The Challenge of Identifying, Diverting & Treating Justice-Involved People with Mental Illness
SUMMARY – How to best manage the number of people with mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system is long-standing problem that goes back decades. The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute has completed in-depth data analysis in several Texas counties to assess screening, assessment, and diversion practices.
Project Details
MMHPI completed an in-depth data analysis in several Texas counties to assess screening, assessment, and diversion practices in county jails. This report provides a historical perspective on the legislative policies that have been instituted to address this issue and to improve mental health treatment options for people with mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system. It also reviews Texas’s legal mandates for screening, assessment, and pretrial release, and identifies gaps between what is legally mandated and the system’s capacity to meet those mandates. The report ends with a set of comprehensive recommendations for addressing the issues raised.
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