Dangerous severe personality disorder: beyond the ethical boundary of psychiatry?

Recent government initiatives in England have resulted in the building of secure inpatient units for individuals with severe personality disorder who are judged to be at high risk of violent offending. The ethical basis of these new services has attracted much critical commentary. It has been suggested that such units simply warehouse problematic individuals under the guise of psychiatric treatment. This contribution examines the ethical basis for the role of psychiatry in treatment of personality disorder within secure settings.