Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

This is the second essay in a two-part series exploring the relationships between mental illness, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. The number of mentally ill persons in prisons and jails has increased substantially over the last several decades, and there are currently more people with mental illness behind bars than there are in mental hospitals. In this essay, we place these trends within a broader historical context of the social control of mental illness in the United States. We identify how and why mentally ill persons have come to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system and highlight the unique challenges this population poses for police, courts, and correctional facilities. Finally, we review several recent innovations in policy and practice that may help alleviate that burden of criminal justice involvement on mentally ill offenders, as well as the burden of mentally ill offenders on the criminal justice system.

Beyond the dichotomy: Incarceration dosage and mental health*

“…We include several time‐varying control variables that have been linked with incarceration and mental health by scholars in prior research. Delinquency is positively correlated with mental health, and with the likelihood of incarceration (Remster, ; Vogel, Stephens, & Siebels, ). Thus, we control for prior delinquency using a five‐item variety scale indicating the number of different delinquent acts committed by respondents during the last year (including vandalism, stealing something worth more than $50, other property crime, selling drugs, and assault).…”

Countywide implementation of crisis intervention teams: Multiple methods, measures and sustained outcomes

“…Local communities, and specifically law enforcement, were not equipped with the necessary training, resources, and community connections to effectively manage individuals experiencing severe mental health symptoms (Dupont & Cochran, ; Heilbrun, DeMatteo, Strohmaier, & Gallway, ). As first responders operating without these critical resources, law enforcement officers defaulted to the tools at their disposal (i.e., arrest and jail) to keep the public safe (Vogel, Stephens, & Siebels, ). In fact, it is estimated that 10% of police contacts are with individuals who have a severe mental illness (SMI) (Deane, Steadman, Borum, Veysey, & Morrissey, ).…”

The Use of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model for Corrections Officers: Reducing Incidents within a County Jail

“…In 2016, over 700,000 individuals were incarcerated at any given time, and 10.6 million admissions were recorded in US city or county jails (Kang-Brown et al, 2018; Subramanian et al, 2015; Zeng, 2018). Statistics show that individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are incarcerated at a disproportionate rate when compared to the general population, and this proportion has been steadily rising since the 1980s (Steadman et al, 2009; Vogel et al, 2014; Zeng, 2018). This phenomenon can be attributed to a combination of factors, including lack of available emergency treatment due to the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric facilities and a dearth of adequate community mental health support.…”

“…Research demonstrates that individuals with no history of SMI are at increased risk for psychological distress while incarcerated. Notably, individuals with a history of SMI experience heightened symptoms and are at a greater risk for self-injurious behaviors in carceral settings (DeHart et al, 2009; Dvoskin & Spiers, 2004; Steadman et al, 2009; Vogel et al, 2014). These behaviors are often viewed as dangerous and non-compliant, increasing an individual’s likelihood of interacting with a Cell Removal Team (CRT) that is deployed in crisis situations to restrain or isolate an inmate (DeHart et al, 2009; Dvoskin & Spiers, 2004).…”

“…Since the 1980s, the number of incarcerated individuals with SMI has been steadily increasing (Vogel et al, 2014). The increased use of incarceration disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly individuals with SMI (Steadman et al, 2009; Subramanian, et al, 2015; Vogel et al, 2014; Zeng, 2018). SMI is defined as mental disorders that consistently and extensively interfere with a person’s life and ability to perform life tasks (Compton et al, 2014a).…”