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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for mental health
84 results foundAuthor: Almquist, Lauren Title: Mental Health Courts: A guide to research-informed policy and practice Summary: This guide is intended to assist policymakers and practitioners in assessing the utility of mental health courts. After briefly describing who participates in mental health courts and how these courts function, this guide reviews research findings that address the extent to which mental health courts have been found to achieve their stated goals. Because mental health courts are relatively new, many unanswered questions remain on how they work, for whom, and under what circumstances; these outstanding research questions are highlighted in the final portion of this guide. Details: New York: Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2009. 54p. Source: Internet Source: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/CSG_MHC_Research.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/CSG_MHC_Research.pdf Shelf Number: 116672 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Health CourtsMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection Title: A joint inspection on work prior to sentence with offenders with mental disorders. Summary: This inspection focused on cases involving offenders who have been identified prior to sentence as having a mental disorder, and how these cases have been handled in practice. The inspectors found neither criminal justice nor health professionals were in favor of diverting an increased number of offenders from prosecution. Most felt that the majority should be combined with rather than instead of court action. However, in the minority of cases who were suitable for diversion, there did appear to be scope for greater efficiency by diverting these earlier in the process, before they got to the court stage. Most of the areas visited would also benefit from a better quality and more timely psychiatric report service once at the court stage. More generally, it was clear that treatment did help some current offenders to stop offending, so sustained access to treatment continues to be very important. Details: Manchester: HM Inspectorate of Probation, 2009, 56p. Source: Internet Source Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117573 Keywords: DiversionMental HealthMentally Ill OffendersSentencing |
Author: Great Britain. HM Inspectorate of Prisons Title: Disabled Prisoners: A Short Thematic Review on the Care and Support of Prisoners with a Disability Summary: The U.K. National Offender Management Service is now subject to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. It is required to promote disability equality and eliminate unlawful discrimination in all prisons in England and Wales. Disability, as defined in the Act, covers a range of impairments, both physical and mental, including learning disability. This report draws together information from prisoner surveys and inspection reports between 2006 and 2008, together with responses from 82 prison disability liaison officers, to examine how well prisons are currently able to discharge these duties. Details: London: HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2009. 66p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 113775 Keywords: Disability (U.K.)Learning DisabilitiesMental HealthPrisoners (U.K.)Prisons (U.K.) |
Author: Cloyes, Kristin G. Title: Prescription and Use of Psychotropic Medications in Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Secure Care Facilities Summary: Recent national studies report that the numbers of youth with mental disorders who become engaged with the juvenile justice system are increasing, and subsequently the prevalence of mental health disorders for youth in custody is on the rise. Several published estimates place the ratio of youth in custody with mental disorders requiring treatment at 60-75%. Recent research has also found that 63% of youth involved with Utah Juvenile Justice Services experience considerable mental distress or have significant emotional, behavioral or mental disorders. Details: Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah, 2008. 80p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 114816 Keywords: Juvenile Inmates (Utah)Medical Care, Juvenile InmatesMental HealthMental Health Services, Juvenile InmatesMentally Ill Offenders, Juveniles |
Author: Torrey, E. Fuller Title: More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals: A Survey of the States Summary: This study found that Americans with severe mental illnesses are three times more likely to be in jail or prison than in a psychiatric hospital. The odds of a seriously mentally ill individual being imprisoned rather than hospitalized are 3.2 to 1, state data shows. The report compares statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Justice Statistics collected during 2004 and 2005, respectively. The report also found a very strong correlation between those states that have more mentally ill persons in jails and prisons and those states that are spending less money on mental health services. Details: Arlington, VA: Treatment Advocacy Center and the National Sheriffs' Association, 2010. 22p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118698 Keywords: JailsMental HealthMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersPrisoners |
Author: Gregg, David Title: Family Intervention Projects: A Classic Case of Policy-Based Evidence Summary: The Family Intervention Project (FIP) became a flagship policy in New Labour's anti-social behaviour strategy. This briefing discusses critically the attitude of the New Labour government to the academic evaluations of the FIPs; it argues the government failed to take seriously the clear messages that evaluators were offering about the efficacy of FIPs and the impact the policy was having on families with significant mental health problems and other social vulnerabilities. Instead, it argues, the government had already decided on the policy and distorted the evidence base provided by successive evaluations in press briefings and other public pronouncements to justify an ongoing expansion of the FIP programme. Details: London: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2010. 21p. Source: Internet Resource; Evidence Based Policy Series Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119372 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorFamily InterventionsMental Health |
Author: Bell, Robert M. Title: Methodology for Evaluating Court-Based Mental Health Intervention in Maryland Summary: This process evaluation report documents the goals, structure, operations, and contextual base of the court-based mental health courts in Baltimore City and Harford County, Maryland. It provides information on how the intervention evolved, what organizations provide what services to whom, and how closely the participants and activities match what was intended. Details: Baltimore, MD: Maryland Judiciary, Administrative Office of the Courts, 2010. 49p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119565 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Health Courts (Maryland)Mentally Ill Offenders |
Author: McLeod, Rosie Title: Good Practice Guidance: Commission, Administering and Producing Psychiatric Reports for Sentencing. Prepared for Her Majesty's Cout Service Summary: This document provides good practice guidance for the commissioning, administration and production of psychiatric reports for sentencing in U.K. criminal courts. The guidance is designed to help psychiatrists, the judiciary and court staff. It is not intended to be prescriptive but to enable practitioners to reflect critically on their practice to ensure that it is of the highest quality. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2010 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/good-practice-guidance-psych-reports-sentancing.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/good-practice-guidance-psych-reports-sentancing.pdf Shelf Number: 119815 Keywords: Mental HealthRisk AssessmentSentencing |
Author: McLeod, Rosie Title: Improving the Structure and Content of Psychiatric Reports for Sentencing: Research to Develop Good Practice Guidance Summary: This research study produced good practice guidance on the structure and content of psychiatric reports for sentencing in criminal courts. It consisted of a three-stage process of fact finding, development and testing involving key stakeholders from the judiciary and magistrates, court staff and psychiatrists using an ‘action research’ methodology. Many stakeholders questioned the efficiency of the current system for commissioning reports, and a desire for good practice guidance was expressed. TNS-BMRB co-created guidance in consultation with stakeholders and a Forensic Psychiatrist which addresses the commissioning, administration and production of reports. The document was tested among stakeholders and refined using their feedback. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2010 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/improving-psychiatric-reports-0910.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/improving-psychiatric-reports-0910.pdf Shelf Number: 119816 Keywords: Mental HealthRisk AssessmentSentencing |
Author: Doctors Without Borders - Medecins Sans Frontieres Title: Migrants in Detention: Lives on Hold Summary: This report documents the impact of detention on the mental health and well being of migrants and asylum seekers in Greece and reveals the unacceptable living conditions in three detention centers (Pagani on Lesvos Island, Filakio in Evros and Venna in Rodopi(. The report calls on the Greek government to ensure humane and dignified living conditions in detention centres and to consider alternatives, especially for vulnerable groups. Details: Athens: Medecins Sans Frontieres, 2010. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.msf.org/source/countries/europe/greece/2010/Migrants_in_detention.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Greece URL: http://www.msf.org/source/countries/europe/greece/2010/Migrants_in_detention.pdf Shelf Number: 119826 Keywords: Illegal AliensMental HealthMigrant DetentionMigration |
Author: Barnaby, Lorraine Title: Drugs, Homelessness & Health: Homeless Youth Speak Out about Abuse Harm Reduction Summary: The purpose of the report is to present the results of a harm reduction needs assessment survey among the most at-risk homeless youth in Toronto, identify barriers to appropriate health services, and based on the youth’s voices, make recommendations, and advocate for better programs to serve this vulnerable population. The study was designed with three components. First we surveyed 100 poly-substance using homeless youth screened for recent (past 6 month) histories of crack (n=71), methamphetamine (n=51), non-prescribed opioid (n=53) and/or injection drug use (n=33). Then, based on the survey results, we conducted five focus groups with 27 street-involved youth to discuss their reactions to the survey findings; these groups provided many quotes on various topics. As well, four young people took part in an arts-involved segment, creating pictures of street life used to illustrate this report. The survey sample of 100 street-involved youth consisted of 75 young men, 21 young women and 4 transgendered/transsexual individuals aged 16 to 25, the majority of whom were in the older age range. Nine out of ten were Canadian born and nearly 2/3 identified their ethno-racial background as White/Caucasian. Details: Toronto: Wellesley Institute, 2010. 103p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 21, 2010 at: http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/category/research/ Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/category/research/ Shelf Number: 119851 Keywords: Drug OffendersDrugsHarm ReductionHomelessnessMental HealthStreet Youth |
Author: Khan, Lorraine Title: Reaching Out, Reaching In: Promoting Mental Health and Emotional Well-being in Secure Settings Summary: Young people sentenced to custody have very high levels of mental health problems. They are also more likely to have learning disabilities and speech, language and communication needs, as well as a range of other complex and multiple vulnerabilities that compromise their future life chances and their health and well-being. This study was commissioned by the UK Department of Health to review current levels and standards of mental health provision in the young people’s secure estate in England. Specifically, the study aimed to: consider how provision in the young people’s secure estate compared with mental health services for children and young people in the community; consider the extent to which mental health services in secure settings meet the mental health and emotional well-being needs of young people; and disseminate examples of promising practice. A particular focus was the impact of the additional funding provided by the Department of Health from 2007/08 for the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in young offender institutions (YOIs). This research suggests that the Department of Health funding had resulted in significant improvements in mental health provision and awareness in YOIs. However, it had the unintended effect of throwing into greater relief disparities in the mental health care provision across the whole young people’s secure estate; these commissioning differences result from different commissioning arrangements. A number of areas were identified where further development is needed. Details: London: Centre for Mental Health, 2010. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2010: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/Centre_for_MH_Promoting_mh_in_secure_settings.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/Centre_for_MH_Promoting_mh_in_secure_settings.pdf Shelf Number: 119921 Keywords: Juvenile DetentionJuvenile OffendersMental HealthMental Health Services |
Author: Choate, David E. Title: Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Among Recently Booked Juvenile Detainees Summary: This special topic report examines the prevalence and characteristics of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems among juvenile detainees in Maricopa County. The findings come from the Co-occurring Disorder Addendum used during 2007. The findings reveal that almost 30 percent of juvenile detainees were at risk for a co-occurring disorder, and face significantly greater difficulties across a number of critical factors, including incarceration, homelessness, and victimization. Details: Phoenix, AZ: Center for Violence Prevention & Community Safety, Arizona State University, 2009. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2010 at: http://cvpcs.asu.edu/aarin/aarin-reports-1/co-occurring-disorder-addendum/co-occurring-disorders-among-juvenile-detainees/view?searchterm=juvenile detainees in maricopa county Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://cvpcs.asu.edu/aarin/aarin-reports-1/co-occurring-disorder-addendum/co-occurring-disorders-among-juvenile-detainees/view?searchterm=juvenile detainees in maricopa county Shelf Number: 119993 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeJuvenile InmatesJuvenile OffendersMental HealthMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Oregon. Department of Corrections Title: Department of Corrections (DOC) Inmate Suicide Prevention Study Summary: This paper includes three studies associated with inmate suicide within Oregon’s Department of Corrections (DOC). The first is a statistical analysis that recognizes the inmate static and demographic factors that differentiate the average inmate from the inmate who is higher risk for a suicide attempt. The second analysis identifies the inmate static and dynamic factors that differentiate the high risk inmate who does not attempt suicide from the inmate who does attempt suicide. The third study includes interviews with inmates who have attempted suicide. Collectively, these three studies allow DOC to identify high risk inmates, identify the questions to ask high risk inmates who might attempt suicide, and provide the context for those attempting suicide. Developing protocols and systems to integrate this information into DOC’s daily efforts is the final step to minimizing the number of inmate suicides at Oregon’s DOC. Details: Salem, OR: Oregon Department of Corrections, 2009. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2010 at: http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/RESRCH/docs/Inmate_Suicide_Prevention_Study_Report.pdf?ga=t Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/RESRCH/docs/Inmate_Suicide_Prevention_Study_Report.pdf?ga=t Shelf Number: 120029 Keywords: InmatesMental HealthSuicide |
Author: National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability (National Health Committee) Title: Review of Research on the Effects of Imprisonment on the Health of Inmates and their Families Summary: Around the developed world, a growing and changing prison population has given rise to renewed interest in the effects of incarceration on the health of inmates. This is a population with many complex and often co-morbid health needs, and the difficulty in separating and determining causal links has led many to conclude that health needs are „imported‟ by inmates rather than being a product of their experience of incarceration. The truth is almost certainly a combination. Prisoners comprise a number of more vulnerable population groups such as young people, older people, people with intellectual or physical impairments, women, and Māori and Pacific people (both overrepresented among the prison population). Each group has particular health vulnerabilities and needs which must be met within an institutional environment designed, by and large, for adult men of European descent who are „sound‟ in „mind and body‟. Although prison is sometimes a setting for health improvement, the environment is in many ways a severe risk to the prisoner and to his or her family. Suicide and self-harm can be more likely among inmates. Mental health problems and addictions are prevalent and often co-morbid in prisons. Prisoners are at far greater risk of death immediately after release, supporting the view that the health of prisoners must be treated within a broader context which incorporates connections with family and continuity of care from community to prison and back to community. Communicable diseases and the behaviours that spread them are commonly developed within the prison environment. The conditions of prison can exacerbate deterioration in older prisoners and those with pre-existing health conditions. Evidence suggests that the emotional and psychological pressures of incarceration; health issues in their own right; are also linked to the development of many chronic conditions. The experiences of life within the custodial world can also be psychologically damaging – triggering memories of past trauma or abuse, inspiring behavioural adaptations (hyper-vigilance, secretiveness, aggression, and so on) that translate poorly into family life, and undermine the prisoner‟s roles in the family and community and ultimately, their identity. The families and children of inmates suffer from a range of factors associated with both the removal and the re-entry of a family member. Financial pressures and deterioration of social ties while a partner is incarcerated can lead to significant psychological strain for parent and children alike. For children, poor outcomes that have been linked with the imprisonment of a parent include behavioural problems such as aggression, hyperactivity and delinquency; mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and low self-esteem; and developmental problems such as regression and difficulty in school. Incarceration has been shown to have a deleterious effect on vulnerable communities, in which erosion of social networks and social capital are incorporated into a cycle – often intergenerational – of criminality, reduced life chances and imprisonment. Large gaps remain in the body of research, notably collection of basic health status and health needs, benchmarking to evaluate improvement and information sharing among agencies and between agencies and health professionals. Furthermore, due to an overwhelming assumption that health issues are completely imported, the question of the health effects of prison is not being adequately addressed anywhere in the world. Although there are many omissions in the international literature, the most glaring include the impact of imprisonment on oral health, the quantification of physical injuries in prisons, the effects on or deterioration of (existing) disabilities including vision and hearing and the medical impacts on the children and families of inmates. All of these are also missing from local information. There are also many debates New Zealand is failing to engage in. These include: the experience of imprisonment; the collateral consequences of incarceration and its effect on the children, families and communities of prisoners; the experience and effects of home detention; the influence prison has during different developmental stages and the implications for categorisation, legislation and penal design; the experience of elderly prisoners and the needs of the greying prison population; the rate of violence, bullying and sexual abuse in New Zealand prisons; the experience and health needs of prison staff; the post-release experience - including mortality - and the health and service delivery outcomes for prisoners with disabilities. Details: Wellington, NZ: National Health Committee, 2008?. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2011 at: http://www.nhc.health.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagescm/7506/$File/prisoner-health-review-aug08.pdf Year: 2008 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.nhc.health.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagescm/7506/$File/prisoner-health-review-aug08.pdf Shelf Number: 120973 Keywords: DisabilityHealth CareInmates (New Zealand)Mental HealthPrisoners |
