A study designed to provide some preliminary information on the feasibility of a brief, community-based evaluation as an alternative to a more lengthy, institutionally based evaluation to determine a defendant's competency to proceed with trial is described. The article suggests not only that a community-based evaluation is feasible and results in a reduced cost and an increase in the protection of individual rights, but also that an evaluation which focuses on legal rather than psychiatric criteria is a sufficient basis for providing the courts with information about a defendant's competency.
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