NCJ Number
85353
Date Published
1982
Length
5 pages
Annotation
New York State's model for the mental health treatment of offenders has stimulated the development of a sophisticated mental health delivery system and produced better coordinated mental health aftercare services for offenders returned to the community.
Abstract
For 85 years, Matteawan State Hospital and its predecessor Dannemora State Hospital had been the primary providers of inpatient psychiatric care for offenders. In 1976, a successful class action suit challenged the facilities and treatment programs of the Matteawan State Hospital. In 1977, the State legislature enacted a comprehensive plan to address deficiencies in the delivery of mental health services to offenders. The plan called for closing the Matteawan State Hospital and the establishment of an entirely new concept for the delivery of mental health services under the direction of the State Office of Mental Health. The two-phase plan required the development of a maximum security acute inpatient center (Central New York Psychiatric Center) situated in the center of the State, while all other services -- including crisis intervention, prevention, clinic services, and aftercare services -- would be provided by the Office of Mental Health within the prison system through seven 'satellite clinics.' These satellite clinics were developed to mirror a community mental health model. The centers were located inside each designated prison setting. The total system attempts to provide psychiatric treatment that is humane, effective, and in keeping with the unique needs of the prison community. Problems have included interface and linkage issues, bridging the security versus treatment dilemma, redefinition of the treatment locus for chronically mentally ill offenders, and the sharing of clinical information.