NCJ Number
209485
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 67 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 82-85
Date Published
April 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines strategies undertaken by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) to address the multiple obstacles facing the reentry of inmates with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
Abstract
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the number of offenders with mental illness is staggering with estimates of approximately 700,000 adults with mental illness entering United States’ jails and approximately 75 percent suffering from co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse. There are multiple obstacles to reentry into the community for inmates with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. This article discusses the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ enhancements in the continuity-of-care policies and procedures for inmates with mental illness and co-occurring disorders and the development of programs to assist these inmates with reentry. Specialized community living programs developed by the Pennsylvania DOC are the FIR-St Program, the Coleman Center, and the CROMISA programs. To provide a safe transition and maintain continuity of care for those inmates with mental illness or co-occurring disorders reentering the community, the Pennsylvania DOC and the National Alliance of Mentally Ill established the Forensic Interagency Task Force in 1999 to address local forensic problems. In conclusion, Pennsylvania’s strategies to addressing this issue include aftercare planning while the offender is behind the walls and providing a better hand-off from the DOC to the community agencies, developing community corrections centers located near the offender’s community, and collaborating with community mental health agencies, advocacy groups, and families. 3 Endnotes