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9 Brit. J. Criminology 4 (1969)
Arson: The Criminal and the Crime

handle is hein.journals/bjcrim9 and id is 10 raw text is: ARSON: THE CRIMINAL AND THE CRIME W. HURLEY (Brisbane) * AND T. M. MONAHAN t ARSON is often a manifestation of mental abnormality. Such cases, where the offence is committed without financial motive, have been interpreted as the result of unconscious sexual conflicts, or as obsessive- compulsive or passive-aggressive behaviour. Perhaps because the use of fire to destroy makes the crime specific in law, or because firesetters may be more attracted by fire than by its damage, psychological ex- planations have concentrated on linking the criminal with the crime and differentiating arsonists from other offenders. Although pyro- mania as a diagnosis is obsolete, firebug is still a popular word. In this paper we attempt a psychiatric, sociological and psycho- logical assessment of fifty male arsonists who were diagnosed as psychiatrically abnormal either at trial or in prison, and referred to Grendon Psychiatric Prison for investigation and treatment. Grendon receives cases from all the prisons in England and Wales. Most admissions are in the diagnostic categories of psychoneurosis and personality disorder. The small number of receptions who are psychotic, mentally subnormal or psychopathic within the meaning of the Mental Health Act I959 are transferred to National Health Service hospitals. Our sample, therefore, is a diagnostically limited group. This study arose from the observation that many arsonists behave in the Grendon milieu as model prisoners, superficially polite, undemanding and co-operative, in contrast with many of their more obtrusive fellow-inmates. We proceeded to examine our sample descriptively and comparatively, to test the hypothesis that non- profit incendiary fire-setters have specific behavioural and social characteristics. Method We examined the records of all cases admitted to Grendon since 1962, who had been sentenced to imprisonment for arson. We excluded • M.B., B.S., D.P.M., Wolston Park Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; formerly Medical Officer at H.M. Psychiatric Prison, Grendon Underwood. t The late T. M. Monahan, M.A., Dip. Crim. (Cantab.), DP.S.A., was Prison Welfare Officer at Grendon Prison. He died early in x968 in New Zealand. Thanks are due to Dr. W. J. Gray, Medical Superintendent and Governor of H.M. Psychiatric Prison, Grendon Underwood, for permission to undertake this research, and to the staff of the Psychology Department for their advice and assistance. 4

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