BJS Report Highlights Need to Improve Responses to People with Mental Illnesses in the Criminal Justice System

A report recently released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) - Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates - has concluded that more than half of all prison and jail inmates have mental health problems. The issues the report raises have long been pressing concerns for state and local government officials, mental health professionals and consumers, and others committed to improving the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. Click here to access the report.

The findings from the report were derived from inmates' self-reported symptoms that can be associated with mental disorders, rather than from an official diagnosis of a mental illness. Because these measures differ from those used by BJS in their previous studies (1999 and 2000) of people with mental illnesses in prisons and jails, it is difficult to compare the results of the different reports.

The results from all of BJS's reports, however, confirm what front-line professionals in law enforcement, the courts, and prisons and jails have said for years: that the number of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system is a growing problem that requires coordinated response. CSG has been working with its Consensus Project partners and others in the field to notify the media and policymakers about the tremendous impact of this problem on the lives of people with mental illnesses, state and local budgets, and public safety. To view CSG's press release on the report click here.

Many specialized strategies to improve coordination among criminal justice and mental health professionals are outlined in the 2002 Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project Report. A growing number of communities across the country are now using the kinds of collaborative approaches and innovative policies the report recommends, including initiatives that help reduce injuries and arrests in law enforcement encounters, enable courts to ensure accountability while meeting the needs of individuals with mental illnesses, and help corrections professionals reduce the numbers of individuals with mental illnesses who cycle through prisons and jails.

To access previous BJS studies on criminal justice/mental health issues Mental Health Treatment in State Prisons, 2000 and Mental Health and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers, 1999, click here.

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