AboutData and PublicationsWhat We FundNon-profit ResourcesConsumer Health

Funding Interests

Joint Substance Use Disorders / Severe Mental Illness

Prison and jail populations have increased fivefold since 1970. The deinstitutionalization of people with mental illnesses and mandatory sentencing for drug offenses account for some of this increase. Prisoners have four times the rate of mental disorders and seven times the rate of substance use disorders as the general population. The majority of prisoners with behavioral health disorders-mental illnesses and substance use disorders-are returned to the community without having received effective in-prison treatment for their disorders and without reentry plans that connect them to community services and support. As a result, many find themselves back within the criminal justice system in a short time, creating a revolving door syndrome that is costly in both economic and societal terms.

Behavioral health treatment has been shown to be less expensive and more effective at reducing crime than incarceration for these populations. Although treatment is not the right answer for all prisoners, it is the right answer for many in our communities. By working together, the criminal justice and behavioral health treatment systems can implement these less costly, more effective solutions to create a healthier and safer community.

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:

Logic Models

Each focus area has a logic model for each strategy, to view the joint substance use disorders / severe mental illness in the criminal justice system logic model, click here.