| Their Stories
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| | offenses.
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| People with mental illnesses often come
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| | 4
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| into contact with the criminal justice
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| | Offenders with Mental Illness
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| system.
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| | -
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| - Steven, 28, has bipolar disorder. He
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| | In Jails : 101,000 individuals with
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| can maintain a normal family life and a
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| | mental illnesses were inmates in local
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| job as a landscaper. He had never had
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| | jails at year-end 2000. Of these, 63,000
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| problems with the law or any history of
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| | had a severe mental illness.
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| violent behavior. One night while he was
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| | 5 Jails are locally operated facilities
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| driving, the police pulled him over. He
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| | that hold people pending arraignment or
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| heard voices telling him to keep going.
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| | awaiting trial, conviction or sentencing.
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| He did, was shot in the hand, bitten by
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| | Sentencing is either to probation or
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| police dogs and arrested. He spent four
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| | incarceration in jail (generally under a
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| months in jail, without the medication
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| | year) or prison. There are 3,365 local
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| that had kept him stable. Eventually, he
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| | jails.
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| was found not guilty by reason of
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| | 6
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| insanity and was hospitalized; the
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| | - In Prisons : 201,000 individuals with
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| charges were dismissed. (Health
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| | mental illnesses were inmates in state
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| Foundation of Greater Cincinnati , 8/00)
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| | (191,000 or 16.2%) and federal (10,000 or
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| A man with a mental illness who was
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| | 7.9%) prisons at year-end 2000. Of these,
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| homeless was arrested in Florida for
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| | 132,000 had a severe mental illness.
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| shoplifting an ice-cream sandwich that
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| | 7 There are 1,558 adult correctional
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| cost $ 1.16, then imprisoned because he
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| | facilities housing state prisoners and
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| lacked the $25 bail for release.
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| | 110 facilities housing federal prisoners.
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| (Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale , 11/98)
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| | - On Probation : 614,000 individuals
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| Many lack access to adequate services
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| | (16%) with mental illnesses were on
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| through the public mental health system.
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| | probation at year-end 2000. Of these,
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| - Roy was so desperate for mental health
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| | 315,000 had a severe mental illness.
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| treatment that he showed up at the
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| | 8 Probation represents a more moderate
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| courthouse and signed his commitment
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| | sanction than incarceration. It is
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| papers. On the day of his hearing, he
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| | generally given to offenders with few or
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| packed, ready for a hospital stay, but
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| | no prior convictions or to those guilty
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| the hospital couldn't take him for two
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| | of less serious offenses.
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| months. "What am I supposed to do until
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| | Description of the Population
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| then," he asked. No other services were
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| | New Department of Justice data confirm
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| offered him. Seven weeks later, Roy
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| | previous research findings that most
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| walked into the woods, strapped his belt
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| | individuals with mental illnesses in the
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| around a low branch and stepped off a
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| | criminal justice system have had
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| plastic bucket. His body was found a week
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| | extensive experience with both the
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| later, on the day his mother got a call
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| | criminal justice and mental health
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| that the hospital was ready for him.
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| | systems and have a severe mental disorder
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| (Time, 7/00)
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| | and poor functioning.
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| - Seeking help for their 20-year-old son
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| | As seen in this table on offenders with
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| who was exhibiting unexplained paranoia,
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| | mental illnesss, on every item, in all
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| a Latino family called the community
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| | settings-jails, state prisons, federal
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| mental health crisis line. Nine hours
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| | prisons and probation-offenders with
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| later a mental health professional
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| | mental illnesses are more likely than
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| arrived with police. After a brief exam
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| | other offenders to have the reported
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| the mental health worker said the young
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| | problem.
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| man may need hospitalization and the
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| | 1. Based on admission rates reported in
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| officers agreed to take him to a mental
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| | Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin,
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| health facility. Although they had found
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| | Census of Jails, 1999 (August 2001, NCJ
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| him passively sitting on a sofa, the
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| | 186633, p. 5) multiplied by the
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| officers used physical force, beating him
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| | percentage of jail inmates with a mental
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| with nightsticks and ultimately
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| | illness (16.3%) reported in Bureau of
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| pepper-spraying the apartment. The family
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| | Justice Statistics Special Report, Mental
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| watched, stunned. The young man was
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| | Health Treatment of Inmates and
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| diagnosed with schizophrenia and more
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| | Probationers (July 1999, NCJ 174463).
