OBJETIVES: The objective was to verify the criminal recurrence among 100 inmates of a forensic hospital. METHODS: One hundred inmates of a forensic hospital were interviewed. All of them were males and aged 26 to 80 years old. The CID 10 criteria were used to set the inmates' diagnoses and their crimes were verified according to the Brazilian penalty code. RESULTS: Among 100 inmates assessed, 41% had committed one crime and 59% had committed more than one crime. Schizophrenic psychoses were predominant among inmates who had committed one or more crimes. Mental retardation and personality disorders were second in frequency among inmates who had committed one crime. Personality disorders and mental retardation were the second most common conditions seen among those who had committed more than one crime. CONCLUSION: Schizophrenic psychoses were predominant among all inmates. Criminal actions against life were more often seen among those who had committed one crime and criminal actions against proprieties were more often seen among those who had committed more than one crime.
Crime; Recurrence; Forensic psychiatry