NCJ Number
179123
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: 1999 Pages: 377-386
Date Published
1999
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine whether a jail diversion program significantly reduced the number of days of incarceration over the year following arrest in a sample of seriously mentally ill (SMI) people who had been arrested for minor crimes.
Abstract
The participants included 314 SMI detainees who were diverted out of jail and into mental health treatment and a comparison sample of 124 people who would have been eligible for diversion but who were not diverted. The groups were compared with respect to the total days incarcerated after the arrest. Jail diversion significantly reduced incarceration time during the next year. The study group was incarcerated for an average of 40.51 days, whereas the control group was incarcerated for an average of 172.84 days. However, the effect of diversion differed depending on the level of criminal charge; diversion significantly reduced jail time only among those who were arrested for more serious offenses. Those arrested for Class D felony and Class A misdemeanor charges and diverted into mental health treatment spent significantly less time in jail in the next year than did those not diverted (260 and 110 fewer days, respectively). Those who were arrested for Class B or C misdemeanors had similar days incarcerated regardless of diversion. These results remained after adjusting for age, race, gender, and diagnosis. Findings provided the first evidence that jail diversion may produce positive longitudinal outcomes for SMI people and also suggested that diversion may not reduce incarceration in all subgroups of SMI people arrested for minor crimes. Tables and 15 references (Author abstract modified)