Future Directions in the Restoration of Competency to Stand Trial

Abstract

While a vast amount of research has focused on the evaluation of competency to stand trial, there is a relative dearth of research on competency restoration. Only recently have systematic research efforts begun to focus on the issue of restoration. Two primary areas of inquiry regarding restoration have emerged: the prediction of restorability (and the examination of variables related to successful and unsuccessful restoration attempts) and the investigation of various treatment programs for competency restoration. This article will briefly summarize the recent research with respect to these two areas and will highlight deficiencies in our current knowledge with the hope of providing an impetus for future research on competency restoration and related issues.