Abstract
The increasing role of police, courts, and corrections in dealing with the mentally ill represents a significant challenge facing local justice systems. This article considers the impact of mentally ill and substance-abusing offenders in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by comparing a random sample of individuals detained on protective custody and mental health holds (n = 338) to a random sample of defendants arrested on criminal charges (n = 153). Results indicate that police encounter individuals with co-occurring disorders on a daily basis and that individuals detained on holds are much more likely than are those arrested to generate additional police contacts during a 1-year follow-up period. Individuals with co-occurring disorders also represent a serious financial burden on the local system, particularly in terms of confinement costs. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for criminal justice policy and practice.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 301-326 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | The Prison Journal |
Volume | 86 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2006 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- co-occurring disorders
- criminal justice
- mental illness
- mentally ill
- substance abuse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Law