The LWL-Maßregelvollzugsklinik Herne is a forensic-psychiatric specialist clinic of the
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The LWL-Maßregelvollzugsklinik Herne is a specialized forensic psychiatric clinic of the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) and is responsible for the treatment and security of mentally ill offenders in North Rhine-Westphalia [1][2]. The clinic is located on the western city border of Herne in the northern Ruhr area and is part of the LWL-Maßregelvollzug, which functions as a state task of the state of NRW [6].
The clinic pursues a dual legal mandate: improvement and security [1][2]. The core objective is to provide comprehensive therapy to mentally ill people who have become offenders due to their illness, so that they do not commit any further significant crimes after their release [2]. At the same time, the clinic serves to protect society through therapeutic and structural security measures [1][2].
The patients are placed in the clinic by court order in accordance with Section 63 of the Criminal Code (StGB) and receive targeted treatment tailored to their individual needs [1].
The clinic has 90 treatment places and is specially designed for the therapy and security of male patients with psychoses and personality disorders [1][4].
The clinic grounds include several specialized areas [3]:
The clinic's aftercare outpatient clinic provides structured support after discharge [2].
The clinic presents itself as a fully secured system with multi-layered security concepts [4]:
These structural measures are supplemented by comprehensive therapeutic concepts.
An innovative feature of the clinic is its connection to research and practice [2]. The Therapeutic Director Prof. Dr. Boris Schiffer manages the practice-oriented healthcare research of the LWL-Maßregelvollzug, which is scientifically linked to the Ruhr University Bochum. This enables a continuous improvement of therapeutic standards based on empirical findings.
Due to its central location in the northern Ruhr area, the clinic is easily accessible from many directions [3]. The immediate vicinity offers affordable housing with good infrastructure as well as a wide range of leisure, cultural and educational opportunities in the Ruhr area.
The LWL-Maßregelvollzugsklinik Herne is part of a network of a total of six forensic psychiatric clinics of the LWL in North Rhine-Westphalia (Dortmund, Herne, Lippstadt, Marsberg, Hörstel and Stemwede) [9]. This network fulfills an essential function in the German justice system by offering a specialized alternative to pure prosecution and focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration.
The clinic employs nurses, assistant and specialist doctors, psycho- and special therapists, psychologists and social workers [8], who work together to implement the treatment mandate.
