Mentally abnormal offenders present complex and vexing problems to psychiatrists, legal experts, and administrators of psychiatric and penal institutions. In July 1967 the Ciba Foundation assembled a group of outstanding psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and penologists in search for areas of consensus.
Dr. George K. Stürup opened the conference with a lecture, "Will This Man Be Dangerous?" an issue that faces everyone responsible for the mentally disordered offender. Where, how, and how long the delinquent is to be treated hinges on the answer. Clinicians and administrators bear the heavy responsibility to balance the rights and interests of the individual offender against the protection of society, yet there are no solid studies to furnish a scientific basis for the assessment of dangerousness.
The 13 papers, each followed by a lively panel discussion, fall under three headings. "Antisocial Behavior and Its Treatment and Care" relates delinquency to schizophrenia, cerebral disease and old age,