Evaluating feigning in individuals with intellectual disabilities in criminal cases: a cautionary tale

This study has several limitations. It is a retrospective study with a relatively small sample size so additional research is needed to substantiate the results. However, this study highlights the potential for individuals with intellectual disabilities to be disadvantaged when undergoing competency to stand trial evaluations. This manuscript shows that individuals with ID are at-risk for being mislabeled as feigning when employing standard measures of response style testing if appropriate cautions are not used. However, revised measures that take into account baseline information of legal knowledge offer a way forward that may prevent false positives with individuals with ID. The mislabeling of individuals with ID could lead to significant problems, including harsh sentences and unnecessary incarcerations. This manuscript provides real-world data and encourages clinicians to be mindful when evaluation individuals with ID for court-ordered evaluations. This manuscript is critical, as it shows that caution is needed when using instruments of feigning with individuals with ID who are undergoing competency evaluations. This has value for clinicians who are tasked with completing these evaluations for the courts.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour - Category: Criminology Authors: Source Type: research