Editorial: Whither research on 'high-harm' offenders with personality disorders?

Abstract

A cross-section of studies is presented in this special issue. Here, we consider some of that research and its implications for a research agenda within the new strategy for managing offenders with severe personality disorders (PD). Under the new strategy, the planning and delivery of services for offenders with PD will be based on a 'whole systems pathway' approach across the criminal justice system and the National Health Service. One of the key aims of this strategy was improved and earlier identification and assessment of offenders with severe PDs. Most offenders will be managed and treated in the criminal justice system. Our purpose here was to comment on the research issues raised by this new strategy. Our hope is that this issue will help to build on the lessons learnt from the 'dangerous and severe personality disorder' (DSPD) experiment as we move forward to a new decade of research on those offenders characterized by the three Ds: dangerous, deviant and disinhibited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)