Historically, treatment of behavioral disorders in the criminal justice system has been largely confined to in-prison solutions. Over the past two decades, the criminal justice and behavioral health systems have looked at other points in the criminal justice system where treatment can be used, including pre- and post-incarceration. Projects across the nation that have included treatment at these points are successfully reducing repeated criminal behavior for appropriate populations.

Diversion
Diversion, a pre-incarceration solution, keeps appropriate people out of prison or jail and in a controlled treatment program. Mental health and drug courts are two popular diversion programs. In these courts, defendants are tried before a special court and given community-based treatment rather than incarceration. Failure to comply with treatment can result in further sanctions or incarceration.

Another diversion solution growing in popularity is the "crisis intervention team" consisting of police and behavioral health treatment providers. Police are trained to identify people with severe mental illnesses and divert them to treatment rather than arrest them. Treatment providers are often on-call to connect them with treatment.

Re-entry
Diversion is not the best answer for all offenders with behavioral health disorders. Incarceration is still necessary for some. However, after incarceration, it is important for people to be connected to community-based treatment programs that both help reintegrate the individuals into society and help them continue treatment. Both the criminal justice and behavioral health systems collaborate on re-entry projects, which have been shown to be effective in breaking the cycle of repeated criminal behavior for many people with behavioral health disorders.

Developing Behavioral Health Interventions in the Criminal Justice System
The Foundation will provide technical assistance and some of the funding necessary to help collaborating behavioral health providers and criminal justice agencies:

• Plan diversion or re-entry projects appropriate for their communities for people with mental illnesses or substance use disorders
• Implement diversion or re-entry projects tailored to the needs of the community and the mentally ill or substance abusing populations

Our Service Region
Rates of mental illness and substance involvement by prisoners in the tri-state area mirror national rates. These states are currently working on programs to increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment during incarceration. However, this is only part of the solution. For many with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, diversion from incarceration is more effective than treatment while incarcerated. In addition, people coming out of prison or jail need to be connected to community-based treatment resources to help them readjust to community living and prevent them from returning to prison or jail.l counties have less infrastructure to provide a network of mental health services.