Author: Bromfield, Leah Title: Issues for the Safety and Wellbeing of Children in Families with Multiple and Complex Problems: The Co-occurrence of Domestic Violence, Parental Substance Misuse, and Mental Health Problems Summary: The factors most commonly associated with the occurrence of child abuse and neglect, and identified in families involved with child protection services, are domestic violence, parental substance abuse and parental mental health problems. The significance of parental substance misuse, mental health problems and domestic violence is made clear in the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, which states “A particular focus is sustained on key risk factors of mental health, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse” (Council of Australian Governments, 2009). Families in which parents present with these problems are often situated within a wider context of exclusion and disadvantage (e.g., housing instability, poverty, low education, social isolation and neighbourhood disadvantage). Parents may also be struggling to come to terms with their own experiences of trauma and victimisation. These types of problems are complex, often inter-related, and chronic in nature and rarely occur in isolation. Where these problems occur within families, the families are described as “families with multiple and complex problems”. This paper investigates the separate impacts of parental substance misuse, domestic violence and parental mental health problems. It presents evidence regarding the extent to which these problems co-occur and a discussion of the wider context of exclusion and disadvantage, its causes and its consequences. Finally, it provides an overview of research and theory for working with families with multiple and complex problems. Details: Melbourne: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2010. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: NCPC Issues No. 33: Accessed March 21, 2011 at: http://twitemail.com/users/14808835/5/attachment/20101215-%20The%20Safety%20&%20Wellbeing%20of%20Children%20in%20Families%20with%20Multiple%20&%20Complex%20Problems.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://twitemail.com/users/14808835/5/attachment/20101215-%20The%20Safety%20&%20Wellbeing%20of%20Children%20in%20Families%20with%20Multiple%20&%20Complex%20Problems.pdf Shelf Number: 121083 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ProtectionDomestic ViolenceFamily Violence (Australia)Mental HealthSubstance Abuse |
Author: Bensimon, Philippe Title: Wellness at Work: A Matter of Choice for a Better Future Summary: An emerging challenge for the federal government is responding to the growing number of public servants who suffer from some form of psychological injury or disability. May (2010) reported that depression, stress and other forms of mental illness accounted for nearly 45% of all disability claims in the federal public service. Given these statistics, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations to develop strategies that promote workplace wellness to counter these trends. This issue is even more important for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC or Service) due to the stressful conditions in which a large proportion of our employees work. The workplace plays an important role in the physical and mental health of its employees, and confronting issues of job-related stressors can impact the entire organization. As such, the Research Branch examined the issue of CSC staff wellness, and identified innovative or emerging workplace wellness strategies delivered by other federal government organizations, as well as provincial and territorial departments of correction. In order to determine what workplace wellness strategies were being developed and delivered by other federal agencies, a survey was sent to 63 government departments and all 13 provincial and territorial departments of corrections in January, 2010. While the federal response rate was disappointing (30.1%), the respondents provided examples of wellness programs. Most of these interventions fell within four broad categories; (a) Learning and Development (e.g., educational strategies that promote employee wellness); (b) Supporting Fitness-oriented Activities; (c) Health Promotion/Health Screening activities (e.g., blood pressure and glucose screenings, body mass index, monitoring heart rates, and dental checks), and; (d) Employee Recognition Programs. Responses from eight provincial and territorial departments of correction (61.5% response rate) were generally similar to those presented by the federal agencies, although some innovative wellness programs had been introduced, such as self-directed spending accounts for wellness. Last, several strategies developed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Forces to increase wellness in their organizations are also reported. Altogether, there seems to be growing interest in the development of employer-sponsored wellness interventions that enable employees to increase their psychological and physical health. This study provides a starting point from which more extensive examination of the issues can be conducted. Details: Ottawa: Research Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, 2010. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 2010 No. R-219: Accessed March 26, 2011 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r219/r219-eng.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r219/r219-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 121118 Keywords: Corrections OfficersEmployee StressMental HealthPrison GuardsWork-Related Stress (Canada) |
Author: Lieb, Roxanne Title: Competency to Stand Trial and Conditional Release Evaluation: Current and Potential Role of Forensic Assessment Instruments Summary: In response to a 2010 legislative direction, the Institute and DSHS are investigating options regarding the use of mental health assessment tools for two DSHS reports to the courts: Competency to stand trial assessments of criminal defendants whose competency is in question, and The Secretary’s recommendations to the courts concerning the potential conditional release of criminally insane patients from inpatient treatment. This document summarizes results of an October 2010 survey of state forensic evaluators concerning their use of assessment instruments. Thirty-one (of the 35) mental health experts who conduct forensic evaluations for the three state psychiatric hospitals (Western State, Eastern State, and Child Study and Treatment Center) responded to the online survey; this represents an 89 percent response rate. We present three options for assessment strategies and instruments, with advantages and disadvantages of each option. A detailed comparison of instruments is included. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2011 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/11-05-3401.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/11-05-3401.pdf Shelf Number: 122074 Keywords: Competence to Stand TrialConditional Release (Washington State)Mental HealthMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Cornaglia, Francesca Title: Crime and Mental Wellbeing Summary: Most estimates of the cost of crime focus on victims. Yet it is plausible that an even larger cost of crime occurs via its indirect impact on the mental wellbeing of non-victims. To test how crime affects individuals’ mental outcomes, we exploit detailed panel data on mental wellbeing, allowing us to observe the relationship between changes in crime in a local area and changes in the mental wellbeing of resident non-victims in that area (controlling for changes in local economic conditions). Our results suggest that increases in crime rates have a negative impact on the mental wellbeing of residents, with the biggest impacts arising from violent crime. We also find that local press coverage of criminal activity enhances the effect of crime on mental well-being. Details: London: London School of Economics and Political Science, Centre for Economic Performance, 2011. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: CEP Discussion Paper No 1049: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1049.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1049.pdf Shelf Number: 122175 Keywords: Costs of Crime (U.K.)Fear of CrimeMental HealthNeighborhoods |
Author: Harcourt, Bernard Title: Reducing Mass Incarceration: Lessons from the Deinstitutionalization of Mental Hospitals in the 1960s Summary: In 1963, President Kennedy outlined a federal program designed to reduce by half the number of persons in custody in mental hospitals. What followed was the biggest deinstitutionalization this country has ever seen. The historical record is complex and the contributing factors are several, but one simple fact remains: This country has deinstitutionalized before. As we think about reducing mass incarceration today, it may be useful to recall some lessons from the past. After tracing the historical background, this essay explores three potential avenues to reduce mass incarceration: First, improving mental health treatment to inmates and exploring the increased use of medication, on a voluntary basis, as an alternative to incarceration; in a similar vein, increasing the use of GPS monitoring and other biometric monitoring, and moving toward the legalization of lesser controlled substances. Second, encouraging federal leadership to create funding incentives for diversionary programs that would give states a financial motive to move prisoners out of the penitentiary and into community-based programs. Third, encouraging impact litigation of prison overcrowding, as well as documentaries of prison life, as a way to influence the public perception of prisoners. With regard to each of these strategies, however, it is crucial to avoid the further racialization of the prison population and merely transferring prisoners to equally problematic institutions. Details: Chicago: University of Chicago Law School, 2011. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: University of Chicago Law & Economics, Olin Working Paper No. 542 University of Chicago, Public Law Working Paper No. 335: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1748796 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1748796 Shelf Number: 122414 Keywords: DeinstitutionalizationImprisonment (U.S.)JailsMass IncarcerationMental HealthMentally IllPrisons |
Author: Zahnd, Elaine Title: The Link Between Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Abuse and Mental Health in California Summary: This policy brief presents findings on the linkages between intimate partner violence (IPV), emotional health and substance use among adults ages 18-65 in California. Using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), researchers found that of the 3.5 million Californians who reported ever being the victim of intimate partner violence (IPV), more than half a million (594,000) reported experiencing recent symptoms of "serious psychological distress," which includes the most serious kinds of diagnosable mental health disorders, such as anxiety or depression. Adult victims of IPV were more than three times as likely as unexposed adults to report serious psychological distress in the past year. Victims of IPV were also far more likely than non-victims to engage in coping strategies, such as seeking mental health care or binge drinking. These disturbing findings can aid strategies to identify, intervene with and assist IPV victims who experience emotional and/or substance use problems. Details: Los Angeles, CA: University of California at Los Angeles, Center for Health Policy Research, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Health Policy Brief: Accessed September 2, 2011 at: http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/files/IPV2011PBFINAL.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/files/IPV2011PBFINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 122614 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily Violence (California)Intimate Partner ViolenceMental HealthSubstance Abuse |
Author: Kaminski, Robert J. Title: National Survey of Self-Injurious Behaviors in Prison, 2008 Summary: Self-injurious behaviors are defined as „„the deliberate destruction or alteration of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent‟‟ (Favazza, 1989, p. 137; see also Favazza & Rosenthal, 1993, for discussion). Within incarcerated populations the “typical” manifestation of self-injury involves inmates cutting themselves with or without an object or inserting objects into their bodies. Some inmates have self-injured for many years and have comorbidity with psychological disorders, particularly Borderline Personality Disorder. Self-injurious behaviors are also known to have a contagion effect, in which non-injuring inmates learn to replicate the behavior. Prisons house a number of individuals who face significant risk of engaging in this behavior. Studies estimate that 2% to 4% of the general prison population and 15% of prisoners receiving psychiatric treatment routinely exhibited self-injury (Toch, 1975; Young, Justice, & Erdberg, 2006). When self-injuring inmates are housed in specialized units this prevalence can be as high as 52.9% (Gray et al., 2003). This state of affairs places tremendous demands on the correctional institution. DeHart, Smith, and Kaminski (2009) found a consensus among professionals that correctional institutions are ill-equipped to adequately treat inmates who self-injure. These mental health professionals unequivocally supported a need for specialized training, equipment, and staffing to respond to acts of self-injury. To date, there is currently no epidemiological surveillance system or evidence-based treatment available that can effectively reduce acts of self-injury. A fuller understanding of processes that drive self-injury can give mental health professionals the opportunity to identify efficacious interventions. This was the motivation for the first National Survey of Self-Injurious Behaviors in Prison. Our goals included: 1. Estimate the prevalence of inmate self-injury in prisons. 2. Better understand of the manifestation of self-injury in prisons. 3. Gain insight into the impact of self-injury on the prison system and identify the procedures in place for preventing and responding to self-injury. Details: Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2009. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2011 at: http://www.cas.sc.edu/crju/research/self_injurious_behavior_final2008.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.cas.sc.edu/crju/research/self_injurious_behavior_final2008.pdf Shelf Number: 122624 Keywords: InmatesMental HealthPrisoners, Self-Injury |
Author: Feucht, Thomas E. Title: Mental and Substance Use Disorders among Adult Men on Probation or Parole: Some Success against a Persistent Challenge Summary: This report presents data on mental and substance use disorders among adult males on correctional supervised release–parole or probation–from local, state and federal prisons and jails. It examines issues that have grown increasingly salient with the rising costs associated with managing the growing community- and facility-based criminal justice population. Methods. Data were drawn from two key sources: (1) the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) data collected from probation and parole agencies for year-end reports, and (2) the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The NDSUH is an annual data set based on a national probability sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Changes over time in substance abuse and mental health measures among males aged 18 to 49 were studied by comparing 2009 estimates to estimates from each prior year (2002 to 2008). Estimates for probationers and parolees were compared with non-probationers and non-parolees based on several years of pooled NSDUH data. Results. The analysis reveals several significant findings. First, rates of substance dependence or abuse among probationers and parolees were found to be significantly lower than rates in prior years. Second, the percentage of parolees who reported receiving substance use treatment was significantly higher in 2009 than in 2005. Third, significantly lower percentages of probationers and parolees had an unmet need for substance use treatment in 2009 than in previous years. Overall, from 2002 to 2009, illegal drug use among people on probation and parole remained a persistent challenge, with rates of drug abuse and dependence remaining two to three times as high as rates among non-probationers and non- parolees. Similarly, rates of any mental illness, serious mental illness, serious psychological distress and depression during the past year were two to three times higher among probationers and parolees than among other respondents. The data also show a significant gap between need for treatment and the receipt of services. Probationers and parolees were more likely than others to have received some mental health services in the past year, but they were also more likely to report an unmet need for mental health services. In 2009, the percentages of probationers and parolees with mental disorders accessing services or reporting an unmet need for mental health services remained unchanged. Thus, while probationers and parolees report increasing access to substance use treatment and decreasing prevalence of substance abuse symptoms, important substance abuse/dependence and mental health problems persist. The mental health treatment gap among probationers and parolees has yet to be narrowed, let alone closed. These data have important implications for reducing the behavioral health treatment gap overall and for national efforts to improve effective community reentry for offenders with these disorders. Significant attention should be focused on the large numbers of adults on parole or probation who experience mental or substance use disorders, or both. Conclusions. The number of probationers and parolees with mental or substance use disorders whose treatment needs are not being met by community treatment and supportive services is significant. As a result, they are placed at greater risk for parole or probation failure leading to reincarceration. The findings suggest the ongoing need for broader implementation of effective treatment and reentry services for this high-risk, mostly nonviolent population, such as those provided under ongoing federal grant programs focused on reentering offenders. The ability to promote community reentry and reintegration for parolees and probationers with mental or substance use disorders requires a release plan that includes timely and readily accessible community-based treatment and appropriate support services. Details: Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2011 at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k11/NIJ_Data_Review/MentalDisorders.htm Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k11/NIJ_Data_Review/MentalDisorders.htm Shelf Number: 122881 Keywords: Mental HealthParoleeParoleesProbationProbationersSubstance Abuse (U.S.)Substance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Wood, Jennifer: Swanson, Jeffrey Title: Police Interventions with Persons Affected by Mental Illnesses: A Critical Review of Global Thinking and Practice Summary: Mental illness and substance abuse disorders constitute a global public health problem of enormous proportions. International epidemiological studies estimate that nearly 25% of the world’s population suffers from a diagnosable psychiatric or addiction disorder at some time in their lives, and mental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in the United States (US), Canada, and Europe (World Health Organization [WHO], 2001). In the US, approximately 6% of adults at any given time meet criteria for a serious mental illness that interferes with at least one important activity of daily living (Kessler et al., 1996). Moreover, mental health and substance abuse problems often overlap, as nearly 30% of people with a mental illness also have an addiction disorder (Regier et al., 1990). Until recent decades, large numbers of people who suffered from chronic, severe, and disabling mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were interned in public psychiatric hospitals for lengthy periods—often against their will and sometimes for life. In the US, by the middle of the 20th century approximately 500,000 people were confined to public mental hospitals and receiving mainly custodial care (Appelbaum, 1994). Beginning in the 1960s, however, a massive process of ‘deinstitutionalization’ unfolded and today there are fewer than 50,000 people in these institutions (Manderscheid, Atay, & Crider, 2009). Shortly after the ‘deinstitutionalization period,’ the US embarked on a quite different project of social control through incarceration. Between 1982 and 2007, the population of prisons and jails rose from 612,000 to 2.3 million (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2009). The increase in people held in correctional institutions has been accompanied by a similar rise in the number of people living in the community on probation and parole, now more than 5.1 million (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2009). To an unfortunate extent, ‘deinstitutionalization’ from the mental health system led to ‘reinstitutionalization’ through criminal justice. Indeed, there are now more people with serious mental disorders to be found in the largest US city jails than in any psychiatric hospital (Frank & McGuire, in press; Torrey, 1995). The historic demise of ‘the asylum’ was driven by a combination of legal and fiscal reforms, advances in pharmacotherapy, and a shift in therapeutic ideology in favor of community-based care and recovery for people with psychiatric disabilities. However, the closing of large public mental hospitals proved far easier than replacing them with an effective system of care and support in the community. The promise of definitive treatment or cure with better medications ‘just around the corner’ remains elusive. Persons with ongoing, disabling psychiatric conditions now reside in every community. A small, but visible, proportion of persons with serious mental illnesses revolve in and out of acute psychiatric hospitals, are chronically unemployed, are sometimes homeless, and are frequently involved with the police and the criminal justice system. Developing and implementing cost-effective interventions to improve the lives of people with serious mental illnesses in the community remains a challenge for multiple, interfacing service systems, from public health to social welfare to law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. This monograph aims to shed light on one key component of these systems — policing — and specifically the role of police officers in the community as front-line workers who often come into contact with persons with mental illnesses and must respond to their needs with whatever tools lie at hand. We focus on the contexts of the US, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), all of which are experiencing similar core challenges facing policing in the 21st century, especially in relation to providing effective responses to persons with mental illnesses. There are numerous questions that face the field: How do police manage their multiple, and sometimes conflicting roles in their encounters with persons with mental illnesses? To what extent are police organizations ‘accepting’ and trying to manage this unsought role? What are the current and forward-looking models of training and support for police officers in this work? How effective are these approaches —particularly in times of severe fiscal constraint in public systems—and what evidence is lacking in order to develop better and more cost-effective interventions in the future? We address these questions in this monograph and argue that there is a considerable convergence in thinking around the importance of police in more effectively managing encounters with persons in crisis. Police-led and co-response (police and mental health) crisis intervention models are especially dominant, and have diffused across the globe with great speed. Details: New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research, Rutgers University, 2011. