NCJ Number
85919
Editor(s)
C S Dunn,
H J Steadman
Date Published
1982
Length
225 pages
Annotation
Courts are increasingly requiring that substandard mental health services in jails be markedly improved. Corrections and mental health experts suggest that standards regarding diagnosis, classification, and treatment be implemented for legal and ethical reasons.
Abstract
Participants in this 1978 workshop addressed the following major topics: the nature and extent of mental health needs in local jails; assessment and intervention approaches; service delivery systems and models currently in use; legal issues, responsibilities, and constraints; and future research and training efforts. Individual papers present a review of investigations concerning jail inmates' psychological problems, exemplary service delivery models, and legal perspectives. One paper discusses the implementation of standards recommended by the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards for psychological assessments in jails. Others describe specific intervention models (therapeutic communities, suicide prevention, etc.) and special issues regarding juveniles in jail. The volume includes a theoretical discussion of labeling in the treatment of mental illness in jails and suggestions for a research agenda on jails and mental health. An overview of workshop themes includes an outline of subsequent activities. Individual articles contain footnotes, references, and tabular data; a list of workshop participants is provided.