Mental Health Needs in the Criminal Justice System

The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) hosted a Mental Health Roundtable in 2017. This roundtable convened the leaders of more than 30 of our nation’s criminal justice organizations and allied professionals. Participants addressed the alarming number of people with mental illnesses entering the criminal justice system and identified methods for stronger collaboration within our communities.

One action item from the roundtable was creating a resource page for law enforcement to promote effective collaboration among criminal justice professionals. This is that resource page. The following mental health resources were identified by the participants of the roundtable:

• The DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)'s “Women’s Pathways to Jail: Examining Mental Health, Trauma and Substance Use” is a study providing information to help develop strategies that address and respond to the overrepresentation of women with mental illness in jails.
• The Pew Charitable Trust' “Getting the Mentally Ill Out of Jails” examines treatment options that states and localities are exploring to avoid jailing mentally ill people.
• The Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation's “Mental Health and the Role of States” is a report from the State Health Care Spending Project to help policymakers better understand how much money states spend on health care, how and why that amount has changed over time, and which policies are containing costs while maintaining or improving health outcomes
• The Pew Charitable Trusts' “States at a Crossroad on Criminal Justice Reform” explores the “tough on crime” policies that many states are looking to change.
• The Council of State Governments' “Stepping Up” Initiative to reduce the number of mentally ill persons in jail.
• The International Association of Chiefs of Police's “One Mind Campaign” promotes successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness.
• The Treatment Advocacy Center hosts a myriad of research and resources on mental health topics.
• The National Institute of Corrections' “Mentally Ill Persons in Corrections” hosts a resource guide on behavioral health needs under correctional supervision.
• The National Institute of Corrections' “Developing a Mental Health Court: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum” is a comprehensive resource on how to plan and implement a mental health court.  It is designed to be easily adapted to supplement existing trainings, for new mental health court team members, or as a tune-up for teams that are already in operation.
• The National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Standards for Mental Health and Opioid Treatment Programs in Corrections are continually updated to reflect the latest evidence and best practices in meeting professional, legal, and ethical requirements in delivering correctional health care services.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)'s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation (Gather, Assess, integrate, Network & Stimulate) focuses on expanding access to services for people with mental and/or substance use disorders who come in contact with the justice system.
• SAMHSA’s Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) provides a conceptual framework for communities to organize targeted strategies for justice-involved individuals with behavioral health disorders: 
• BJA's “Police – Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit” provides resources for law enforcement agencies to partner with mental health providers to effectively respond to calls for service, improve outcomes for people with mental illness, and advance the safety of all.
• Fairfax County, Virginia’s Diversion First Program offers alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low level offenses.

This project was supported, in whole or in part, by grant number 2015-CK-WX-0027 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of this publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity.