psychiatric disorders.“114 It was a open ward, even though many of the patients were subject to security restrictions. Although readmissions were not regarded as failure, a study claimed 100% success rates for patients being discharged - of the initial number of 127 offenders subject to security measures, none were still in the institution. The unit‘s success was attributed not only to the atmosphere of the therapeutic community (TC), but to a less severely disordered patient group, the small number and homogeneity of the Slovenian people, and the sociocultural tendencies of the population to selfaggressiveness rather than to violence (See below → Annex I: Case Study - An open forensic and social psychiatry unit in Ljubljana) The Forensic Psychiatry Unit in Maribor currently has a semi-open ward, where patients are included in the available (limited) rehabilitation activities. The patients in this ward have supervised exits to the city and weekend exits.115 After the expiry of the security measure of compulsory psychiatric treatment and confinement in a medical institution After the security measure of compulsory psychiatric treatment and confinement expires, the person can be released. However, if it is considered that the person still needs treatment, the court will inform the social care services. The court must, not later than three months before the expiry of the security measure, notify the social welfare authority and the closest relatives of the imminent expiry if it establishes, on the basis of received reports on the implementation of the measure, that this is necessary for the purpose of continuing the treatment or the special protection and custody of the convicted person.116 Further measures and treatment are then imposed in accordance with the provisions of the Mental Health Act. These measures are considered to be of a civil nature and all measures are outside the scope of the national criminal law and law governing the execution of criminal sanctions. Once the person is transferred under such civil law regime, they can be either treated and supervised within the community (at liberty) or, if they are considered unable to do so, they are placed in a social care institution (“sociano-varstveni zavod”). In such case, there is no time limit as in 114 Kobal, M., & Žagar, D. (1994). An open forensic psychiatry ward organised as a therapeutic community. Therapeutic Communities, 15, 265-272. 115 Interview with a psychiatrist II. 116 Article 495 of the Criminal Procedure Act (Zakon o kazenskem postopku), 29 September 1994. 40