Mental Illness: Means a state of mind of a person which affects the persons thinking, perceiving, emotion or judgement and which seriously impairs the psychological function of the person to the extent that he or she requires care or medical treatment in his or her interest or the interest of other people (Mental Health Act 2001). This study focuses on exploring the links between forensic mental health and the criminal justice system in Ireland, from an insider perspective. Originally this was an MA project for the author of the publication, which dates back to 2010.