NCJ Number
248350
Journal
Women and Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: July-September 2014 Pages: 209-228
Date Published
2014
Length
20 pages
Annotation
More than half of prisoners who are in city or county jails have a mental illness, a higher number than persons incarcerated in state and federal prisons (James & Glaze, 2006).
Abstract
More than half of prisoners who are in city or county jails have a mental illness, a higher number than persons incarcerated in state and federal prisons (James & Glaze, 2006). More important, 75% of jailed female offenders have a mental illness compared to 63% of their male counterparts. By their very nature, jails are dramatically different compared to prisons. Persons in jails are there temporarily or are serving a relatively short sentence, normally a year or less. Thus, jails have higher daily admissions and releases of offenders than prisons. Jail administrators and correctional officers are also more often confronted with inmates whose mental stability deteriorates faster upon their incarceration. Quickly identifying mentally ill inmates, particularly those who are suicidal, is essential in order to provide timely intervention and manage this population. This article provides an in-depth examination of women's mental illnesses and etiology. It also provides a critical analysis of risk factors and assessment tools that jail staff and administrators may use to help identify mentally ill female inmates. The article concludes with a discussion of postrelease issues and programs. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor Francis.