions need to be addressed?

Briefly identify the legal standard used to determine insanity through an evaluation. What psycholegal questions need to be addressed?

Does a mentally ill individual need to be either competent or insane, or can a person be both? Why or why not?

Comment on whether someone who is not competent to stand trial should be forced to take medications to become competent in order to face full legal penalties for his or her crimes.

Provide examples and rationales. Follow APA guidelines for writing and citing text.

Submission Details:

By Saturday, September 23, 2017, post your responses to this Discussion Area.

Through Wednesday, September 27, 2017, respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. While responding, compare the similarities and differences between what you have constructed and what your classmates have.

Presents the grading criteria and rubric for this assignment.

Discussion Board Formatting 101

EXAMPLE OF INITIAL POST FORMAT (separate out each question and put the question in bold):

1. (Made up question): What are the functions of the components of mental status and an interview in determining the competence of clients? Explain with examples and rationales.

Your answer goes here. Your citations need to be in APA-style per Argosy rules but the rest of your response does not.

2. For which types of psycholegal evaluations (competency, risk of dangerousness, and insanity), if any, might an MSE provide useful information? State reasons for your answers.

Your answer goes here.

References

Argosy requires APA style references which use a hanging indent format and are double-spaced. See Purdue Owl or the APA Publication Manual for examples.

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