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 4, 2011 at: http://www.temple.edu/cj/people/documents/Monograph_March_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.temple.edu/cj/people/documents/Monograph_March_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 122986 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill OffendersPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Jurecska, Diomaris Title: Competence to Stand Trial: Special Challenges for the Population Diagnosed With Intellectual Disabilities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Summary: This study contributes to the psychometric validity of the psychological tests most frequently used to determine competency to stand trial for people with intellectual disabilities. First, the relationship between The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool (MacCAT-CA) and the Competence Assessment to Stand Trial for Defendants with Intellectual Disabilities (CAST-MR) was analyzed, including their respective determination of competency for currently adjudicated adults with intellectual disabilities. Second, the relationship between performance on the Malingered Incompetence Legal Knowledge test (MILK), a new measure designed to evaluate malingering by people with intellectual disabilities in a legal context, and the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) was explored. Additionally, this study contributes to the development of norms for both the MacCAT-CA and the MILK in a population with intellectual disabilities. Results demonstrate that was not significant agreement between the MacCAT-CA and the CAST-MR in determining adjudicative competency in the study population. The lack of convergent validity between these two commonly used measures raises questions about test validity and whether individuals with intellectual disabilities are held to a lower standard for adjudicative competence. Further, a significant correlation between the TOMM and the MILK suggests that evidence of exaggerated cognitive impairments does suggest feigned ignorance of legal knowledge. The evidence from this study suggests that CST evaluations with an ID population results in different findings based on the measure that the examiner chooses. Consequently, adherence to appropriate and standardized measures is needed in forensic psychology to ensure the quality of the evaluation. Details: Newberg, OR: George Fox University, 2010. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 29, 2011 at: http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/RESRCH/docs/jurecska_dissertation100628.pdf?ga=t Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/RESRCH/docs/jurecska_dissertation100628.pdf?ga=t Shelf Number: 123460 Keywords: Competence to Stand TrialMental HealthMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Caring Solutions (UK) Title: Review of the Medical Theories and Research Relating to Restraint Related Deaths Summary: The Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) which forms the second tier of the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody, commissioned this review of the medical theories and research relating to restraint related deaths. This report seeks to clarify research from national and international literature to ascertain any common findings in order to provide guidance for staff on safe and effective restraint techniques where there is no other resort in the management of violent and aggressive individuals. The methodology used was a literature review, a gap analysis and gathering expert opinion. There were 21 relevant international studies identified and 7 UK studies. There were 38 UK restraint-related deaths identified through NEXIS, INQUEST and a previous survey (which covered the period of 1979 to 2000). Of these 38, 7 were individuals detained under the Mental Health Act and 4 were informal patients in mental health care settings. Throughout the literature there is evidence that certain groups are more vulnerable to risks when being restrained, whether because of biophysiological, interpersonal or situational factors or attitudinal factors. These groups are those with serious mental illness or learning disabilities, those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities, those with a high body mass index; men age 30-40 years and young people (under the age of 20). The physiology of deaths under restraint in any setting where there is a duty of care on the state, is difficult to investigate as internationally the numbers of restraint-related deaths are small and classification by pathologists varies in different countries. Findings from experimental studies are not completely valid as there is limited generalisabilty to the real situation. The studies in this review which have increased validity are those with large numbers of retrospective case histories and autopsies but these are mostly published in literature from the USA. The frequency and acceptance of excited delirium syndrome as a cause of death in restraint incidents in this body of literature, and the use of ‘hobble’ restraint methods as the most common technique in these cases, make inferences and associations with UK deaths in custody more problematic. Simply restraining an individual in a prone position may be seen as restricting the ability to breathe, so lessening the supply of oxygen to meet the body’s demands. Restriction of the neck, chest wall or diaphragm can also occur when the head is forced downwards towards the knees. Laboured breathing and cessation of resistance may demonstrate collapse and indicate a medical emergency rather than cooperation from the individual. Other theories, besides positional asphyxia, were examined. These included acute behavioural disturbance and excited delirium, stress-related cardiomyopathy and the role of alcohol and drug abuse. Six of the thirty eight deaths noted in this report involved individuals with pre-existing conditions that may have increased the risk of cardiac arrest: e.g. ischaemic heart disease, diabetes and four people suffered from epilepsy. Sixteen cases had a history of mental illness, specifically psychosis. Positional asphyxia appears to be implicated in at least twenty six deaths (whether or not given as a verdict) because of struggle/physical stressors prior to restraint, number of staff involved and, in particular, because of the length of time of the restraint and position of the individual. Expert opinion and reviews were sought. There was consensus that there was a gap in reporting restraint-related deaths. Overall concerns were raised as to whether direct cause and effect can be determined in deaths as they often involve a mixture of complex factors and situations. The general view was that it should be assumed that everyone is at a potential risk rather than try to profile individuals only medically at risk. This is a class of death not fully understood and is multifactorial. Finally, a gap analysis was developed, including training and risk assessment issues, and implications for practice were discussed as a result of the expert opinion. Details: United Kingdom: Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody, 2011. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 22, 2012 at http://iapdeathsincustody.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Caring-Solutions-UK-Ltd-Review-of-Medical-Theories-of-Restraint-Deaths.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://iapdeathsincustody.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Caring-Solutions-UK-Ltd-Review-of-Medical-Theories-of-Restraint-Deaths.pdf Shelf Number: 123733 Keywords: Deaths in Custody (United Kingdom)Mental HealthMentally Ill OffendersRestraint |
Author: Pearson-Nelson, Benjamin Title: Allen County Community Corrections Reentry Court Program Impact Evaluation Summary: This report is an analysis of the Allen County Community Corrections (ACCC) reentry program from the inception of the program in 2001 through 2008. This report focuses on two general categories: program completion by offenders and recidivism. The program completion analysis highlights the proportion of offenders who successfully completed the program, as well as the various proportions of the categories for non-completion. The recidivism analysis includes rearrest rates, length of time after an offender started the ACCC reentry program before rearrest (for offenders who were rearrested on the program), and evaluations of the validity of mental health measures for predicting rearrest. The overarching finding is that offenders who complete the reentry program have a much lower rate of recidivism than would otherwise be expected. Further more, even offenders who had limited exposure to the reentry program (i.e., offenders who did not complete the program) demonstrated significantly lower rates of rearrest. Details: Unpublished, 2008. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 23, 2012 at http://www.allencountycorrections.com/pdfs/reports/ReEntry%20Court%20Impact%20Evaluation%2002%2004%2009.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.allencountycorrections.com/pdfs/reports/ReEntry%20Court%20Impact%20Evaluation%2002%2004%2009.pdf Shelf Number: 123746 Keywords: Mental HealthProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivismReentry (Indiana) |
Author: Goldstein, Abby L. Title: Youth on the Street and Youth Involved with Child Welfare: Maltreatment, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Summary: Adolescents who are homeless face a variety of adverse outcomes and are at risk for concurrent mental health symptoms and substance use. Many come to the streets with a history of maltreatment, and have left home to escape dysfunctional environments, only to find themselves exposed to additional violence on the streets. Youth involved with child welfare face similar challenges and many are at risk of homelessness due to a lack of resources when transitioning out of the child welfare system. Existing research indicates that concurrent mental health symptoms and substance use, particularly among adolescents, is poorly understood and very challenging to address. The current study was designed to examine factors associated with concurrent mental health symptoms and substance use across three groups of youth: youth currently involved with child welfare; youth who were homeless with a history of involvement with child welfare; and youth who were homeless with no history of involvement with child welfare. This study is a secondary analysis of data from two datasets: the Youth Pathways Project (YPP) (data collected from 2002 to 2006) and the third year of the Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways (MAP) Longitudinal Study (data collected between 2008 and 2009). The YPP and MAP studies include older youth (16–21 years of age) who are homeless (YPP: N = 150) and youth who are currently involved with child welfare (MAP: N = 34 and YPP: N = 35). The total sample consists of 219 youth participants: 150 who are homeless and 69 currently involved with child welfare. Comparisons between these groups were expected to contribute to an understanding of the extent to which homelessness and child welfare involvement are associated with concurrent substance use and mental health issues; it is also intended to provide useful information to professionals working with these vulnerable populations. Within the sample of youth 16 to 21 years of age who are homeless, 42.7% had a (self-reported) history of child welfare involvement. These youth were significantly more likely to have experienced childhood maltreatment than youth who were homeless with no past history of child welfare involvement. With respect to housing and partner violence, the analyses showed that very few youth currently involved with child welfare had lived without shelter for even one night in the past seven days. Living without shelter was significantly related to concurrent mental health symptoms and substance use, even when controlling for youth homelessness and child welfare involvement; youth who were homeless were much more likely to have concurrent mental health and substance use issues. All three groups of youth studied were equally likely to have been victims of partner violence and to have perpetrated partner violence in the past year. Partner violence perpetration was also associated with concurrent mental health symptoms and substance use. Regarding mental health symptoms, externalizing symptoms were much more likely to be reported by youth who were homeless; externalizing symptoms were consistently associated with substance use and problem substance use. This study illustrates that youth who lack stable housing, had a history of maltreatment, substance use or mental health symptoms and are no longer involved in child welfare constitute a vulnerable population for homelessness. As a result, increasing services with targeted interventions that address maltreatment, mental health and substance use are needed. Furthermore, it is clear that current child welfare involvement appears to exert a protective effect whereas youth living on the street with a previous history of child welfare involvement appear to be at risk. Examining the transition of exit for youth currently involved in the child welfare system who have reached the age-criteria for care should be explored as some youth may not be prepared for adulthood and independent living. Although further research is needed to clarify the chronological relationship between child welfare involvement, homelessness, mental health and substance use, the findings of this study have important policy and practice implications. In particular, creating affordable housing with built-in supports for youth with complex needs may disrupt the cycle of homelessness and help our understanding of the resilience of these youth, demonstrated in the face of extreme risk. Details: Toronto, ON: University of Toronto, 2011. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/aspc-phac/H129-5-2011-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/aspc-phac/H129-5-2011-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 124612 Keywords: Child Maltreatment (Canada)Child Welfare (Canada)Mental HealthSubstance Abuse |
Author: Ward, Tony Title: Long-Term Health Costs of Extended Mandatory Detention of Asylum Seekers Summary: This report urges Australians to consider the long-term consequences of asylum policies. Current approaches do not take into consideration many hidden costs associated with mandatory detention of asylum seekers. The report highlights that in addition to the high costs of maintaining detention facilities, there are significant additional costs as a result of prolonged detention for the long-term healthcare of former asylum seekers once they are released into the community. The national tax summit, held on 4 and 5 October 2011, received many submissions stressing the importance of careful long-term costings of policies. In a similar vein, this report estimates the Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers. For the first time in Australia, it does so by applying innovative costing approaches developed in the Netherlands. It is now well established that lengthy periods in detention cause significant mental health problems for asylum seekers. The Howard Government recognised this in 2005, when it agreed that 25 of the 27 detainees then remaining on Nauru should be brought to Australia. This was after doctors had diagnosed serious mental health conditions. More generally, a study of detained asylum seekers in Australia found that more than one third of those detained for more than two years had new mental health problems in 2006-07. This was ten times the rate of mental health problems for those detained for less than 3 months. There is good evidence This report urges Australians to consider the long-term consequences of asylum policies. Current approaches do not take into consideration many hidden costs associated with mandatory detention of asylum seekers. The report highlights that in addition to the high costs of maintaining detention facilities, there are significant additional costs as a result of prolonged detention for the long-term healthcare of former asylum seekers once they are released into the community. The national tax summit, held on 4 and 5 October 2011, received many submissions stressing the importance of careful long-term costings of policies. In a similar vein, this report estimates the Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers. For the first time in Australia, it does so by applying innovative costing approaches developed in the Netherlands. It is now well established that lengthy periods in detention cause significant mental health problems for asylum seekers. The Howard Government recognised this in 2005, when it agreed that 25 of the 27 detainees then remaining on Nauru should be brought to Australia. This was after doctors had diagnosed serious mental health conditions. More generally, a study of detained asylum seekers in Australia found that more than one third of those detained for more than two years had new mental health problems in 2006-07. This was ten times the rate of mental health problems for those detained for less than 3 months. There is good evidence This report urges Australians to consider the long-term consequences of asylum policies. Current approaches do not take into consideration many hidden costs associated with mandatory detention of asylum seekers. The report highlights that in addition to the high costs of maintaining detention facilities, there are significant additional costs as a result of prolonged detention for the long-term healthcare of former asylum seekers once they are released into the community. The national tax summit, held on 4 and 5 October 2011, received many submissions stressing the importance of careful long-term costings of policies. In a similar vein, this report estimates the Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers. For the first time in Australia, it does so by applying innovative costing approaches developed in the Netherlands. It is now well established that lengthy periods in detention cause significant mental health problems for asylum seekers. The Howard Government recognised this in 2005, when it agreed that 25 of the 27 detainees then remaining on Nauru should be brought to Australia. This was after doctors had diagnosed serious mental health conditions. More generally, a study of detained asylum seekers in Australia found that more than one third of those detained for more than two years had new mental health problems in 2006-07. This was ten times the rate of mental health problems for those detained for less than 3 months. There is good evidence that such trauma causes long-term mental health problems. This report estimates the lifetime health costs of such trauma. On conservative estimates – that trauma sufferers will have lifetime mental health costs 50% more than the average – the report shows this will cost an additional $25,000 per person. In recent years, more than 80% of detained asylum seekers have eventually been successful in settling in Australia. This means that such extra health costs have to be met by the Australian health system, and Australian taxpayers have to pick up the tab. The Australian immigration system already has extensive health checks for migrants seeking to come to this country. One of the key reasons is to protect public expenditure on health and community services. It is strange that another current element in current immigration policy – mandatory detention of asylum seekers – has the direct effect of increasing public expenditure on health and community services. Details: Melbourne: Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy, 2011. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2012 at: http://www.yarrainstitute.org.au/Portals/0/docs/Ward.long-term%20costs%20v12Oct.2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.yarrainstitute.org.au/Portals/0/docs/Ward.long-term%20costs%20v12Oct.2011.pdf Shelf Number: 125222 Keywords: Asylum (Australia)Detention PracticesHealth CareImmigrantsMental Health |
