Hospital treatment of patients with pending criminal charges: an ecological approach.

The treatment of hospitalized patients facing criminal charges is shaped by both their psychopathology and by their involvement with the criminal justice system. Psychopathologic presentation, motivation for hospitalization and/or discharge planning may be influenced by delays and uncertainties generated by the legal system. A review of the often informal nature of the criminal justice process suggests options for clinically oriented intervention in expediting the resolution of patients' psychiatric and legal difficulties.