Some clinical aspects of criminology: a study of criminal psychiatric patients at the Lantoro Psychiatric Institution.

Mentally ill criminals at Lantoro Institution (an annex of Aro Neuropsychiatric long-stay Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria) were studied. Thirty-six (67.9%) of the 53 patients had committed homicide while 11 (22.7%) had been involved in other offenses against the person. Forty (75.5%) of the 53 patients were diagnosed as schizophrenic patients with the paranoid subtypes predominating. All the 10 epileptics had committed homicide whereas the few cases of organic psychosis had committed less grievous offenses such as disorderly behaviour and stealing. In comparison with the civil (voluntary) admissions to the institution, a greater percentage of the involuntary patients (mentally ill criminals) were found to have lost social contacts especially with their key relatives. Some of the factors thought to be responsible for this phenomenon were the long duration of hospitalization and the social implications of the offenses committed. Measures for rehabilitating the mentally ill criminals in Nigeria were suggested.