Author: Hafemeister, Thomas L. Title: The Ninth Circle of Hell: An Eighth Amendment Analysis of Imposing Prolonged Supermax Solitary Confinement on Inmates with a Mental Illness Summary: The increasing number of inmates with a mental disorder in America’s prison population and the inadequacy of their treatment and housing conditions have been issues of growing significance in recent years. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that “over one and a quarter million people suffering from mental health problems are in prisons or jails, a figure that constitutes nearly sixty percent of the total incarcerated population in the United States.” Furthermore, a person suffering from a mental illness in the United States is three times more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized, with as many as forty percent of those who suffer from a mental illness coming into contact with the criminal justice system every year and police officers almost twice as likely to arrest someone who appears to have a mental illness. As a result, the United States penal system has become the nation’s largest provider of mental health services, a “tragic consequence of inadequate community mental health services combined with punitive criminal justice policies.” This growth in the number of inmates with a mental disorder, combined with the recent rise of prolonged supermax solitary confinement and the increasingly punitive nature of the American penological system, has resulted in a disproportionately large number of inmates with a mental disorder being housed in supermax confinement. The harsh restrictions of this confinement often significantly exacerbate these inmates’ mental disorders or otherwise cause significant additional harm to their mental health, and preclude proper mental health treatment. Given the exacerbating conditions associated with supermax settings, this setting is not only ill-suited to the penological problems posed by the growing number of these inmates, but intensifies these problems by creating a revolving door to supermax confinement for many such inmates who may be unable to conform their behavior within the prison environment. Housing inmates with a mental disorder in prolonged supermax solitary confinement deprives them of a minimal life necessity as this setting poses a significant risk to their basic level of mental health, a need “as essential to human existence as other basic physical demands . . . .”, and thereby meets the objective element required for an Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment claim. In addition, placing such inmates in supermax confinement constitutes deliberate indifference to their needs as this setting subjects this class of readily identifiable and vulnerable inmates to a present and known risk by knowingly placing them in an environment that is uniquely toxic to their condition, thereby satisfying the subjective element needed for an Eighth Amendment claim. Whether it is called torture, a violation of evolving standards of human decency, or cruel and unusual punishment, truly “a risk this grave — this shocking and indecent — simply has no place in civilized society.” Details: Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia School of Law; University of Virginia School of Medicine, 2012. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2012 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2032139 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2032139 Shelf Number: 125245 Keywords: Conditions of ConfinementInmatesMental HealthPrisoners (U.S.)PunishmentSolitary ConfinementSupermax Prisons |
Author: Mann, Christopher Title: Mental Health and Criminal Activity: The Prevalence and Characteristics of Mental Health Disorders among a Population of Probationers Summary: Although ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), BD (Bipolar Disorder), and IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder) are common mental disorders, there has been limited research to study their prevalence among prisoner/probationer populations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of ADHD, BD, and IED in Fort Worth’s Treatment Alternative to Incarceration Program (TAIP) probationer population. TAIP is a probation sentencing diversion for offenders with substance abuse problems. Rather than being incarcerated, these offenders may choose to enroll in three or more months of substance abuse treatment, including detoxification, residential treatment, and/or outpatient substance abuse counseling, as deemed appropriate by the offender’s initial assessment/evaluation. The study also evaluated the ability of a new mental health survey instrument to measure the prevalence of these mental disorders. The survey instrument is a compilation of other validated instruments put together by the Primary Care Research Institute. If the survey is determined to be an effective and efficient way to measure these mental health disorders, it will be used in a larger general study to measure the prevalence of mental health disorders in the general population. Although a growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that ADHD, BD, and IED are prevalent, though under‐diagnosed, among the adult prison population, few studies have investigated the characteristics of the prison population affected by these disorders or investigated their prevalence with co‐occurring disorders. In an effort to fill this gap, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of ADHD, BD, and IED among a probationer population and describe characteristics of the probationer population with ADHD. The study further aimed to assess the prevalence of co‐occurring ADHD and Bipolar and/or Intermittent Explosive Disorder and describe the population that has co‐occurring disorders. Details: Fort Worth, TX: Primary Care Research Institute, 2009. 12p. Source: Research Brief: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2012 at http://centerforcommunityhealth.org/Portals/14/Reports/MentalHealthBrief%20Final2.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://centerforcommunityhealth.org/Portals/14/Reports/MentalHealthBrief%20Final2.pdf Shelf Number: 126016 Keywords: Demographic TrendsMental HealthProbationersPublic Health |
Author: Blandford, Alex M. Title: A Checklist for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Programs for Justice-Involved Adults with Behavioral Health Disorders Summary: The prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) among persons in the criminal justice system is between three and six times the rate for individuals with SMI in the general U.S. population. A recent study of over 20,000 adults in five local jails found that 14.5 percent of male inmates and 31 percent of female inmates met criteria for a SMI. If these same estimates are applied to the almost 13 million jail admissions reported in 2010, the study findings suggest that more than two million bookings of a person with SMI occur annually. Studies suggest that the co-occurrence of mental health and substance use disorders (COD) is common. In jails, of the approximately 17 percent with SMI, an estimated 72 percent had a co-occurring substance use disorder. Approximately 59 percent of state prisoners with mental illnesses had a co-occurring drug and/or alcohol problem. The overrepresentation of people with SMI or COD in the criminal justice system has a significant impact on the recovery path of these individuals, creates stress for their families, and has an effect on public safety and government spending. A significant number of individuals who receive services through the publicly funded mental health and substance abuse systems are involved, or are at risk for involvement, in the criminal justice system. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the criminal justice system is the single largest source of referral to the public substance abuse treatment system, with probation and parole treatment admissions representing the largest proportion of these referrals. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to advance the recovery of individuals under criminal justice supervision with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders—or to reduce their likelihood of reoffending. Treatment, support, and supervision must be tailored to individuals’ needs and risk levels. Research supports the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of some behavioral interventions for people with behavioral health issues under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Yet not all treatment is equally effective, and it’s important to ensure that individuals with behavioral health disorders have access to evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs). EBPs, when implemented as designed (i.e., with high fidelity), are critical to improve outcomes, maximize investments, and build support for further expansion of services. Details: Delmar, NY: SAMHSA's GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, 2012. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 5, 2012 at http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/cms-assets/documents/73659-994452.ebpchecklistfinal.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/cms-assets/documents/73659-994452.ebpchecklistfinal.pdf Shelf Number: 126272 Keywords: Adult CorrectionsCriminal Justice SystemsMental HealthMental Health Services Evidence-Based PracticesSubstance Abuse |
Author: Skinner, Beth Ann Title: To What Extent Does Prisoners' Mental Illness Undermine Programming Effectiveness? Summary: Careful review of the literature found prison programs having a positive impact on post-release outcomes in employment and lowered recidivism rates. Most of the literature reviewed found negative effects of mental illness on post-release success. This study expands the literature on prison programming and mental illness by examining the dynamics between mental illness, program completion, and post-release success. Furthermore, this research can be linked to Hirschi’s social bond theory, which created a framework to view the relationship between prison programming and increased ties to conventional society through commitment, attachment, and involvement. This study examines the impact of mental illness and prison vocational and educational programming on reentry outcomes (employment rates, length of employment, enrollment in and completion of school, and recidivism) and the relationship between mental illness and program completion. Additionally, the study examines the interactions of mental illness and prison programming on reentry outcomes. The sample consists of male offenders released onto parole in the State of Iowa (N=3426). Vocational training had positive significant effects on employment rates and full-time employment. An additional analysis found a significant indirect relationship between vocational training and recidivism through employment. Mental illness had a negative significant impact on completion of vocational programming, GED classes, and employment outcomes. Furthermore, it was found that having a mental illness significantly increased the likelihood of recidivism. The interaction of mental illness and programming on reentry outcomes did not have a significant impact. However, the interaction of mental illness and vocational programming had a positive significant impact on full-time employment in the opposite direction of prediction. The results inform social work practice and policy on the benefits of prison programming and the negative impact of mental illness on participation in programs and reentry outcomes. Details: Ames, IA: University of Iowa, 2010. 160p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 18, 2012 at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2072&context=etd Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2072&context=etd Shelf Number: 126373 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill Offenders (U.S.)Prisoner ReenetryVocational Education and Training |
Author: Koeppel, Maria Title: The Long-Term Health Consequences of Bullying Victimization Summary: Bullying consists of repeated acts of intimidation and/or abuse over a period of time and is a growing issue both nationally and globally, with serious implications for both the victims and the bullies (Glew et al., 2000; Marsh et al., 2001; Mayer & Cornell, 2010). Largely affecting schoolaged children and teenagers, the health effects of bullying may be long lasting. Links have been established between bullying and physical and psychological health issues, violent behavior, alcoholism and substance abuse, sleeping problems, and even suicide (Britt, 2001; Fekkes et al., 2004; Hershberger & D’Augelli, 1995; Menard, 2002; Ttofi & Farrington, 2008; Van der Wal et al., 2003). This research brief provides a summary of results from a recent study designed to examine the relationship between bullying and physical and mental health, health care access and utilization, and health risk behaviors. The full study will be published in a special issue of Justice Quarterly, titled “Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Public Health Studies.” Details: Huntsville, TX: Crime Victims' Institute, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, 2012. 4p. Source: Report No. 2012-01: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/cvi/BullyHealthfinal.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/cvi/BullyHealthfinal.pdf Shelf Number: 126582 Keywords: BullyingMental HealthPhysical HealthVictims of Crime |
Author: Farrington, David P. Title: School Bullying, Depression and Offending Behaviour Later in Life An Updated Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies Summary: Bullying is a problem among children all over the world. In an earlier report in this series, two of the authors of this study have shown that systematic school programs have proven to be effective in preventing bullying. This was an encouraging result. A further question of interest is that of whether bullying also influences the bullies and the victims later on in life in terms of subsequent offending and mental health problems. The answer to this question would reveal whether the prevention of bullying also constitutes a means of preventing future crime and mental health related issues. This is the question answered by the four authors of this report on the basis of a systematic review that includes a number of statistical meta-analyses. There are never sufficient resources to conduct rigorous evaluations of all the crime prevention measures employed in an individual country such as Sweden. Nor are there resources to conduct scientific studies of all of the effects produced by e.g. early riskfactors on later offending. This report presents a systematic review, including a number of statistical meta-analyses, of the impact of bullying on later offending and depression, with regard to both the bullies and those exposed to bullying. The study follows the rigorous methodological requirements of a systematic review. The analysis combines the results from a substantial number of studies that are considered to satisfy a list of empirical criteria for measuring the correlations of bullying perpetration and victimization with offending and depression as reliably as possible. The meta-analysis then uses the results from these six previous studies to calculate and produce a robust overview of the impact of bullying on negative outcomes later in life. The systematic review, and the statistical meta-analyses, in this case builds upon a large number of scientific studies from different part of the world, producing highly relevant findings on the impact of bullying among children on offending and depression later in life. Although some important questions remain unanswered, the study provides the most accessible and far-reaching overview of this important issue that has been produced to date. Details: Stockholm, Sweden: Brottsförebyggande rådet/The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2012. 116p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2012 at: http://www.bra.se/bra/bra-in-english/home/publications/archive/publications/2012-06-11-school-bullying-depression-and-offending-behaviour-later-in-life.html Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.bra.se/bra/bra-in-english/home/publications/archive/publications/2012-06-11-school-bullying-depression-and-offending-behaviour-later-in-life.html Shelf Number: 126753 Keywords: BullyingDepressionMental HealthSchool Crime |
Author: Johnson, Wendi L. Title: The Influence of Intimate Partner Violence on Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms from Adolescence to Young Adulthood Summary: Using longitudinal survey data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), and growth curve analyses, we assessed the influence of intimate partner violence on trajectories of depressive symptoms from adolescence to early adulthood (N = 1, 286) while controlling for time stable (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and time-varying correlates associated with both IPV and depressive symptoms. Results show that IPV exerts a positive effect on depressive symptoms over time after controlling for potential confounding factors. While prior work has theorized that certain populations may be at increased psychological vulnerability from IPV, our results indicate that the influence of IPV on depressive symptoms is similar irrespective of age, gender or minority status. While prior studies have documented that adolescent girls, and women are at increased risk of physical injury due to IPV, our study highlights that with respect to one aspect of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms), IPV exerts similar effects across gender. Details: Bowling Green State University The Center for Family and Demographic Research, 2012. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: 2012 Working Paper Series: Accessed November 28, 2012 at: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-BGSU-2012-040/PWP-BGSU-2012-040.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-BGSU-2012-040/PWP-BGSU-2012-040.pdf Shelf Number: 127026 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceIntimate Partner Violence (U.S.)Mental DepressionMental HealthViolence Against Women |
Author: Anderson, D. Mark Title: Youth Depression and Future Criminal Behavior Summary: While the contemporaneous association between mental health problems and criminal behavior has been explored in the literature, the long-term consequences of such problems, depression in particular, have received much less attention. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examine the effect of depression during adolescence on the probability of engaging in a number of criminal behaviors later in life. In our analysis, we control for a rich set of individual, family, and neighborhood level factors to account for conditions that may be correlated with both childhood depression and adult criminality. One novelty in our approach is the estimation of school and sibling fixed effects models to account for unobserved heterogeneity at the neighborhood and family levels. Furthermore, we exploit the longitudinal nature of our data set to account for baseline differences in criminal behavior. We find little evidence that adolescent depression predicts the likelihood of engaging in violent crime or the selling of illicit drugs. However, our empirical estimates show that adolescents who suffer from depression face an increased probability of engaging in property crime. Our estimates imply that the lower-bound economic cost of property crime associated with adolescent depression is about 219 million dollars annually. Details: Cambridge, MD: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2012. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series: Working Paper 18656: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18656 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18656 Shelf Number: 127344 Keywords: Childhood DepressionEmotional DisordersMental HealthProperty Crimes |
