An observational study on the parameters influencing the duration of forensic medicine expert reports in assessment of inmates’ health status in view of sentence interruption on medical grounds - conducted at the Cluj-Napoca Legal Medicine Institute between 2014 and 2018

C. Gherman, A. Enache, C. Delcea, C. Siserman

Abstract: Aim. The aim of this study is to identify and rank the causes determining the length of time required to draw up forensic expert reports for interrupting the execution of a prison sentence on medical grounds. Preparing this type of forensic expert report requires a time frame that sometimes seems unreasonably extended. The time frames required for the specific steps were identified and quantified, from the moment of the medical examination request up to its completion, considering the presented pathology.Materials and methods. In the present research, descriptive and qualitative screening was used to index parameters in relation to specific times for each procedural step: the duration of inter-institutional formalities and the duration of examinations and medical investigations required to complete the forensic expert report. The study includes 319 cases of inmates who requested an expert report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine Cluj, between 2014 and 2018. The expert report was completed for 210 patients, while the others either dropped the request (99 inmates) or it was interrupted for various reasons (declining jurisdiction, death, prison release). Descriptive statistical analysis was used, through SPSS software tool – the IBM 25.00 version, in order to calculate the frequency, mean and standard deviation of the obtained results and to perform the factorial analysis, the linear regression to establish the variable discriminations established in the research, the inter-variable correlations subject to research.Results. Significant scores on inter-variable correlations, discrimination and homogeneity were obtained. Significant discriminatory results were found for procedure groups vs. pathological conditions/ comorbidities, and significant correlations were obtained with the variables invoked in the research. Conclusion. Going through the inter-institutional procedures and clinic-paraclinical examinations of inmate-patients for diagnosis cannot be considered causes of delay and prolongation of procedural activities regarding the forensic expertise for interrupting the execution of a prison sentence on medical grounds, which does not exclude the necessity of tackling their optimization.
Keywords: inmates, medical examinations, forensic expert report, interrupting the penalty execution