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| than a year later remains withdrawn and
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| | 2. Calculated using the respective rates
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| unable to return to his job. His family
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| | of mental illness reported in Bureau of
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| is discouraged about accessing any public
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| | Justice Statistics Special Report, Mental
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| services. (Report from a Washington DC
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| | Health Treatment of Inmates and
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| suburb, 4/02)
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| | Probationers (NCJ 174463) and year-end
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| The criminal justice system is used to
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| | jail and prison population numbers
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| fill the void.
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| | reported in Bureau of Justice Statistics
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| - A man with a history of epilepsy was
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| | Bulletin, Prisoners in 2000 (August 2001,
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| arrested after appearing confused and
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| | NCJ 188207) and probationers reported in
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| disrupting service on a city bus. Upon
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| | Bureau of Justice Statistics press
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| release, he was found outside the jail
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| | release of August 26, 20001.
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| banging his head on a wall and crying. He
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| | 3. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special
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| was then admitted to hospital, where he
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| | Report, Mental Health Treatment of
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| threatened people with pencils. Hospital
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| | Inmates and Probationers (NCJ 174463).
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| staff called the police and allowed them
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| | 4. Id.
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| to enter patient areas with firearms.
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| | 5. Based on self reports by inmates and
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| After the man became agitated from
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| | probationers and, for severity, on
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| complications associated with epileptic
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| | overnight admissions to a mental hospital
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| seizures, he was shot dead by a police
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| | or treatment program.
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| officer. His family had brought his
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| | 6. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin,
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| seizure medication to the hospital the
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| | Census of Jails, 1999 (August 2001, NCJ
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| day before, but they spoke only Spanish
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| | 186633).
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| and no one could communicate with them.
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| | 7. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin,
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| The medicine was set aside. (Mental
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| | Prisoners in 2000 (August 2001, NCJ
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| Health Weekly, 6/01)
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| | 188207).
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| Once people are in thecriminal justice
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| | 8. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special
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| system, their mental health needs are not
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| | Report, Substance Abuse and Treatment of
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| met.
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| | Adults on Probation, 1995 (March 1998,
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| - An Oregon man with a mental illness
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| | NCJ 166611).
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| gouged out his eyes as he waited in a
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| | 9. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special
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| Portland jail cell for a psychiatric
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| | Report, Mental Health Treatment of
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| hospital bed. (The Oregonian 6/12/02 )
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| | Inmates and Probationers (July 1999, NCJ
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| - Romus was arrested and brought to the
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| | 174463).
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| Orange County jail in New York , shouting
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| | Policy to Address Issues Regarding People
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| gibberish. As a result of budget cuts, no
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| | with Serious Mental Illnesses in the
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| psychiatrist was on call, so Romus was
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| | Criminal Justice System
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| pepper-sprayed and shackled to a
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| | Impact
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| restraint chair, where he sat shouting,
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| | The increase in the number of individuals
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| twisting and kicking for hours.
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| | with serious mental illnesses who come in
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| Eventually, an officer dragged
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| | contact with law enforcement officers or
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| Romus , in the chair, to the jail's
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| | are booked into jail or sentenced to
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| mental health unit and pushed him in.
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| | incarceration means that more and more
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| (Middletown Times Herald-Record, NY, 7
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| | individuals suffer significant harm. For
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| 01)
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| | example:
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| - Shawn, 20, diagnosed with
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| | - They experience great trauma in
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| schizophrenia, depression and bipolar
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| | connection with arrest, booking or
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| disorder, has been in and out of state
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| | detention.
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| hospitals. He was arrested after punching
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| | - They are unnecessarily stigmatized by
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| a security guard who tried to stop him
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| | involvement with criminal justice.
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| from stealing. While in jail awaiting a
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| | - They are penalized in their eligibility
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| court hearing, Shawn has tried to kill
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| | for housing, employment and public
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| himself at least four times. "I use
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| | benefits as a result of-and long
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| razors, floor tiles, nails, screws,
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| | after-arrest or detention.
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| glass, anything," he says, "I want to
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| | The various parts of the criminal justice
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| die." When he tries to hurt himself, the
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| | system also face major problems,
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| jail locks him in the medical observation
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| | including:
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| cell. "When I get locked up like that,
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| | - repeated use of significant police time
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| all I do is cry, punch myself in the
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| | and judicial resources;
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| face, bang my head against the wall."
