Approximately one out of every five sentenced inmates in the United States is released from a correctional facility without any continued community-based supervision. ^[1]   These inmates complete their sentence in prison because, through the abolition of parole and other measures, state law prohibits the release of an offender from prison before his sentence is completed or because releasing authorities denied the inmate's request for release.  Due to disciplinary histories and reluctance of authorities to release people with mental illness to the community before their sentence has expired, issues discussed earlier in this report, the percentage of inmates with mental illness who complete their sentence while in prison is probably greater than the 20 percent figure that applies to all general population inmates. ^[2]   (See Policy Statement 20: Release Decision.)

Offenders with mental illness released to the community without community supervision are particularly difficult cases to manage, both because supervision and participation in treatment and social service programs are completely voluntary and because many newly released offenders resist services and treatment. For those releasees who are unwilling to seek traditional mental health system services, an approach to consider is to link them to consumer-run programs, like a drop-in center, or to create peer (i.e., individuals with mental illness who has themselves once been incarcerated) contacts for outreach.  Such programs or outreach provide contacts, appropriate socialization experiences, and can link individuals to services once they are ready. (See Policy Statement 39: Consumer and Family Member Involvement.)

Releasing authorities should strongly encourage offenders with mental illness to continue services after release, as well as encourage the community mental health programs as much as possible to conduct active monitoring and outreach to recently released offenders referred to them and otherwise attempt to provide such services.

Absent criminal justice oversight and supervision, referral to community-based mental health case management and advocacy programs is perhaps the best recourse.  Again, reaching out to community-based organizations and agencies that would serve this population and facilitating their access to the institution/inmate prior to release will enhance the likelihood that an individual, upon release, would seek out services.  It is also an attractive alternative to and adjunct of criminal justice supervision since community mental health case management services are often eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.  (See Chapter VII:  Elements of an Effective Mental Health System, especially Policy Statements 36, 37, and 39, for further discussion of mental health case management services.)