Assignment 2: Competency Restoration

If criminal defendants are deemed incompetent to face a trial, they have the right to have their competency restored since they cannot be released without having a trial and they cannot be held indefinitely without being given the opportunity to become competent. Accordingly, it is important to state how they will be restored to competency.

Create a 3- to 4-page paper in a Microsoft Word document answering the two parts of this assignment.

Part 1: CST has long been a sought-out legal procedure. Identify a landmark case decision that has played a factor in this process and address the following issues:

• Explain the process of competency restoration.

• Describe why the process of competency restoration is important.

• Discuss one landmark case decision that has played a role in the process of restoration.

Part 2: Elaborate on your discussion by including the process of restoration in the forensic arena.

In your report, address the following:

• Identify the appropriate APA ethical codes and the specialty guidelines for forensic psychologists that may apply to the process of restoration.

• Examine the limits to confidentiality.

• Identify the factors that might impede competency restoration.

Your responses should rely upon at least three scholarly resources from the professional literature that are cited in APA format. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu and .gov).