NCJ Number
215530
Date Published
July 2006
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper documents the impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the provision of mental health and trauma services for individuals under criminal justice supervision and offers recommendations for addressing the problems that occurred.
Abstract
Hurricane evacuees with mental illness, substance abuse disorders, and trauma histories who were under criminal justice supervision faced a number of problems. Facilities that received the evacuees experienced delayed screening, assessment, and diagnosis because of a lack of documentation on past treatment history. Evacuees often did not receive their prescribed medications because of the absence of medical records and insufficient supplies of needed medication. Other problems included the interruption of counseling services, separation from family and other familiar supports, lack of information about family members, and a high risk for violent behavior under relapses due to interrupted services and medication. In the future, these problems caused by unexpected natural disasters can be better addressed. A first step is to involve advocates for needy criminal justice system evacuees in planning groups that design local responses to disasters. Also, States should have a section on the handling of criminal justice clients in their emergency management plans. Agencies that typically provide benefits for persons in the criminal justice system must be encouraged to accelerate and streamline their efforts to maintain and re-establish benefits when disasters occur. Disaster and emergency-response training must be instituted for all criminal justice personnel involved in managing offenders, in order that they may provide prompt and effective action that can prevent or reduce the disruption of health services during and after a disaster. 11 references