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| | - significant stress among law
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| Guards then strap him in a restraint
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| | enforcement personnel (for example, when
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| chair. "There is not a day...that I don't
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| | individuals with depression try to
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| think of killing myself," he told a
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| | encourage the officer to shoot them);
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| reporter. "I just want help. I want this
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| | - occupancy of jail beds needed for more
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| to end. I've come to the conclusion that
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| | serious offenders;
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| death is the only way out." ( Portland
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| | - management problems in jail, often
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| Press Herald, 11/01)
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| | requiring suicide watch or causing major
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| Criminal justice and mental health
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| | disruptions for jail staff;
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| systems have not collaborated well.
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| | - challenges to probation and parole
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| - Paul, 24, was arrested for breaking and
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| | officers who lack special training or are
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| entering. While processing him, police
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| | too few in number to work with people
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| saw that he was highly agitated and his
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| | with serious mental illnesses;
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| behavior was strange. Concerned, the
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| | - a scarcity of financial resources as a
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| arresting officers called the area mental
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| | result of these and other issues.
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| health center, a hospital, the state
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| | Taking a Different Approach
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| police and the District Attorney's office
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| | What is needed is a new approach to
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| to find out what to do. While the various
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| | policy that will:
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| organizations argued over who should take
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| | - assure that individuals with serious
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| him, Paul hanged himself in his cell.
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| | mental illnesses do not end up in the
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| (Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
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| | criminal justice system when a mental
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| , 8/00)
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| | health approach would be more appropriate
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| - Joseph is deaf, has a serious mental
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| | or because of prior failures to make
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| illness and cannot speak. He was arrested
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| | mental health services accessible;
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| on a misdemeanor charge. Although the
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| | - effectively move people with serious
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| charges were dropped, he remained in the
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| | mental illnesses out of the criminal
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| detention center for two years, lost
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| | justice system more expeditiously; and
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| somewhere between the city's criminal
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| | - ensure that those who have been
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| justice and mental health bureaucracies.
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| | arrested or incarcerated do not return.
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| (The Washington Post, 9/01)
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| | Goals for Policy
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| Collaboration between mental health and
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| | Such policies will result in:
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| criminal justice can lead to better
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| | - better outcomes for the individual with
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| outcomes.
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| | mental illness;
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| - Richard, 43, has schizophrenia. He has
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| | - greater safety for all-the community,
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| been arrested 137 times for petty crimes
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| | law enforcement officers, correctional
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| such as trespassing and panhandling.
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| | staff, the individual with a mental
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| Unwilling to take medication on his own,
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| | illness and his or her family;a more
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| he was caught in a dangerous cycle, from
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| | efficient criminal justice system;
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| jail to hospital to homelessness.
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| | - greater cost-effectiveness across the
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| Thresholds, a nonprofit rehabilitation
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| | criminal justice and mental health
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| agency, convinced a judge to release
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| | system, as mental health issues are
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| Richard to their custody. Now he has a
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| | addressed earlier and in a more
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| single room the group provides for him,
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| | appropriate forum;a more pleasant
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| food, money and constant support. It took
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| | community for all.
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| time, but Richard has been able to break
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| | Approaches That Have Been Tried
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| his cycle of living on the streets or in
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| | Many communities have adopted programs
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| prison. Over a year later, he remains
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| | that will divert people with serious
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| arrest-free and says he has never felt
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| | mental illness from the criminal justice
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| happier. Thresholds costs $25 a day,
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| | system at various stages of the process:
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| while jail costs $75 a day. (Health
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| | - time of arrest (pre-booking diversion);
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| Foundation of Greater Cincinnati , 8/00)
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| | - as the individual's case is initially
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| Individuals with Mental Illnesses in Jail
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| | processed in the jail (pre-booking
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| and Prison
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| | diversion);
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| Data
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| | - following booking, but without a trial
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| - Nearly two million new jail admissions
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| | (post-booking diversion);
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| are of people with mental
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| | - at adjudication or the trial stage
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| illnesses-35,000 individuals a week.
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| | (court-based diversion); or
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| 1
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| | - following incarceration (re-entry
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| - At the end of 2000, nearly one million
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| | programs)
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| individuals with mental illnesses were in
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| | Diversion is most likely to succeed, to
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| the criminal justice system.
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| | violate individual rights less and to be
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| 2
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| | less costly to the criminal justice
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| - More than 16% of jail inmates have a
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| | system if it occurs in the early stages
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| mental illness, according to the United
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| | of criminal justice processing. However,
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| States Department of Justice.
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| | depending on the seriousness of the crime
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| 3
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| | or the individual's prior history in the
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| - Seventy percent of jail inmates with
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| | criminal justice system, this may not be
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| mental illnesses are there for nonviolent
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| | feasible.
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