NCJ Number
123149
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 54 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 44-47
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A questionnaire survey regarding inmates who received only evaluation and outpatient mental health treatment rather than inpatient treatment at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP) in Springfield, Mo. found that between 78 percent and 90 percent of those returned to regular correctional settings were considered appropriate to those settings.
Abstract
MCFP used a triage process to screen each inmate referred from other settings. The 52.7 percent who were judged not in need of inpatient treatment during the 1979-87 period were maintained in the outpatient unit for approximately 30 days. Followup for the inmates from this 8-year period covered 4 years after discharge from the hospital. The followup data showed that between 87 percent and 100 percent of the discharged patients received average or above-average work reports. Most also received average or above-average reports related to their living quarters and had two or fewer incident reports. Between 63 percent and 79 percent were judged by their case manager to present average or above-average social skills. Findings indicate that a large percentage of those receiving services have gone on to function adequately in a regular correctional environment, that not every problem inmate requires admission to a mental hospital, and that relatively short-term treatment can be effective. Tables and 13 references.