Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration for People with Mental Health Needs in the Criminal Justice System: The Cost-Savings Implications

• NCJ Number: 241564
• Author(s): David Cloud; Chelsea Davis
• Date Published: February 2013
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Vera Institute of Justice
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research summary examines the cost-savings derived from using alternatives to incarceration for offenders with mental health needs.

Abstract

This report presents cost-savings that can be derived from several different alternatives to incarceration that are available for offenders with mental health needs in the criminal justice system. These alternatives can be used by State and local governments to address the high rates of mental illness among incarcerated offenders while at the same time saving money. One alternative used by law enforcement is prevention and a specialized police response (SPRs) through the use of crisis intervention teams and police-mental health co-responder teams. SPRs save money by reducing law enforcement's reliance on police, jails, and emergency rooms to handle crisis situations involving persons with mental illness. Another alternative involves the use of jail diversion which allows persons with behavioral health needs to receive treatment instead of incarceration, thereby reducing the need for unnecessary arrests and detentions. A third alternative to incarceration for persons with mental health needs is the use of specialized courts that divert offenders from incarceration into treatment programs. This alternative saves money by decrease costs associated with unnecessary arrest and incarceration, recidivism, and continuing court costs. A fourth alternative to incarceration is the use of community reentry planning. This method calls for the use of transitional planning to coordinate services for recently released offenders with substance use and mental health needs in order to facilitate their reentry into the community and reduce their risk of recidivism. As with other alternatives to incarceration, this method reduces costs associated with re-arrests and detentions, compromised public safety, and increased medical treatment. The report includes additional findings that show how these alternatives to incarceration, when implemented at different stages in the criminal justice process, can improve outcomes for offenders with mental illness and produce cost-savings for State and local governments. 33 endnotes