NCJ Number
139506
Date Published
1992
Length
164 pages
Annotation
Data from a national survey and site visits to jails in 15 states form the basis of this analysis of the use of jails to house seriously mentally ill individuals and recommendations for changes in State laws and local policies, procedures, and programs to address the needs of these individuals.
Abstract
The analysis revealed that more than 30,700 seriously mentally ill individuals serve time in jail each day, mainly due to the failure of the public mental health system. Many of these individuals face no criminal charges at all, most face trivial charges such as disorderly conduct and trespassing, and a few face serious charges. Despite the best efforts of some jail officials, many mentally ill persons are abused by other inmates, while others are exposed to communicable diseases. In addition, more than one-fifth of jails have no access to any mental health services. Moreover, 46 percent of jails do not know whether seriously mentally ill inmates receive outpatient psychiatric services upon release. Furthermore, 69 percent of jails report seeing far more inmates with serious mental illnesses now compared with 10 years ago. Recommended changes include changes in State laws to prohibit the emergency detention of people with mental illness not charged with any crime, the establishment of jail diversion programs, the mental health evaluation of these inmates within 24 hours of admission, correctional personnel training, and service provision. Additional recommendations, tables, figures, chapter reference lists, and appended methodological information and resource lists