Mentally Ill in Corrections - General
How Often and How Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders With Mental Illness?
This article is one of the first to examine the relationship between criminal activity and the influence on it over time by mental illness. The authors discuss: how often mentally ill offenders commit crimes motivated by psychiatric symptoms; legal and research definitions of direct relationships; difficulties in distinguishing between symptoms and traits; how consistent the relationship between criminal behavior and mental illness is over time-the issue of "direct crimes"; legal and research definitions of the consistency of direct relationships; and...
Correctional Officers and the Incarcerated Mentally Ill: Responses to Psychiatric Illness in Prison
This is an excellent article explaining how the values and social structures of a U.S. prison affect a correctional officer's discretionary responses to situations involving mentally ill inmates. Sections of this article cover: prisons as local moral worlds and the construction of illness categories; correctional officers, "people work", and mentally ill inmates; the research context-Pacific Northwest Penitentiary (PNP); research methods; institutional policy and relationships between staff and inmates; the institutional illness category of the "mentally ill inmate" and knowledge about...
Envisioning the Next Generation of Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Interventions
"The purpose of this paper is to cast a vision for the next generation of behavioral health and criminal justice interventions by presenting a set of empirically informed individual and environmental factors that directly and indirectly contribute to criminal justice involvement for individuals with SMI and are, therefore, critical targets for intervention. Although justice-involved persons with SMI bear unique stressors attributable to their mental illness, they also have many “normal” risk factors for criminal behavior. Attending to these shared risk...
Franklin County, Ohio: A County Justice and Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Project
"An extensive data analysis coupled with over 50 in-person interviews with local and state leaders led to the identification of key recommendations for reducing the number of people with behavioral health disorders cycling in and out of jail." Sections of this report include: background; summary of core challenges; funding for behavioral health treatment and services; "Franklin County, OH Criminal System Flow" chart; methodology; sources of data for the analysis chart; assessing behavioral health disorders and risk of recidivism in the...
Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Learn about the most common mental and substance use disorders and how SAMHSA works to reduce their impact on America’s communities.
Publications and Resources on Mental and Substance Use Disorders
SAMHSA publications and related resources on mental and substance use disorders. Topics include Evidence-based and Best Practices, and Co-occurring Disorders.
Mental Health of Prisoners: Prevalence, Adverse Outcomes, and Interventions (2016)
In this Review, we present clinical, research, and policy recommendations to improve mental health care in prisons. National attempts to meet these recommendations should be annually surveyed.
Predictive Analytics in Health Care and Criminal Justice: Three Case Studies (2015)
This issue paper presents three case studies showing how predictive analytics is being used by hybrid health and criminal justice systems.
Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental Illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment (2017)
Titled 'Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental Illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment,' this survey delves into the differing outcomes experienced by Chuck Petrucelly and Jeanette Harper. It investigates how much of this disparity can be attributed to the states where they resided when symptoms developed. The survey reveals Maine, Petrucelly's residence, as one of the few states making significant efforts to prevent reoffending among individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes. Conversely, Harper lived in West Virginia, a state with a comparatively weaker treatment system for those reintegrating into the community post-major crime...
Practical Considerations Related to Release and Sentencing for Defendants Who Have Behavioral Health Needs: A Judicial Guide
The guide and bench card were informed by a May 2017 convening of judges, psychiatrists, people who have behavioral health needs and have been in the justice system, and family members who came together to discuss behavioral health care resources and decision making around conditions of release and sentencing
Principles of Community-based Behavioral Health Services for Justice-involved Individuals: A Research-based Guide (2019)
Purpose and Scope
This document is intended to assist community-based behavioral health providers in their clinical and case management practice with people with mental and substance use disorders who are currently involved with or have a history of involvement in the adult criminal justice system. The focus of this document is on services provided in the community rather than in institutional settings (i.e., jail, prison, or hospital). The information provided is intended to be used in practice, and is therefore appropriate for any staff providing direct services in community settings. However, to practice these principles, organizations may need to reconsider...
Managing the Seriously Mentally Ill in Corrections (2019)
A disproportionate number of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) become involved in the criminal justice system and ultimately fall under some form of correctional control. Although some jurisdictions are making great strides with respect to how the criminal justice system deals with individuals with SMI, significant challenges and opportunities for improved outcomes remain. In light of the ongoing challenges the corrections sector faces in managing individuals with SMI, RAND researchers convened an expert workshop to better understand the challenges and identify the high-priority needs associated with how these individuals become justice-involved and how to achieve better outcomes before and...