Mental Health

Managing the Seriously Mentally Ill in Corrections (2019)

stephqian — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:11:23 +0000

Managing the Seriously Mentally Ill in Corrections (2019) stephqian Thu, 02/13/2020 - 14:11 More Article John S. Shaffer, Joe Russo, Dulani Woods, Brian A. Jackson January 01, 2019

Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative (RAND) -

This report summarized a workshop that aimed to identify critical needs in order to best serve individuals with a seriously mental illness (SMI) who are currently in corrections. Participants for the workshop include correction and mental health professionals and researchers. Their keypoints to improve the correctional system are: 1) Prioritize the needs of SMI; 2) Invest in early detection and intervention; 3) Improve community-based mental health services; 4) Focus on treatment rather than punishment; 5) Reinvest public funding; and 5) Bridge the divide between justice and mental health systems.

The Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative researches how to improve technology needs to best fit the criminal justice community.

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^{Keywords: Mental health, RAND, Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative, workshop, professional, researcher, corrections, law enforcement, mental health treatment}

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Mental Health

Successful Reintegration and Mental Health (2018)

stephqian — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:09:16 +0000

Successful Reintegration and Mental Health (2018) stephqian Thu, 02/13/2020 - 14:09 More Article Nicholas W. Bakken, Christy A. Visher May 23, 2018

The Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center -

This study examines the differences in difficulties faced by men and women with mental health problems upon release from incarceration. Using data from the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center, a sample of 352 men and women were used for the study, and were given pre and post-release interviews. The results find that women with a history of mental illness had a much more difficult time re-integrating into society compared to men with a history of mental illness. Based on this study, mental health is a considerable factor of successful re-entry, especially for women. The authors suggest reentry planning over a longer period of time prior to one's release, and more gender-responsive plans. Limitations for this study include a relatively small sample size coming from one state (Texas). Because of that, it is unknown if the findings can be generalized into a larger population.

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^{Keywords: Mental health, gender, prison reenter, recidivism, gender disparity, gender difference, sample, mental health courts, Urban Institute}

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Mental Health

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Community Behavioral Health Service Usage (2018)

stephqian — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:07:05 +0000

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Community Behavioral Health Service Usage (2018) stephqian Thu, 02/13/2020 - 14:07 More Article Woojae Han, Allison Redlich November 01, 2017

George Mason University, State University of New York and George Mason University -

The goal of this study is to examine the racial/ethnic disparities between participants in mental health courts (MHCs) and traditional courts. The study also seeks to understand the differences in services used based on race and ethnicity in MHCs. The researchers conducted the study by looking at the usage rate of services and administering interviews. The findings suggest that African American participants in MHCs utilize mental health and substance abuse services compared to counterparts in traditional courts. The presence of MHCs reduces the racial/ethnic disparities in the usage of behavioral health services. One of the limitations to this study is that this is the only known study of racial/ethnic disparities in behavioral health services in MHCs, so the results cannot be used for all MHCs. Additionally, the study did not look at the long term effects ( >6 months) of MHCs.

Woojae Han is a Professor in the Binghamton University Department of Social Work. Allison Redlich is a Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University.

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^{Keywords: California, national, racial/ethnic disparities, mental illness, mental health courts, behavioral health service utilization, traditional courts, services, usage}

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Mental Health

Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts in Reducing Recidivism: A Meta-Analysis (2018)

stephqian — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:05:15 +0000

Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts in Reducing Recidivism: A Meta-Analysis (2018) stephqian Thu, 02/13/2020 - 14:05 More Article Evan M. Lowder, Candalyn B. Rade, Sarah L. Desmarais January 01, 2018

Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh -

This study examines how mental health courts (MHCs) affect the rate of recidivism in comparison with traditional sentencing by conducting a meta-analysis on academic literature about MHCs. Analyzing 17 studies about MHCs, the findings suggest that MHCs are somewhat effective in reducing recidivism compared to traditional courts, but are most effective serving as a form of harm reduction for potential future offenses. More research needs to be done on the methods of improving MHCs for participants, rather than its overall effectiveness.

Evan B. Lowder is a Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. Candalyn B. Rade is a Professor of Psychology at Penn State Harrisburg. Sarah L. Desmarais is a Professor in the Applied Social and Community Psychology Program at North Carolina State University.

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^{Keywords: Mental illness, mental health courts, recidivism, meta-analysis, synthetic study, literature, academic literature, MHC, effectiveness, traditional sentencing}

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Mental Health

Recidivism