Mental Health Treatment in State Prisons, 2000

• NCJ Number: 188215
• Author(s): Allen J. Beck Ph.D.; Laura M. Maruschak
• Date Published: July 2001
• Length: 8 pages
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Statistics

Annotation

This document reports on facility policies related to screening of inmates at intake, conducting psychiatric or psychological evaluations, and providing treatment (including 24-hour mental health care, therapy/counseling, and use of psychotropic medications) in State prisons.

Abstract

Reports on facility policies related to screening of inmates at intake, conducting psychiatric or psychological evaluations, and providing treatment (including 24-hour mental health care, therapy/counseling, and use of psychotropic medications) in State prisons. This report is based on the 2000 Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities, which gathered data from 1,668 separate institutions. It provides state-by-state tabulations of facility policies and counts of inmates by type of treatment, and by facility characteristics.

• Nearly all State adult confinement facilities screen inmates for mental health problems or provide treatment.
• 1 in 10 State inmates receiving psychotropic medications; 1 in 8 in mental health therapy or counseling.
• 155 State facilities specialized in psychiatric confinement, but general confinement facilities provided a majority of treatment.