Compulsory drug treatment in the Berlin penitentiary system under consideration of a risk assessment

Studies on compulsory drug treatment are only available to a very limited extent in forensic psychiatric hospitals and prisons. This full survey study included 35 patients in the Hospital for Forensic Psychiatry (KMV) and in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Prison Hospital (JVK) in Berlin who were scheduled for compulsory treatment in accordance with state regulations in the years between 2017 and 2021. This was carried out for five out of nine patients at the JVK and 22 out of 26 patients at the KMV. The groups were examined for possible factors influencing coercive measures and compared using a validated prediction tool (Forensic Psychiatry Violence Oxford (FoVOx)) to predict violent behavior. In both groups, the majority had a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The group comparison showed differences with regard to age structure, offenses and substance use disorders. In the risk assessment, the majority of patients in the KMV were assigned to a low or medium risk group for violent behavior, while those in the JVK were assigned to a medium to higher risk group.