NCR: Not Criminally Responsible

Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 9 PM on CBC-TV

Episode available within Canada only.

There has been a quiet revolution in recent years in the treatment of people with mental disorders who commit an act of violence . Not long ago such patients would almost certainly have been considered hopelessly deranged and dangerous, and confined to an "asylum for the criminally insane" for life.

Read a review of this film by the Globe and Mail's John Doyle.

Not anymore. Today people declared not criminally responsible are frequently being released back onto the streets, a number of them potentially extremely dangerous men and women, not only suicidal but homicidal. Most are incurable.

NCR: Not Criminally Responsible tells the story of a troubled young man who stabbed a complete stranger 6 times in a crowded shopping mall while gripped by psychosis. Twelve years later, his victim, who miraculously survived, is terrified to learn that he's out, living in the community under supervision. He's applying for an absolute discharge, and if he succeeds, he'll no longer be required to take the anti-psychotic drugs that control his mental illness. With unprecedented access to the patient, the victim, and the mental institution, the film looks at both sides of the debate and puts a human face on the complex ethical issues raised.

Scene from the film: Sean Clifton writes a letter of apology to Julie and her family.

For an update on this story, watch Not Criminally Responsible: Wedding Secrets.

MORE:
Epic Stories of Forgiveness
What Does NCR Mean?
Canadian Study Reveals Surprising Insights About People Found NCR of Crimes

Credits (Click to expand)

CBC-TV

Directed and Written by
JOHN KASTNER

Produced by
JOHN KASTNER
DEBORAH PARKS

Narrator
ANN-MARIE MacDONALD

Executive Producer
SILVA BASMAJIAN

Editor
MICHAEL HANNAN

Directors of Photography
JOHN WESTHEUSER CSC
DEREK ROGERS CSC

Location Sound
DOUGLAS KAYE

Music Composer
BRUCE FOWLER

Associate Producer / Researcher
NICOLE ROGERS

Additional Photography
JOHN TRAN

Additional Sound
RICHARD NAULT
DON STEWART

Location Photographer
GEOFF GEORGE

Supervising Sound Editor / Recording Mixer
STEPHEN BARDEN

Sound Effects Editors
NIALL COLLINS
PATTON RODRIGUES

Dialogue Editor
RYAN ONGARA

Music Preparation
REBECCA PELLET

Music Score Engineer
MIKE DUNCAN

On Line Editor
ANDREW MANDZIUK

Graphics
MARK ALBERTS

Publicity
INGRID HAMILTON

Production Supervisor
MARK WILSON

Centre Administrator
JOSIAH ROTHENBERG

Production Coordinator
RACHEL PUNWASSIE

Technical Coordinator
MARCUS MATYAS

Marketing Manager
LESLIE STAFFORD

Consultants
Dr. Lisa Ramshaw
Detective Staff Sergeant Shawn White
Cornwall Community Police Service
Dr. Hy Bloom
Workplace.Calm

Special Thanks to

The Staff and Patients of the
Brockville Mental Health Centre
Alison Clayton
Robin Mirsky
Cindy Witten
Michelle van Beusekom
City of Brockville
Cornwall Community Hospital
Tait’s Bakery
Tim Hortons
Theresa Burke
Susan Kastner
Susan Teskey

Archival Material

QMI Agency
Cornwall Community Police Service
Mark Bray

Produced with the participation of

Produced by

In co-production with the

Produced in association with the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

For Doc Zone

Packaging Editor
MICHAEL READMAN

Associate Producer
GRIFFIN ONDAATJE

Unit Manager
SIBEL SAUNDERS

Associate Director
PETER LEE

Presentation Producer
DAVID GIDDENS

Senior Producer
LINDA LAUGHLIN

Executive Producer
Doc Zone
MICHAEL CLAYDON

Executive Director
Documentary Programming
MARK STAROWICZ

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