Author: Teplin, Linda A. Title: The Northwestern Juvenile Project: Overview Summary: The Northwestern Juvenile Project (NJP) studies a randomly selected sample of 1,829 youth who were arrested and detained in Cook County, IL, between 1995 and 1998. This bulletin provides an overview of NJP and presents the following information about the project: NJP is a longitudinal study that investigates the mental health needs and long-term outcomes of youth detained in the juvenile justice system. This study addresses a key omission in the delinquency literature. Many studies examine the connection between risk factors and the onset of delinquency. Far fewer investigations follow youth after they are arrested and detained. The mental health needs of youth detained in the juvenile justice system are far greater than those in the general population. The mental health needs of youth in detention are largely untreated. Among detainees with major psychiatric disorders and functional impairment, only 15 percent had been treated in the detention center before release. Details: Wsahington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Accessed March 18, 2013 at: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/234522.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/234522.pdf Shelf Number: 127996 Keywords: Detention CentersJuvenile Offenders (U.S.)Mental HealthMental Health Services |
Author: U.S. Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health Title: An Achievable Vision: Report of the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health Summary: The costs of military service are substantial. Many costs are readily apparent; others are less apparent but no less important. Among the most pervasive and potentially disabling consequences of these costs is the threat to the psychological health of our nation’s fighting forces, their families, and their survivors. Our involvement in the Global War on Terrorism has created unforeseen demands not only on individual military service members and their families, but also on the Department of Defense itself, which must expand its capabilities to support the psychological health of its service members and their families. In particular, the system is being challenged by emergence of two “signature injuries” from the current conflict – posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. These two injuries often coincide, requiring integrated and interdisciplinary treatment methods. New demands have exposed shortfalls in a health care system that in previous decades had been oriented away from a wartime focus. Staffing levels were poorly matched to the high operational tempo even prior to the current conflict, and the system has become even more strained by the increased deployment of active duty providers with mental health expertise. As such, the system of care for psychological health that has evolved over recent decades is insufficient to meet the needs of today’s forces and their beneficiaries, and will not be sufficient to meet their needs in the future. Changes in the military mental health system and military medicine more generally, have mirrored trends in the landscape of American healthcare toward acute, short-term treatment models that may not provide optimal management of psychological disorders that tend to be more chronic in nature. As in the civilian sector, military mental health practices tend to emphasize identification and treatment of specific disorders over preventing and treating illness, enhancing coping, and maximizing resilience. Emerging lessons from recent deployments have raised questions about the adequacy of this orientation, not only for treating psychological disorders, but also for achieving the goal of a healthy and resilient force. The challenges are enormous and the consequences of non-performance are significant. Data from the Post- Deployment Health Re-Assessment, which is administered to service members 90 to 120 days after returning from deployment, indicate that 38 percent of Soldiers and 31 percent of Marines report psychological symptoms. Among members of the National Guard, the figure rises to 49 percent (U.S. Air Force, 2007; U.S. Army, 2007; U.S. Navy, 2007). Further, psychological concerns are significantly higher among those with repeated deployments, a rapidly growing cohort. Psychological concerns among family members of deployed and returning Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, while yet to be fully quantified, are also an issue of concern. Hundreds of thousands of children have experienced the deployment of a parent. Details: Falls Church, VA: Defense Health Board, 2007. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://www.health.mil/dhb/mhtf/mhtf-report-final.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.health.mil/dhb/mhtf/mhtf-report-final.pdf Shelf Number: 128316 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Health ServicesMilitary Veterans (U.S.)Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome |
Author: Khan, Lorraine Title: A Need to Belong: What Leads Girls to Join Gangs Summary: This report follows the largest study of its kind, analysing risk factors related to offending from more than 8,000 young people screened as part of the newly developed youth point of arrest health screening initiative. Entrants to the youth justice system were screened for 28 different risk factors and health issues including histories of poor mental health, family conflict, homelessness and victimisation. On average, young women involved with gangs had more than double the number of vulnerabilities than the other girls who were screened after arrest. The results of the screening shows clear evidence of the psychological vulnerability of gang involved young women. Just over a quarter were identified as having a suspected mental health problem and 30% were identified as self-harming or at risk of suicide. Details: London: Centre for Mental Health, 2013 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/A_need_to_belong.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/A_need_to_belong.pdf Shelf Number: 128783 Keywords: Female Gang MembersGangs (U.K.)Mental Health |
Author: Abram, Karen M. Title: PTSD, Trauma, and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Detained Youth Summary: This bulletin examines the results of the Northwestern Juvenile Project—a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, IL, cosponsored by OJJDP. The authors discuss their findings on the prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among juvenile detainees and PTSD’s tendency to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders. Of the study sample, 92.5 percent of youth had experienced at least one trauma, 84 percent had experienced more than one trauma, and 56.8 percent were exposed to trauma six or more times. Among participants with PTSD, 93 percent had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder. Among males, having any psychiatric diagnosis significantly increased the odds of having comorbid PTSD. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Beyond Detention Series: Accessed June 6, 2013 at: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/239603.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/239603.pdf Shelf Number: 128971 Keywords: Juvenile CorrectionsJuvenile Detention (U.S.)Juvenile OffendersMental HealthPost-Traumatic Stress SyndromePsychiatric Disorders |
Author: Bowers, Len Title: Inpatient violence and aggression: a literature review. Report from the Conflict and Containment Reduction Research Programme Summary: Mentally ill people in hospital sometimes behave aggressively. They may try to harm other patients, staff, property or themselves. In the UK, the National Audit of Violence found that a third of inpatients had been threatened or made to feel unsafe while in care [Royal College of Psychiatrists 2007]. This figure rose to 44% for clinical staff and 72% of nursing staff working in these units. Such aggression can result in injuries, sometimes severe, to patients or to staff, causing staff absence and hampering the efficiency of the psychiatric service. The ways in which aggressive behaviour is managed by staff is contentious and emotive, and there is little evidence or agreement about their effectiveness. This review aims to describe the available research literature on the prevalence, antecedents, consequences and circumstances of violence and aggression in psychiatric hospitals. Our previous research has focussed on how to reduce of conflict and containment on acute wards. By conflict we mean those things that threaten patient and staff safety, such as aggression, rule breaking, drug/alcohol use, absconding, medication refusal, self-harm/suicide etc. By containment we mean those things the staff do to prevent these things occurring, or reduce the amount of harm that occurs, such as giving extra medication, intermittent observation, constant observation, show of force, manual restraint, coerced injections of medication, seclusion, time out, locking of the ward door, and other security policies. This research indicates a complicated relationship between conflict behaviours and containment, and that the behaviour and attitudes of staff may influence both. It led to the development of the ‘City model’ describing the ways in which staff factors can reduce rates of conflict and containment on wards. Three processes are posited to create low conflict and containment: positive appreciation of patients (kindness), emotional self-regulation of anger and fear (tranquillity), and an effective structure of rules and routines for patients based upon an ethical (not punitive) stance (orderliness). In addition to an analysis of the research literature, therefore, each chapter considers the evidence for and against the City Model and suggests lessons for future research. Details: London: Section of Mental Health Nursing, Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, 2011. 196p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2013 at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/depts/hspr/research/ciemh/mhn/projects/litreview/LitRevAgg.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/depts/hspr/research/ciemh/mhn/projects/litreview/LitRevAgg.pdf Shelf Number: 129604 Keywords: AggressionHospitalsMental HealthMental Illness (U.K.)ViolenceWorkplace Violence |
Author: Stafford, Jennifer Title: Injecting Risk Behaviours, Self-reported mental health and crime; a comparison of recent heroin and non-heroin use from the 2012 IDRS Summary: The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) monitors emerging trends in the use, price, purity and availability of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis. In addition to a survey of people who inject drugs (PWID), the annual data collection also includes a survey of key experts (KE) who are professionals in the field of illicit drugs and the analysis of existing indicator data on drug-related issues. For the purpose of this bulletin PWID participants were divided into two groups: recent heroin use versus non-heroin use. The bulletin explores differences between these groups in relation to drug use, injecting risk behaviours, self-reported mental health, driving and crime. The participants recruited are a sentinel group able to provide information on a range of illicit drug trends and related issues. Therefore the information from the survey is not representative of illicit drug use in the general population, and is not representative of other illicit drug users (e.g. in other geographical areas, occasional users, etc), but it is indicative of emerging trends that may warrant further monitoring and/or investigation. Details: Sydney: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2013. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Drug Trends Bulletin: Accessed August 12, 2013 at: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSjuly2013_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSjuly2013_0.pdf Shelf Number: 129623 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Australia)Drug Abuse and CrimeHeroinMental Health |
Author: Jamieson, Ruth Title: Aging and Social Exclusion Among Former Politically Motivated Prisoners in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland Summary: This report describes a study investigating the well-being and social and economic inclusion of former politically motivated prisoners in Northern Ireland. They constitute an important group of Northern Ireland's ageing "conflict generation". The research was funded by the Changing Ageing Partnership, and was carried out with the assistance of both loyalist and republican prisoner support organisations. The fieldwork included a survey of 190 former politically motivated prisoners (117 republicans, 73 loyalists), focus groups, and 25 in depth narrative interviews. Almost half those surveyed were not in paid employment; this may reflect both health related disability, and continuing structural and legal barriers associated with conflict-related convictions. Over three-quarters of those surveyed had experienced financial problems since release. Fewer than half of those who were still of working age had made ten years of contributions to any kind of pension scheme and none will have built up eligibility for a full basic state pension when the reach retirement age. The lack of employment and pension entitlements have stark implications for impending poverty in old age. Over a third of respondents (39.9%) had GHQ-12 scores indicating the presence of clinically significant mental health problems, 32.6 % had received prescription medication for depression in the last year and 22.6.2% said that since release from prison there had been times when they had not wanted to go on living. Over half reported symptoms characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder. Standardised screening measures for alcohol problems indicated that 68.8% of respondents engaged in levels of drinking that were hazardous, and 53.3% met the threshold for alcohol dependence. We found high levels of resilience and reflectiveness amongst respondents and interviewees but also areas of significant psychological harm, and they graphically described the complex personal and emotional consequences for themselves and their families that had resulted from the conflict. The research findings indicate a need for further action in relation to areas of employment, mental health, information and advice. Details: Belfast: Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, 2010. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2014 at: http://www.law.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Research/InstituteofCriminologyandCriminalJustice/Publications/worddocs/Filetoupload,226499,en.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.law.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Research/InstituteofCriminologyandCriminalJustice/Publications/worddocs/Filetoupload,226499,en.pdf Shelf Number: 132242 Keywords: Mental HealthPolitical PrisonersPrisoners |
Author: American University. Washington College of Law. Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Title: Torture in Healthcare Settings: Reflections on the Special Rapporteur on Torture's 2013 Thematic Report Summary: xiii Foreword As part of its mission to create new tools and strategies for the creative advancement of international human rights norms, in 2012, the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law and WCL Visiting Professor Juan E. Mendez, created The Anti-Torture Initiative (ATI). The ATI supports the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (SRT), a position which Professor Mendez holds. The ATI monitors and assesses the implementation of the SRT's country-specific and thematic recommendations, develops effective follow-up models for expanded implementation for SRT recommendations, and supports the creative advancement of the SRT mandate to end torture worldwide. The publication of this volume, Torture in Healthcare Settings: Reflections on the Special Rapporteur on Torture's 2013 Thematic Report, is one such creative model. It is a first-of-its-kind compilation, which seeks to follow-up and expand upon a thematic report by the SRT. The volume asks a wide variety of stakeholders and thought-leaders to reflect on the SRT's 2013 report on Torture and Ill-Treatment in Health Care Settings (A/HRC/22/53), and to provide a critique and analysis to help promote discussion of the myriad of important issues raised in the report. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, 2014. 346p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2014 at: http://antitorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/PDF_Torture_in_Healthcare_Publication.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://antitorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/PDF_Torture_in_Healthcare_Publication.pdf Shelf Number: 132286 Keywords: Health CareMental HealthMentally IllTorture |
Author: Freeman, Karen Title: Understanding the relationship between crime victimisation and mental health: a longitudinal analysis of population data Summary: Aim: To determine whether a change in crime victimisation status (from non-victim to victim) affects mental health. Method: Fixed effects models were used to examine the effect of physical violence and property crime victimisation in the past year on future mental health. The sample pooled 110,671 records from 16,187 persons aged 15 years or older who participated in at least two waves of the Australian Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) survey between 2002 and 2011. The analysis controlled for all time-stable factors as well as a wide range of dynamic variables known to be associated with mental health (i.e., partner status, area of residence, labour force status, financial prosperity, ability to raise funds in an emergency, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, general health, social networks and number of life events). Results: The analysis revealed that becoming a victim of violent crime results in a decrease in mental health. Females had a more pronounced decline in mental health after becoming a victim of violence compared with males. By contrast, there was no evidence that becoming a victim of property crime has a detectable impact on mental health for either females or males. Conclusion: Being a victim of violent crime has an adverse effect on mental health. This effect is apparent for both male and female victims, however there is a greater effect of violent crime on women's mental health. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, no. 177: Accessed June 18, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l2/cjb177.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l2/cjb177.pdf Shelf Number: 132498 Keywords: GenderLongitudinal StudyMental HealthProperty CrimeVictimizationVictims of CrimesViolent Crime |
