Congressional Briefing on People with Serious Mental Illnesses in Jails
July 11, 2009
A new study on the prevalence of adults with serious mental illnesses in jails was released at a congressional staff briefing last month in Washington DC. Presenters have summarized the study findings, implications for jail systems, the courts, communities and people with serious mental illnesses. Discussion revolved around the role of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) grant program in order to stimulate comprehensive evidence-based services and supports.
Presenters of this study included co-author, Fred Osher, M.D., Director, Health Systems and Services Policy, Council of State Governments Justice Center, Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice and Mental Health, Supreme Court of Florida; Art Wallenstein, Director, Montgomery County Dept. of Correction and Rehabilitation, MD; and Fred Frese, Ph.D., a psychologist who is a leading expert and spokesperson on serious mental illnesses, diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 25.
Key findings from the study :
- 14.5 percent of men and 31 percent of women entering the jails studied were found to have serious mental illnesses. These rates are three to six times higher than those found in the general population.
- The gender difference is particularly important given the rising number of women of U.S. jails.
- If applied to the 13 million jail admissions reported in 2007, the findings suggest that more than 2 million bookings of a person with a serious mental illness may occur annually.
This study represents the most reliable estimates in the last 20 years of the rates of serious mental illnesses among adults entering jails.
This briefing was sponsored by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Mental Health America and the Campaign for Mental Health Law, the National Association of Counties, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare Reform. Further details of the study and briefing will be revealed in the near future as it gains more media coverage.
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