AB 1897: Mentally disordered offenders: criteria for commitment.

Existing law requires that, as a condition of parole, a prisoner who has a severe mental health disorder be treated by the State Department of State Hospitals if the prisoner meets certain requirements, including, among others, that the person in charge of treating the prisoner and a practicing psychiatrist or psychologist from the State Department of State Hospitals have evaluated the prisoner and that a chief psychiatrist of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation certify to the Board of Parole Hearings that by reason of the prisoners severe mental health disorder, the prisoner represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others.

This bill would instead require that the above-described mental health professional opine that the prisoner represents a threat of physical harm to substantial danger to the health and safety of others. The bill would require that the prisoner undergo the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, Version 3 assessment, as specified. The bill would make other conforming changes.