Author: Thompson, R. Alan Title: Perceptions of Defendants with Mental Illness Summary: During the 1980's and into the 1990's publicly supported institutions devoted to providing care for the mentally ill began closing due to large-scale budgetary crises, thereby shifting affected individuals into the public domain with no real alternatives for effective treatment. As a result of their varied mental conditions, many such individuals found themselves unable to find gainful employment and adequate shelter. In short order, the now homeless and underemployed mentally ill population began to run afoul of the law in large numbers and, in the absence of available referral alternatives, became chronic offenders in all categories of criminal behavior. Gradually shifting responsibility for handling the mentally ill into the criminal justice realm and away from specially created institutions has resulted in a situation that can only be described as the "criminalization of mental illness." More simply stated, the criminal justice system now bears considerable responsibility for responding to both the immediate and long-term needs of a unique population and an exceedingly complex social problem. Today, it is estimated that the criminal justice system incarcerates in excess of 1.5 million individuals in state and federal prisons. Some conservative and dated studies report that as many as one quarter of one million inmates confined to correctional institutions suffer from varying degrees of mental illness. In light of this situation, which shows no immediate signs of abatement, it becomes imperative to better understand how the contemporary criminal justice system responds to its broadened public welfare mandate. To accomplish this objective, the Mississippi Statistical Analysis Center undertook an exploratory research initiative focused on assessing the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes of courtroom participants regarding defendants with mental illness. Specifically, the target population for the survey consisted of judges, prosecutors and public defenders within the state. This particular group was of interest given their significant role not only in the process of adjudication, but also in determining current and future public risk, as well as appropriate methods of treatment and / or confinement. This document reports the results of the study and identifies policy implications, as well as the need for additional attention regarding the issue. Details: Hattiesburg, MS: Mississippi Statistical Analysis Center, 2014. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 30, 2014 at: https://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/school-criminal-justice/pdf/2013-2014perceptions_of_defendants_with_mental_illness.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/school-criminal-justice/pdf/2013-2014perceptions_of_defendants_with_mental_illness.pdf Shelf Number: 132561 Keywords: DefendantsMental HealthMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Gormley, Caitlin Title: Mapping of Active Criminal Justice Diversion Schemes for Those with Mental Health Problems in Scotland Summary: The Scottish Association for Mental Health commissioned the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research to conduct a mapping exercise to identify the numbers and types of diversion schemes for people with mental health issues currently in operation throughout Scotland. This research defines "diversionary practice" in reference to formal and informal processes of assessing and identifying the needs of an accused person and diverting them from the criminal justice pathway as early as possible. Research Design All Criminal Justice Social Work service departments of the 32 Local Authorities; the 8 regional managers of Community Justice Authorities; the 14 NHS Health Boards; Police Scotland; the Scottish Prison Service; Community Mental Health Nursing Teams; and various third sector organisations were contacted by email, letter and phone-calls, where appropriate, seeking their participation in the research, they were then sent a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire was comprised of twenty-one open- and closed-ended questions designed to uncover as much information as possible about existing diversionary schemes and practices for people with mental health issues. To achieve this, the questions were grouped under four headings: About the Scheme; Functionality; Operation of the Scheme; and Post-Intervention. The results were then exported to a spreadsheet and collated for further thematic analysis. Responses were grouped by the stage of the criminal justice system the service diverts persons with mental health problems in order to respond to specific elements of the research question. Key Findings Of the 38 responses to the questionnaire, 26 active diversion schemes were identified while 12 agencies stated that they do not operate formal or informal diversionary practices. The aims of the responding schemes can be listed in terms of general themes: reducing reoffending; preventing harm; reducing number of remands to prison; and, ensuring that appropriate care is provided. The majority of diversion schemes who responded to this study are delivered by statutory services through "Fiscal Diversion" as an alternative to prosecution. Only two responding schemes reported that they focus specifically on divertees with mental health problems. Both of these schemes are funded by the NHS and receive referrals from the Procurator Fiscal service. Police reporting procedures have a great impact on decisions made by the Procurator Fiscal which have, in turn, accounted for 17 of the 26 schemes who responded positively to this study. There are many differences among the schemes particularly in relation to the uptake of diversion schemes as well as regional and organisational differences. Although there is a wide range of activities available across the diversion schemes, there appears to be a gap in the delivery of schemes which address offending behaviour and poor mental health together. Details: Glasgow: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Glasgow, 2013. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Report No. 05/13: Accessed July 19, 2014 at: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Mapping-of-Active-Diversion-Schemes-Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Mapping-of-Active-Diversion-Schemes-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 132715 Keywords: Diversion ProgramsMental HealthMentally Ill Offenders (Scotland) |
Author: Cloud, David Title: On Life Support: Public Health in the Age of Mass Incarceration Summary: Each year, millions of incarcerated people-who experience chronic health conditions, infectious diseases, substance use, and mental illness at much higher rates than the general population-return home from correctional institutions to communities that are already rife with health disparities, violence, and poverty, among other structural inequities. For several generations, high rates of incarceration among residents in these communities has further contributed to diminished educational opportunities, fractured family structures, stagnated economic mobility, limited housing options, and restricted access to essential social entitlements. Several factors in today's policy climate indicate that the political discourse on crime and punishment is swinging away from the punitive, tough-on-crime values that dominated for decades, and that the time is ripe to fundamentally rethink the function of the criminal justice system in ways that can start to address the human toll that mass incarceration has had on communities. At the same time, the nation's healthcare system is undergoing a historic overhaul due to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many provisions of the ACA provide tools needed to address long-standing health disparities. Among these are: Bolstering community capacity by expanding Medicaid eligiblity, expanding coverage and parity for behavioral health treatment, and reducing health disparities. Strengthening front-end alternatives to arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. Bridging health and justice systems by coordinating outreach and care, enrolling people in Medicaid and subsidized health plans across the criminal justice continuum, using Medicaid waivers and innovation funding to extend coverage to new groups, and advancing health information technology. There is growing interest among health and justice system leaders to work together in the pursuit of health equity, public safety, and social justice. In many states and localities, efforts are already underway. While challenges remain, including regional differences in using the ACA, the combination of political will, public support, and increased access to healthcare funding presents a momentous opportunity to address the impacts of mass incarceration on community health, develop policy and programmatic reforms to undo the damage, and rethink the core values and goals of the American justice system moving forward. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.vera.org/pubs/public-health-mass-incarceration Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/pubs/public-health-mass-incarceration Shelf Number: 134162 Keywords: Health Care (U.S.)Mass IncarcerationMedicaidMedical CareMental HealthPrisoners |
Author: Hughes, Karen Title: The mental health needs of gang-affiliated young people Summary: Executive summary - Research is beginning to expose the high burden of mental illness faced by young people involved with gangs. Gang members are at increased risk of a range of mental health conditions including conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, anxiety, psychosis and drug and alcohol dependence (section 2) - The links between gang-affiliation and poor mental health can operate in both directions. Poor mental wellbeing can draw young people to gangs while gang involvement can negatively impact on an individual's mental health (section 3) - Violence is an inherent part of gang culture and gang members are at increased risk of involvement in violence as both perpetrators and victims. Long-term exposure to violence is associated with psychological problems including depression, conduct disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (section 3) - Poor mental health and gang-affiliation share many common risk factors, often relating to young people's early life experiences and the environments in which they grow up. The more risk factors young people are exposed to the greater their vulnerability to negative outcomes (section 4) - Girls involved with gangs can be particularly vulnerable to mental health problems resulting from sexual and intimate partner violence (section 5) Preventing the development of risk factors and promoting mental wellbeing in young people requires a life course approach that supports parents and families and encourages healthy development from the very earliest stages of life (section 6) - Programmes such as home visiting, parenting programmes, preschool programmes and school-based social and emotional development programmes can protect children from the risk factors for gang involvement and poor mental health, including parental stress, exposure to violence and behavioural problems (section 6). - Evidence-based, relevant, accessible and non-stigmatising community interventions should be available in gang-affected areas to promote health and emotional wellbeing, support recovery from mental illness and help young people move away from harmful gang-related activities (section 7) - Gang-affiliated young people may experience particular barriers to engaging with mental health and other services. Novel approaches are required, including the provision of holistic support in young peoples' own environments and the use of key workers or mentors who are able to build trusting relationships with young people involved with gangs (section 7). - Effectively addressing the relationships between gang-affiliation and poor mental health requires a strong, collaborative approach that co-ordinates services across a wide range of organisations. Health services, local authorities, schools, criminal justice agencies and communities all have an important role to play in promoting healthy social and emotional development in children and young people and ensuring vulnerable young people affected by gangs and poor mental health receive the support they require. Details: London: Public Health England, 2015. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398674/The_mental_health_needs_of_gang-affiliated_young_people_v3_23_01_1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398674/The_mental_health_needs_of_gang-affiliated_young_people_v3_23_01_1.pdf Shelf Number: 134520 Keywords: Gangs (U.K.)Mental HealthMental Health ServicesYouth Gangs |
Author: Coles, Deborah Title: Deaths in Mental Health Detention: An investigation framework fit for purpose? Summary: INQUEST is the only charity working directly with the families of those who die in state detention and has a unique overview of the investigation and inquest process. For over 30 years INQUEST has drawn attention to the lack of public information about the number and circumstances of deaths in mental health settings and the closed nature of the investigation process. This is not a new problem but one largely hidden from public scrutiny, and the absence of transparency and accountability is a major cause for concern. INQUEST provides advice and assistance to an increasing number of bereaved families whose relatives have died in mental health detention and who are concerned about the treatment and care of the deceased and the lack of rigour of subsequent investigations and inquests. This report collates statistics, evidence and individual stories from INQUEST's monitoring, casework, research and policy work. It documents concerns about the lack of a properly-independent investigation system and the consistent failure by most NHS Trusts to ensure the involvement of families in investigations. Ultimately, it highlights the lack of effective public scrutiny of deaths in mental health detention that frustrate the ability of NHS organisations to learn and enact fundamental changes to policy and practice to protect mental health in-patients and prevent further fatalities. The report identifies three key themes: 1. The number of deaths and issues relating to their reporting and monitoring. 2. The lack of an independent system of pre-inquest investigation as compared to other deaths in detention. 3. The lack of a robust mechanism for ensuring post-death accountability and learning. Details: London: INQUEST, 2015. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2015 at: http://inquest.gn.apc.org/pdf/reports/INQUEST_deaths_in_mental_health_detention_Feb_2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://inquest.gn.apc.org/pdf/reports/INQUEST_deaths_in_mental_health_detention_Feb_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 134643 Keywords: Deaths in CustodyMental HealthMentally Ill Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Grimshaw, Roger Title: Institutional care and poverty: evidence and policy review Summary: Five institutional care settings were covered: prisons; immigration detention centres; mental health placements including psychiatric secure hospitals and centres; placements for children being looked after including homes, residential schools and units for children; and placements for people with disabilities. In an increasingly globalised world the task of collating international evidence becomes more important and the review focused on more than 500 studies drawn from North America, Europe, and Australasia, in addition to the UK. Details: London: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2014. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2015 at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Institutional%20Care%20and%20Poverty%20Report%20August%202014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Institutional%20Care%20and%20Poverty%20Report%20August%202014.pdf Shelf Number: 134982 Keywords: Immigrant DetentionJuvenile DetentionMental HealthPoverty (U.K.)Prisons |
Author: Nugent, Briege Title: Evaluation of the Theatre Nemo Pilot at HMP Addiewell Summary: Theatre NEMO' is Glasgow based charity theatre company that specialises in improving and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing through creative workshops in the community, in psychiatric hospitals and in prisons. This type of project has never been undertaken before and therefore the evaluation has the potential to bring new learning and establish good practice for working with families and widening the scope of throughcare interventions. The Evaluation has involved interviewing all participants and analysing prison officer observations of those taking part both before and after the pilot. Prison and Theatre Nemo Management were interviewed as well as observational notes taken during sessions attended by the researcher. MAIN FINDINGS - Although all participants felt that they already had good interaction, they appreciated the opportunity to do something together as a family and found the action of doing things together bonding, and also more enjoyable than simply going through the motions of a visit. - The prison officers felt that all the families who took part were interacting better and having more fun as a result, they also felt that the prisoners were calmer and happier than usual during the weeks of the course. One woman who has mental health problems said that she felt better able to cope generally during the course. The benefits of the arts to help people with mental health problems has been noted in the feasibility study and also re-emphasised in this current evaluation. The impact of the arts as this study shows goes beyond helping those with identified mental health problems, participants have felt a general improvement in levels of happiness and well being, and this significant impact should not be underestimated. - Prison management described the officers as being sceptical about the pilot, but after witnessing the positive impact on participants they were said to be 'converted' to supporting this initiative fully for the future. - All participants, but particularly the women attending had their levels of self-esteem and confidence recorded improve. - The men said that the sentence they are doing in prison is harder on their family than it is on them and they felt that there should be more in prison to involve families. Equally it was clear from the interviews with all three women that having someone in prison has made their life difficult. For example, the two partners spoke about the loss of income and the reality of bringing up children on their own on a day to day basis, these testimonies further evidence the importance of support services such as Circle and Families Outside. - The women greatly appreciated being connected to support in the community and it noted that although they want help they are often reluctant to ask for it, this shows that possibly services needed to do more to reach out to this population. - Theatre Nemo have provided transport for participants and without this in place they would have struggled to attend. Transport to prisons is an ongoing problem and the main inhibitor identified, for future projects this cost should be factored in. - The support offered by HMP Addiewell has been invaluable; Theatre Nemo and Prison Management have worked well together and established strong communication which has been a key factor in the project's success. Details: Glasgow: Theatre Nemo, 2011. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2015 at: https://lemosandcrane.co.uk/ Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://lemosandcrane.co.uk/ Shelf Number: 135267 Keywords: Families of InmatesMental HealthPrisoner Rehabilitation Programs (U.K.)Theatre Programs |
Author: Davis, Chelsea Title: Bridging the Gap: Improving the Health of Justice-Involved People through Information Technology Summary: On September 17, 2014, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) convened a two-day conference in Rockville, Maryland called Bridging the Gap: Improving the Health of Justice-Involved People through Information Technology. The meeting aimed to address the problems of disconnected justice and health systems and to develop solutions by describing barriers, benefits, and best practices for connecting community providers and correctional facilities using health information technology (HIT). The gathering, organized by the SAMSHA Health Information Technology and Criminal Justice Team and the Federal Interagency Reentry Council HIT Workgroup, included representatives from federal agencies; national advocacy organizations; and nonprofit, state, and local agencies providing health services to justice-involved populations. The following proceedings give an overview of each session and a synthesis of the obstacles to instituting HIT solutions for information sharing detailed during the meeting. The proceedings address the importance of using emerging HIT to respond to the growing problem of people with mental health and substance use disorders involved in the criminal justice system and to articulate a vision of how HIT can facilitate ongoing connections between health and justice systems. Several jurisdictions that are implementing new HIT programs - both those that connect community providers to correctional facilities during initial intake into the justice system and those that connect correctional facilities to community providers during reentry - are highlighted here. Common challenges emerged among jurisdictions despite their unique environments and systems. Conference participants discussed these challenges along with opportunities for overcoming them. An in-depth case study of new HIT initiatives in Louisville, Kentucky, is included, illustrating how to build and sustain collaborative cross-sector teams. The conference coalesced around six key themes: - An underdeveloped HIT landscape makes it difficult for health and justice systems to communicate and share data vital to the health of justice-system-involved populations. - Innovative programs from jurisdictions around the country can help others figure out how to successfully launch HIT programs intended to share data between community providers and correctional facilities. - Representatives from Medicaid agencies, corrections departments, and community providers need to be at the table together to develop solutions that advance common goals that promote public health and public safety. - Every locale must build a program based on its specific needs, infrastructure, and partners, but resources such as Justice and Health Connect, NIEM, and Global can guide jurisdictions looking to bridge the justice and health gap. - Privacy, security, consent, and technology adaptation are difficult but surmountable obstacles to providing healthcare to the justice-system-involved population. - Data-driven programs such as justice reinvestment seek to cut spending and reinvest the savings in practices that have been empirically shown to improve safety and hold offenders accountable. The trend toward evidence-based evaluation of justice programs, coupled with mounting evidence that current incarceration and recidivism rates are economically unsustainable, have galvanized diverse stakeholders to collaborate on developing better responses to justice-involved people who have substance use and mental health issues. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2015. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/samhsa-justice-health-information-technology.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/samhsa-justice-health-information-technology.pdf Shelf Number: 135699 Keywords: Inmate Health CareMedicaidMedical CareMental HealthMentally Ill OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Larson, Kimberly Title: Developing Statutes for Competence to Stand Trial in Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings: A Guide for Lawmakers Summary: The National Youth Screening and Assessment Project, part of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change Initiative recently released a guide for policymakers who are considering creating juvenile competence to stand trial legislation. Authored by Kimberly Larson, J.D., Ph.D. and Thomas Grisso, Ph.D., the guide outlines the sixteen most important points lawmakers must consider in the creation of such legislation. Statutory language examples are provided throughout the guide on each of the sixteen key issues. This guide provides a comprehensive look at juveniles' competence to stand trial. It will be of use not only to those considering drafting legislation in this area or currently creating juvenile competence to stand trial laws in their state, but also to judges who are addressing the issue of competence within their courts. Attorneys and mental health professionals can also use it to learn more about the application of competence to juveniles. Details: National Youth Screening & Assessment Project, 2011. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://modelsforchange.net/publications/330 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://modelsforchange.net/publications/330 Shelf Number: 129792 Keywords: Competence to Stand TrialJuvenile OffendersMental Health |
