Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:193-196
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Competency determinations in civil commitment
JD Bloom and LR Faulkner
The authors present a brief overview of competency determinations in
criminal justice and civil commitment proceedings and review the American
Psychiatric Association's Model Commitment Statute, which gives competency
a central role. They present an alternative proposal that involves
determining a person's competency to undergo civil commitment before a
formal commitment hearing and delineates the responsibilities of legal and
medical decision makers in the commitment process.
