NCJ Number
85928
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article outlines a research agenda that provides program administrators with basic direction toward the development of appropriate mental health programs for jail inmates.
Abstract
The first step is to determine the actual relationship between the criminal justice and the mental health systems, after which issues surrounding needed information about jail staff (selection, training, and program needs), the goals and effects of jail mental health services, and the processes of effective program development and implementation can be addressed. Among the ways to fill present information gaps are cohort studies, whether the cohorts be composed of inmates being processed through the respective systems or come from jail mental health programs. The use of control groups in the research designs is another important element. It appears preferable to establish priority areas within which the interests of individual researchers and the needs of given agencies or regions could be merged through specific projects of mutual benefit. Federal agencies should therefore list generic problem areas that suggest high yield as guidelines for practitioners and researchers, leaving to them the specification of particular research questions. Above all, it is evident that more research and a sound information data base are required before public and legislative support can be expected for innovative mental health services in jails. To this end, the close collaboration of jailers, researchers, and the Federal funding agencies is a prerequisite. A 16-item reference list is supplied.