Intervention Models for Mental Health Services in Jails (From Mental Health Services in Local Jails - Report of a Special National Workshop, P 126-148, 1982, Christopher S Dunn and Henry J Steadman, ed. - See NCJ-85919)

• NCJ Number: 85924
• Author(s): S L Brodsky
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 23 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Available on microfiche as NCJ-85919

Annotation

This discussion of needs, standards, and models for mental health service delivery in jails presupposes the concurrent general improvement of jail facilities, particularly the development of more regional centers in lieu of small jails and a network of more flexible facilities in metropolitan areas.

Abstract

Decisions on the type of services to be provided depend upon needs assessment (i.e., better estimates of the incidence of mental disorder among confined persons). The most common form of intervention is the removal of violent or delusional inmates from the jail to the local hospital or community mental health center as a sporadic crisis measure, for which mutually satisfactory, collaborative procedures rarely exist. A better model consists of a mental health professional periodically visiting the jail for individual or group sessions with inmates referred by the custodial staff. Some jails have therapeutic communities within their facilities, where inmates receive therapy and participate in a living group situation. Such arrangements do not lend themselves to all jail settings because of limitations of physical structures and trained staff. It has been suggested that jails should be divided into three fully autonomous wings: pretrial detention; dormitories for community corrections programs; and an intake, classification, and referral agency for special cases, where disturbed inmates would be concentrated and receive professional treatment. Other suggestions to be considered are jail programs for life-skills enhancement, suicide prevention, and mental health services by and for jail custodians. Given the iatrogenic nature of jail conditions, preventive steps should be taken to ameliorate noise levels and to avoid housing emotionally disturbed individuals in these facilities. All of these approaches fall within the dicta of existing jail standards, which are broad and fail to specify service delivery patterns. Research needs include followup on confined persons, demonstration programs on mental health services in jails, and studies of jailers, violence and suicide, and preventive approaches. A total of 40 references are given.