Author: Boyce, Jillian Title: Mental health and contact with police in Canada, 2012 Summary: Canadians can come into contact with the police for a variety of reasons, not all of which are criminal in nature. Previous research has indicated that most people with a mental health disorder do not commit criminal acts; however, contact with police is common among this population (Brink et al. 2011; Coleman and Cotton 2014). Furthermore, the frequency of such interactions has been said to be on the rise in recent decades given policy and legislative changes (Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005; Vancouver Police Department 2013; Lurigio and Watson 2010). For instance, while the process of deinstitutionalization shifted the treatment of mental health disorders from a hospital setting to a community setting, it has been argued that community based supports may not have expanded at the same capacity to make up for the loss of institutional services, which can leave police as the first responders in crisis situations or after regular health facility hours (Coleman and Cotton 2014; Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005). Information on police interactions with people who have a mental health disorder is a priority for various reasons. Firstly, they can be among the most unpredictable and dangerous situations to which officers must respond, and can be equally, if not more, dangerous for the person with the disorder (Chappell 2008; Kerr et al. 2010; Coleman and Cotton 2014; Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005). Secondly, while the majority of such interactions are handled without harm to the officer or the person with a disorder, these interactions can be quite time-consuming, often utilizing a large portion of resources not only from police services, but from the health and social sectors as well (Lurigio and Watson 2010). Currently in Canada there is no standardized framework or guidelines for collecting data on police interactions with people who have a mental health disorder. While some police services independently publish figures on this subject, much of it is not comparable across the various jurisdictions due to differences in definitions, as well as differences in the methods used to collect the information. In the absence of nationally representative data relating to individuals with a mental health disorder and their contact with police, the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health (CCHS-MH) provides a starting point for filling this gap (see Text Box 1). The 2012 CCHS-MH represents the fourth CCHS cycle with a specialized focus (Statistics Canada 2013). While there was a previous focused cycle in 2002 on the mental health and well-being of Canadians, most disorders measured in the 2012 CCHS-MH are not comparable to the disorders measured by the survey in 2002 (Pearson et al. 2013). In addition, questions about respondents' contact with police were not asked in 2002. This Juristat article utilizes data from the 2012 CCHS-MH to report on the prevalence of mental and/or substance use disorders in Canada in 2012, along with characteristics common among those with a mental or substance use disorder. In addition, it examines in detail the type and frequency of contact that those with a disorder have with police, and how that contact differs from those without a disorder. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2015. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat 35, no. 1: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14176-eng.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14176-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 135855 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill PersonsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Pope, Leah G. Title: First-Episode Incarceration: Creating a Recovery-Informed Framework for Integrated Mental Health and Criminal Justice Responses Summary: The number of people diagnosed with serious mental illness in the U.S. criminal justice system has reached unprecedented levels. Increasingly, people recognize that the justice system is no substitute for a well-functioning community mental health system. Although a range of targeted interventions have emerged over the past two decades, existing approaches have done little to reduce the overall number of incarcerated people with serious mental illness. This report, modeled on promising approaches in the mental health field to people experiencing a first episode of psychosis, outlines a new integrated framework that encourages the mental health and criminal justice fields to collaborate on developing programs based on early intervention, an understanding of the social determinants that underlie ill health and criminal justice involvement, and recovery-oriented treatment. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2016. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2016 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/first-episode-incarceration-integrated-mental-health-criminal-justice-responses.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/first-episode-incarceration-integrated-mental-health-criminal-justice-responses.pdf Shelf Number: 137755 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Health Services Mentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Rovner, Laura Title: Dignity and the Eighth Amendment: A New Approach to Challenging Solitary Confinement Summary: The use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails has come under increasing scrutiny. Over the past few months, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy all but invited constitutional challenges to the use of solitary confinement, while President Obama asked, "Do we really think it makes sense to lock so many people alone in tiny cells for 23 hours a day for months, sometime for years at a time?" Even some of the most notorious prisons and jails, including California's Pelican Bay State Prison and New York's Rikers Island, are reforming their use of solitary confinement because of successful litigation and public outcry. Rovner suggests that in light of these developments and "the Supreme Court's increasing reliance on human dignity as a substantive value underlying and animating constitutional rights," there is a strong case to make that long-term solitary confinement violates the constitutional right to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment. Details: Washington, DC: American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief: Accessed May 6, 2016 at: Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 138961 Keywords: Conditions of ConfinementCruel and Unusual PunishmentInmatesMental HealthPunishmentSolitary Confinement |
Author: Landerso, Rasmus Title: Psychiatric Hospital Admission and Later Mental Health, Crime, and Labor Market Outcomes Summary: This paper studies the effects of an admission to a psychiatric hospital on subsequent psychiatric treatments, self-inflicted harm, crime, and labor market outcomes. To circumvent non-random selection into hospital admission we use a measure of hospital occupancy rates the weeks prior to a patient's first contact with a psychiatric hospital as an instrument. Admission reduces criminal and self-harming behavior substantially in the short run, but leads to higher re-admission rates and lower labor market attachment in the long run. Effects are heterogeneous across observable and unobservable patient characteristics. We also identify positive externalities of admissions on spouses' employment rates. Details: Copenhagen: Rockwool Foundation Research Unit, 2016. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Study Paper No. 98: Accessed May 16, 2016 at: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/app/uploads/2016/01/Study-paper-NY-98_Final_WEB.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Denmark URL: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/app/uploads/2016/01/Study-paper-NY-98_Final_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 139065 Keywords: EmploymentMental HealthMental IllnessMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Pettus-Davis, Carrie Title: Conceptual Model to Guide Practice and Research in the Development of Trauma Interventions for Men Releasing from Incarceration Summary: A significant treatment gap exists for incarcerated men with lifetime traumatic experiences. A small research base for trauma interventions for incarcerated women is emerging, but incarcerated men have largely been ignored. Men comprise 90% of the incarcerated population and are at the greatest risk to be re-arrested for a new crime after release. One of the most ignored, but highly influential factors in poor post-release outcomes of formerly incarcerated men are unaddressed symptoms resulting from lifetime traumatic experiences. Studies of incarcerated men report up to 98% have had at least one lifetime traumatic experiences - many have experienced multiple traumas. With nearly 600,000 men releasing from correctional facilities each year, there is an urgent need to develop targeted interventions for incarcerated men. We propose a conceptual model of a multi-phased trauma intervention to guide practice and research on adapting existing trauma treatment approaches to the special circumstances of men releasing from incarceration. We divide up key treatment ingredients to respond to the complexities and stages of reentry from incarceration back to communities. We conclude with critical next steps needed to advance the practice and research of trauma intervention implementation for incarcerated men nearing release. Details: St. Louis: Concordance Institute for Advancing Social Justice, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper #CI080316: Accessed September 17, 2016 at: https://concordanceinstitute.wustl.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Conceptual%20Model%20to%20Guide%20Practice%20and%20Research%20in%20Trauma%20Interventions%20for%20Men%20Releasing%20from%20Incarceration.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://concordanceinstitute.wustl.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Conceptual%20Model%20to%20Guide%20Practice%20and%20Research%20in%20Trauma%20Interventions%20for%20Men%20Releasing%20from%20Incarceration.pdf Shelf Number: 147943 Keywords: Correctional Treatment ProgramsMental HealthPrisoner ReentryPrisonersTrauma |
Author: Cannon, Yael Title: Adverse Childhood Experiences in the New Mexico Juvenile Justice Population Summary: Study Highlights A retrospective study of adults conducted by the CDC & Kaiser Permanente examined the relationship between several forms of childhood trauma (adverse childhood experiences or ACEs) & related health outcomes. Individuals with 4+ ACEs (12% of sample) were more likely to report health conditions & shorter lifespans. The current study includes all 220 juvenile offenders committed for incarceration in New Mexico during 2011 & uses the results of comprehensive multi-disciplinary psychosocial assessments to examine juveniles' ACEs, psychological & family conditions, & exposure to other traumatic events. 86% of incarcerated New Mexico juveniles experienced 4+ ACEs, 7 times higher than the CDC-Kaiser study. New Mexico juveniles experienced ACEs at a higher rate than juvenile offender populations in other studies. Among incarcerated New Mexico juveniles, majorities experienced emotional (76%) or physical (94%) neglect, parental divorce/separation (86%), and substance abuse in the home (80%). Axis I diagnoses (99.5%), substance abuse disorders (96%), & depression (48%) were widespread among incarcerated New Mexico juveniles. Females had a higher incidence of ACEs. 23% of females experienced 9+ ACEs compared to 3% of males. Females had a statistically significant higher incidence of sexual abuse (63% vs. 21%) & physical abuse (70% vs. 49%) when compared to males. Efforts are needed to identify & prevent early childhood trauma in New Mexico. Intervention goals include preventing additional ACEs in young children who have experienced them & trauma screening when children enter the juvenile justice system. Additionally, evidence-based, trauma-informed, family-engaged mental health & substance-abuse treatments should be available throughout the juvenile justice system and to youth subsequent to discharge from detention and incarceration. Details: Albuquerque: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2016. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2016/adverse-childhood-experiences-in-the-new-mexico-juvenile-justice-population.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2016/adverse-childhood-experiences-in-the-new-mexico-juvenile-justice-population.pdf Shelf Number: 146131 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChildhood TraumaJuvenile Justice SystemsJuvenile OffendersMental Health |
Author: Indig, Devon Title: Comorbid substance use disorders and mental health disorders among New Zealand prisoners Summary: Introduction Mental health and substance use disorders are known to be substantially higher among prisoners than in the general population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and co-occurrence of mental health and substance use disorders among New Zealand prisoners. Methods This study used the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 (CIDI 3.0) and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4+ (PDQ-4) to assess the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders. The study sample included 1209 New Zealand prisoners across 13 prisons. This report presents the prevalence for the 12-month and lifetime diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders including breakdowns by gender, age and ethnicity. Comparisons have been provided where possible for the general population using the 2006 New Zealand Mental Health Survey (unless noted otherwise) or the 1999 New Zealand Prisoner Mental Health Study. Results Mental disorders Nearly all (91%) prisoners had a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health or substance use disorder and 62% had this diagnosis in the past 12-months. Female prisoners were significantly more likely to have a 12-month diagnosis of any mental disorder than male prisoners (75% compared to 61%). General population comparison: Prisoners were three times more likely than the general population to have a 12-month diagnosis of any mental disorder (62% compared to 21%). Anxiety disorders Just over one in five (23%) prisoners had an anxiety disorder diagnosis in the past 12-months, while 30% had a lifetime anxiety diagnosis. Female prisoners had a significantly higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder compared to males for both 12-month and lifetime diagnoses, with over half (52%) of women having a lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. General population comparison: A lifetime post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis was four times higher among prisoners (24%) than in the general population (6%). Prison population comparison: The lifetime prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder was just over 1% in the 1999 prisoner mental health study which had increased to nearly 9% in 2015, while the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder had also increased from nearly 2% in 1999 to nearly 6% in 2015. Mood disorders Nearly a third (32%) of prisoners had a lifetime diagnosis of any mood disorder, while 24% had a 12- month mood disorder diagnosis. When compared to other ethnic groups, Māori prisoners had the lowest prevalence of lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder (17%). General population comparison: The 12-month prevalence of any mood disorder was three times higher for prisoners (24%) than in the general population (8%). Prison population comparison: When compared to the 1999 prisoner mental health study, the lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder decreased slightly (from 23% to 21%), the lifetime prevalence of bipolar increased from 2% to 11%, and dysthymia increased from 1% to 5%. Substance use disorders A substantial majority of prisoners (87%) had a lifetime diagnosis of a substance use disorder, and just under half (47%) had a 12-month diagnosis of a substance use disorder. Marijuana was the most prevalent drug of abuse with 24% of prisoners having a lifetime diagnosis, while stimulants were the most common drug of dependence with 23% having a lifetime diagnosis. General population comparison: Prisoners were seven times more likely to have a lifetime prevalence of any substance use disorder compared to the general population. Prison population comparison: The prevalence of stimulant abuse and dependence (combined) had increased nearly 10-fold since the 1999 prisoner mental health study, from 4% reported in the 1999 study to 38% (15% for abuse and 23% for dependence) in 2015. Eating disorders The lifetime prevalence of eating disorders among prisoners was 5%, while 3% were found to have a 12-month diagnosis. The prevalence of eating disorders was twice as high among female prisoners as among male prisoners, for both 12-month (7% compared to 3%) and lifetime (10% compared to 5%) diagnoses. General population comparison: Prisoners were seven times more likely to have a 12-month eating disorder diagnosis than the general population (3% compared to 0.5%). Prison population comparison: The lifetime prevalence of eating disorders increased five-fold (from 1% to 5%) from the 1999 prisoner mental health study to the 2015 study. Comorbidity One in five (20%) of prisoners were found to have a 12-month diagnosis of a comorbid mental health and substance use disorder, while 42% were found to have a lifetime comorbidity diagnosis. Comorbidity was higher among women than men, for both 12-month and lifetime diagnoses. There was little variation by ethnicity for the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of comorbidity, with the highest rates found among prisoners of European descent. Prisoners with a lifetime diagnosis of a substance use disorder had almost half (48% compared to 93%) the prevalence of comorbidity compared to people with a lifetime anxiety disorder. Multiple disorders Two-thirds (66%) of prisoners were found to have two or more lifetime diagnoses of a mental or substance use disorder, while 31% were found to have two or more 12-month diagnoses. A higher proportion of female prisoners (72%) compared to male prisoners (65%) had a lifetime diagnosis of two or more mental health and substance use disorders. A high proportion of prisoners diagnosed with a lifetime anxiety (84%) or mood (81%) disorder were found to have a lifetime diagnosis of three or more disorders, compared to 40% of prisoners with a substance use disorder. General population comparison: Prisoners were nearly four times more likely to have two or more 12- month diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders than the general population (30% compared to 8%). Personality disorders One in three (33%) prisoners was found to have a clinically significant personality disorder, with a slightly higher prevalence among men than women. The most common personality disorders detected were paranoid (15%), antisocial (11%), obsessive compulsive (10%) and borderline (9%). The highest prevalence (46%) of personality disorders were found among prisoners with a lifetime comorbid mood disorder diagnosis. Prison population comparison: The lifetime prevalence of personality disorders was nearly twice as high (60% compared to 33%) among New Zealand prisoners in 1999 compared to the current 2015 study. Psychosis symptoms The lifetime presence of psychosis symptoms (such as seeing visions and hearing voices) was present in 13% of prisoners, and in 7% of prisoners in the past year. Prisoners with a lifetime diagnosis of an anxiety (23%) or mood (20%) disorder had the highest prevalence of ever experiencing symptoms of psychosis compared to 13% overall. Prison population comparison: The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders was estimated to be 6% in the 1999 prisoner mental health study, while 12% of prisoners were found to report symptoms of psychosis in 2015. Psychological distress Over one in four (28%) of prisoners experienced psychological distress in the past 30 days. There were significantly higher rates of psychological distress among female (47%) compared to male (27%) prisoners. The prevalence of psychological distress was more than twice as high (60% compared to 28%) for prisoners with a 12-month diagnosis of an anxiety disorder compared to the total. General population comparison: Prisoners were nearly five times more likely (28% compared to 6%) to have experienced psychological distress in the past 30 days compared to the general population from the 2013/14 New Zealand Health Survey. Suicidal behaviours Over one-third (35%) of prisoners had ever thought about suicide, 17% had ever made a suicide plan and 19% of prisoners had ever attempted suicide. Female prisoners had higher rates of suicidal behaviours than men, including ever thinking about suicide (44% compared to 34%) and ever attempting suicide (29% compared to 18%). General population comparison: Prisoners had higher rates of suicidal behaviours than people in the general population, including being twice as likely to have ever thought about suicide (35% compared to 16%) and four times as likely to have ever attempted suicide (19% compared to 5%). Mental health treatment Nearly half (46%) of prisoners diagnosed with a 12-month mental health or substance use disorder had received some form of mental health treatment in the past year. Female prisoners had significantly higher rates of mental health treatment than males for nearly all disorders, including 60% of women with a 12-month diagnosis of any mental disorder obtaining mental health treatment compared to 45% of men. Pacific peoples were substantially less likely to access health services for their mental health than prisoners of European descent (33% compared to 54%). General population comparison: Fewer than half (46%) of prisoners with a 12-month diagnosis of any mental disorder received some form of mental health treatment in the past year, which was slightly higher (39%) than found in the general population. Conclusions In summary, prisoners had high rates of mental health and substance use disorders including high rates of comorbidity which were often undetected and under-treated. The findings of this report provide important evidence to assist with identifying areas for improved detection, early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation and diversion away from the criminal justice system. In particular, the findings suggest that improved integration of mental health and substance use disorder treatment would be an important strategy for improving the health and reducing re-offending among prisoners. Details: Wellington: New Zealand Department of Corrections, 2016. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2016 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/846362/Comorbid_substance_use_disorders_and_mental_health_disorders_among_NZ_prisoners_June_2016_final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/846362/Comorbid_substance_use_disorders_and_mental_health_disorders_among_NZ_prisoners_June_2016_final.pdf Shelf Number: 145371 Keywords: Drug OffendersMental HealthMentally Ill OffendersPrisonersSubstance Abuse |
