insanity

Insanity is a legal concept used to assess whether someone can be held responsible for a crime, based on their mental state at the time. It generally means that the person had a severe mental disorder that impaired their ability to understand the nature of their actions or distinguish right from wrong. If someone is found legally insane, they may not be criminally liable and might be committed to mental health treatment instead of prison. This concept recognizes that mental health can significantly influence behavior, and its determination is based on expert evaluations of an individual's mental condition during the offense.