NCJ Number
124790
Date Published
1989
Length
35 pages
Annotation
Efforts are critically needed to divert mentally ill offenders from New York's criminal justice system into treatment at the local level.
Abstract
The New York State Commission of Correction estimates that 3 to 11 percent of New York's jail inmates may be psychotic, while 15 to 20 percent may suffer other psychological maladies. While it is difficult to paint a detailed demographic portrait of the mentally ill inmate, experts believe the population possesses the same characteristics as those of inmates found in most jails: predominantly men between 18 and 40 years of age who are poorly educated, were marginally employed before incarceration, and possess limited means. Mental illness may play a significant factor in violent crimes. Recent evidence further suggests that once mentally ill offenders are jailed, they tend to remain in jail. What is needed is a comprehensive jail diversion system that spots mentally ill offenders early in the adjudication process and diverts them to treatment as quickly as possible. Three programs in New York that attempt to accomplish these goals are described: (1) clinical model -- Monroe County Clinic for Socio-Legal Services; (2) referral model -- Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC); and (3) intensive case management model -- Mental Health Alternatives to Incarceration (MHATI). Recommendations to facilitate the diversion of mentally ill offenders from jail and provide them with therapeutically beneficial support services are offered. 20 references.