ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

United States federal laws governing offenders with mental diseases or defects

Federal laws are rules that are made by the government of the entire country, United States.

Sometimes, people make mistakes and break the rules. If someone has a mental disease or defect (which means their brain doesn't work like most people's brains and they can't always control their actions), the government has some special laws to help them.

One of the main laws is called the "Insanity Defense". This means that if someone with a mental disease or defect breaks a rule, they may not be considered guilty if they didn't understand that what they were doing was wrong. However, they still might need to go to a special place where they can get treatment and help.

There are also special hospitals for people with mental diseases or defects who break the rules. These hospitals are called "forensic psychiatric hospitals." They are like regular hospitals, but they have extra security to keep people safe.

The government wants to make sure that people with mental diseases or defects get the help they need so that they can learn to control their actions and stay safe.