Jails and Mental Health - Suggestions Toward a Research Agenda (From Mental Health Services in Local Jails - Post-workshop Dissemination, Research and Training Planning Meeting, 1979 - See NCJ-75794)

• NCJ Number: 75800
• Author(s): D M Gottfredson
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Four areas of research issues relating to jails are discussed, including improvements in the conceptualization of the purposes of jails, measurement techniques, classification methods, and program evaluation.

Abstract

Improved research on jail topics should begin with an improved conceptualization of the purposes of jails and an improved theory of jail incarceration. Improved measurement techniques should be developed for assessing the incidence and prevalence of mental health problems in jails, the extent of treatment, outcomes, staff variables, and stress. Classification areas requiring attention include screening issues, prediction problems of various types, and the concept of differential treatment. Program evaluation procedures in jails have been largely neglected, and evaluations of jail mental health services have been almost wholly lacking. Systematic procedures should be developed to provide feedback to program administrators. A general research strategy for the study of jails should include an effort to increase agreement on aims, a national project to generate basic data on jails, a system for tracking offenders and estimating program results, the development of management information systems, improved recordkeeping, and investigation of special topical areas (such as stress effects). A total of 23 references are provided.