NCJ Number
181089
Journal
American Journal of Sociology Volume: 104 Issue: 6 Dated: May 1999 Pages: 1744-1775
Date Published
1999
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This article examines the relationship between the criminal justice and mental health systems.
Abstract
The relationship between the criminal justice and mental health systems is modeled in terms of the causal processes that underlie it; processes that are common to both systems; and processes that underlie the effect of one system on the other. Using a panel of cities, the article revealed strong cross-capacity, which influences both jail and hospital admissions. The study did not observe a hypothesized negative effect of hospital capacity on jail admissions, providing no support for the functional-alternative hypothesis. However, the effect of jail capacity on hospital admissions was both positive and statistically significant, providing strong support for the conduit hypothesis. The study noted a dramatic effect of percent-black on jail capacity, which was time invariant and increased as segregation increased. Given the strong effect of jail capacity on jail and hospital admission rates, percent-black also showed a substantial and positive indirect effect on both jail and hospital admission rates, which increased as segregation increased. Notes, figure, tables, references