Author: Dustmann, Christian Title: The Effect of Local Area Crime on Mental Health Summary: This paper analyses the effect of local crime rates on residents' mental health. Using longitudinal information on individuals' mental well-being, we address the problem of sorting and endogenous moving behaviour. We find that crime causes considerable mental distress for residents, mainly driven by property crime. Effects are stronger for females, and mainly related to depression and anxiety. The distress caused by one standard deviation increase in local crime is 2-4 times larger than that caused by a one standard deviation decrease in local employment, and about one seventh of the short-term impact of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. Details: London: Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration Department of Economics, University College London , 2014. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: CReAM Discussion Paper Series, no. 28/14: Accessed November 17, 2016 at: http://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_28_14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_28_14.pdf Shelf Number: 144855 Keywords: Communities and CrimeCrime RatesFear of CrimeMental HealthNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Beyond Youth Custody Title: Trauma and Young Offenders: A Review of the research and practice literature Summary: The report presents key findings from a review of the research and practice literature concerning trauma in the backgrounds of young people who offend. It aims to highlight what is currently known about trauma within the population of young offenders, and to identify the importance of this knowledge for effective resettlement practice. It focuses on: Definitions of trauma and the different ways in which trauma has been understood in the research and practice literature The prevalence of different types of traumatic childhood and adolescent experiences in the backgrounds of young offenders The effects that such trauma can have on young people in the short-term, and its longer term impacts on emotional, social, and neurological development The links between trauma and young people's behaviour, including the extent of their capacity to comply with youth justice interventions The implications that an understanding of trauma and its effects might have for resettlement work undertaken with young custody-leavers Details: London: Beyond Youth Custody, 2016. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2016 at: http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/wp-content/uploads/Trauma-and-young-offenders-a-review-of-the-research-and-practice-literature.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/wp-content/uploads/Trauma-and-young-offenders-a-review-of-the-research-and-practice-literature.pdf Shelf Number: 147322 Keywords: Juvenile ReentryMental HealthTraumaYouthful Offenders |
Author: Braakmann, Nils Title: Crime, health and wellbeing -- Longitudinal evidence from Mexico Summary: This paper uses variation in victimization probabilities between individuals living in the same community to shed new light on the costs of crime. I use panel data from the Mexican Family Life Survey for 2002 and 2005 and look at the impact of within-community differences in victimization risk on changes in self-rated and mental health. My results from fixed effects and instrumental variable estimations point towards substantial negative health effects of actual victimization, which might help to explain the existence of compensating differentials in wages or house prices found in earlier studies. Details: Munich: Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 2013. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: MPRA Paper No. 44885: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44885/1/MPRA_paper_44882.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Mexico URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44885/1/MPRA_paper_44882.pdf Shelf Number: 147945 Keywords: Communities and CrimeCosts of CrimeEconomic AnalysisMental healthVictimizationVictims of Crime |
Author: White, Jordyn Title: Improving Collection of Indicators of Criminal Justice System System Involvement in Population Health Data Programs: Proceedings of a Workshop Summary: In the U.S. criminal justice system in 2014, an estimated 2.2 million people were in incarcerated or under correctional supervision on any given day, and another 4.7 million were under community supervision, such as probation or parole. Among all U.S. adults, 1 in 31 is involved with the criminal justice system, many of them having had recurring encounters. The ability to measure the effects of criminal justice involvement and incarceration on health and health disparities has been a challenge, due largely to limited and inconsistent measures on criminal justice involvement and any data on incarceration in health data collections. The presence of a myriad of confounding factors, such as socioeconomic status and childhood disadvantage, also makes it hard to isolate and identify a causal relationship between criminal justice involvement and health. The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects periodic health data on the people who are incarcerated at any given time, but few national-level surveys have captured criminal justice system involvement for people previously involved in the system or those under community supervision—nor have they collected systematic data on the effects that go beyond the incarcerated individuals themselves. In March 2016 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop meant to assist the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and Office of the Minority Health (OMH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in identifying measures of criminal justice involvement that will further their understanding of the socioeconomic determinants of health. Participants investigated the feasibility of collecting criminal justice experience data with national household-based health surveys. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Details: Washington, DC: national Academies Press, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 20, 2016 at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24633/improving-collection-of-indicators-of-criminal-justice-system-involvement-in-population-health-data-programs Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24633/improving-collection-of-indicators-of-criminal-justice-system-involvement-in-population-health-data-programs Shelf Number: 147785 Keywords: Children of PrisonersFamilies of InmatesHealth Care Mental HealthSocioeconomic Conditions and Crime |
Author: Howard League for Penal Reform Title: Preventing Prison Suicide Summary: Prisons need to change to enable staff to build relationships with prisoners and reduce the risk of suicide, according to research published jointly by the Howard League for Penal Reform and Centre for Mental Health. Preventing Prison Suicide: Perspectives from the inside focuses on the views and experiences of current and former prisoners about what contributes to vulnerability and what increases or reduces their risk of suicide. It is one of a series of briefing papers by the two charities. It finds that relationships between staff and prisoners are key. Prisoners need to feel supported, cared for and able to confide in and trust staff. Prisoners reported that staff shortages, inexperience and lack of training can all increase the risk of suicide. Prisoners described a culture where distress was often not believed or responded to with compassion. Arrival, being released and being transferred were all cited as times when prisoners felt most vulnerable. Details: London: The Howard League, 2016. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2017 at: http://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Preventing-prison-suicide.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Preventing-prison-suicide.pdf Shelf Number: 141187 Keywords: Mental HealthPrison SuicidesSuicides |
Author: Dijk, Annigje van Title: Is violence hiding behind bars? Encounters with trauma in the fight against alcoholism waged by beneficiaries and staff members of a small detox centre in N'Djamena, Chad Summary: In N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, the idea of 'trauma' became embedded in the 'fight against aloholism' of a small centre, guiding ideas and therpeutic practices in the detoxification trajectories of individuals. I studied this case as one of multiple engagements with trauma in 'conflict-affected' areas, the number of which is growing now global mental health has become one of the new pillars of international intervention. Using 'friction', a concept of Tsing (2005), I analysed what happens in the different encounters with trauma in this centre, on the level of the centre's staff, and on that of its beneficiaries. I argue that staff, in their construction of a 'trauma narrative' around alcoholism, also start to see 'violence' in ways that are different than their beneficiaries. These beneficiaries take some parts, but not others of the psychotherapeutic 'version' of their own stories over in their own narratives. The idea that is central to trauma, that it layse bare 'hidden violence', however, makes that the discrepancies between their stories remains. This paradox shows that 'trauma' in a powerful concept that, when applied, can easily overlook or judge alternative ways of giving meaning to violence. Details: Utrecht, NL: Utrecht University, 2016. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 28, 2017 at: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/338950 Year: 2016 Country: Chad URL: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/338950 Shelf Number: 141249 Keywords: Aggressive BehaviorAlcohol Related Crime, DisorderAlcoholismMental Health |
Author: Pope, Leah G. Title: Creating a Culture of Safety: Sentinel Event Reviews for Suicide and Self-Harm in Correctional Facilities Summary: Since 2011, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), through its Sentinel Events Initiative, has been investigating the feasibility of using a sentinel events approach to review and learn from errors in the criminal justice system such as wrongful convictions, eyewitness misidentifications, or incidents of suicide and self-harm in custody. Recognizing that adverse situations are rarely caused by a single event or the actions of an individual person, NIJ defines a sentinel event as a significant negative outcome that: 1) signals underlying weaknesses in a system or process; 2) is likely the result of compound errors; and 3) may provide, if properly analyzed and addressed, important keys to strengthening the system and preventing future adverse events or outcomes. With funding from NIJ, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) has been examining the applicability and appropriateness of using sentinel event reviews for incidents of suicide and serious self-harm in detention. This report focuses on these incidents as prime opportunities to implement sentinel event reviews in the criminal justice context. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2017. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2017 at: https://www.vera.org/publication_downloads/culture-of-safety-sentinel-event-suicide-self-harm-correctional-facilities/culture-of-safety.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.vera.org/publication_downloads/culture-of-safety-sentinel-event-suicide-self-harm-correctional-facilities/culture-of-safety.pdf Shelf Number: 141251 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Health ServicesPrison SuicidePrisonersSelf-HarmSuicide |
Author: Stewart, Peter A. Title: Middle Ground on Gun Control Summary: Each tragic shooting incident that the American news media covers highlights the problem of gun violence in the United States. However, the focus of this reporting is rarely on the largest component of total gun deaths: suicides. Suicides make up two-thirds of all gun deaths. Limiting access to firearms for individuals with suicidal tendencies could cause a significant reduction in the total number of casualties included in gun violence statics. This thesis examines the efficacy of adding more mental health information to the FBI's database of persons who are prohibited from gun purchases, and also compares U.S. gun laws to the National Firearms Agreement in Australia, which is widely accepted as an effective gun control measure. This research finds that mental health information on clinical depression and schizophrenia can be a strong predictor of suicidal tendencies, and reporting of this information could be improved in order to reduce overall gun violence. Improved mental health reporting must be a matter of federal law, because current state laws on guns vary widely and have limited effectiveness Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2016. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed March 4, 2017 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=798872 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=798872 Shelf Number: 141333 Keywords: Background ChecksCriminal Background ChecksGun ControlGun Control PolicyGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceMental Health |
Author: Nasir, Muhammad Title: It's No Spring Break in Cancun: The Effects of Exposure to Violence on Risk Preferences, Pro-Social Behavior, and Mental Health in Mexico Summary: Exposure to violence has been found to affect behavioral parameters, mental health and social interactions. The literature focuses on large scale political violence. The effects of high levels of criminal violence – a common phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean – are largely unknown. We examine drug violence in Mexico and, in particular, the effects of exposure to high municipal levels of homicides on risk aversion, mental health and pro-social behavior. Using a nonlinear difference-in-differences (DID) model and data from the 2005-06 and 2009-12 waves of the Mexican Family Life Survey, we find that the surge in violence in Mexico after 2006 significantly increased risk aversion and reduced trust in civic institutions while simultaneously strengthening kinship relationships. Although the deterioration of mental health due to violence exposure has been hypothesized to explain changes in risk aversion, we find no such effect. This suggests that the literature may be potentially missing out on other relevant channels. Details: Rimini, Italy: Rimini Centre for Economics Analysis, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2690100 Year: 2016 Country: Mexico URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2690100 Shelf Number: 141343 Keywords: Mental HealthRisk AversionRisk-Taking BehaviorSocial CapitalViolence |
Author: Haneberg, Rise Title: Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail: Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask Summary: Not long ago the observation that the Los Angeles County Jail serves more people with mental illnesses than any single mental health facility in the United States elicited gasps among elected officials. Today, most county leaders are quick to point out that the large number of people with mental illnesses in their jails is nothing short of a public health crisis, and doing something about it is a top priority. Over the past decade, police, judges, corrections administrators, public defenders, prosecutors, community-based service providers, and advocates have mobilized to better respond to people with mental illnesses. Most large urban counties, and many smaller counties, have created specialized police response programs, established programs to divert people with mental illnesses charged with low-level crimes from the justice system, launched specialized courts to meet the unique needs of defendants with mental illnesses, and embedded mental health professionals in the jail to improve the likelihood that people with mental illnesses are connected to community-based services. Despite these tremendous efforts, the problem persists. By some measures, it is more acute today than it was ten years ago, as counties report a greater number of people with mental illnesses in local jails than ever before Details: New York: Council of State Governments, Justice Center, Stepping Up Initiative, 2017. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 7, 2017 at: https://stepuptogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Reducing-the-Number-of-People-with-Mental-Illnesses-in-Jail_Six-Questions.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://stepuptogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Reducing-the-Number-of-People-with-Mental-Illnesses-in-Jail_Six-Questions.pdf Shelf Number: 146413 Keywords: Jail InmatesJailsMental HealthMental IllnessMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Kruh, Ivan Title: Developing Service Delivery Systems for Evaluations of Juveniles' Competence to Stand Trial: A Guide for States and Counties Summary: The purpose of this Guide is to help states or counties develop a "forensic evaluation system" (FES) for providing courts evaluations of juveniles' competence to stand trial (JCST). An FES for JCST evaluations has three components that are described in the three modules in this Guide: Module 1: Developing a JCST Evaluation Service Delivery System (SDS)-An organizational structure and procedures within which JCST evaluations are provided to the courts Module 2: Creating Evaluation Standards-Criteria that JCST examiners should meet when performing JCST evaluations and writing reports Module 3: Quality Control: Developing a Process to Apply the Standards-Ways to ensure that the evaluation standards for examinations are actually implemented properly by examiners Why the Guide Is Needed The requirement that juvenile court defendants must be competent to stand trial is fairly new, not being in evidence much before the 1990s. When attorneys and juvenile advocates began to claim that competence to stand trial (CST) should apply to delinquency proceedings, there was some doubt about the need for it, as the juvenile court had existed for almost 100 years without the requirement. But in the past fifteen years, appellate courts examining the issue decided that CST was a fundamental due process right in juvenile delinquency cases. This created new demands and challenges for juvenile courts. What exactly was required to be a competent juvenile defendant? How would evaluations be done, and who would do them? What should the evaluations look like? Some states simply tried to use their definitions of CST and process for getting CST evaluations that had been in place for adult criminal defendants. But other states recognized that CST in juvenile court required its own definitions and procedures. As a consequence, many states began developing new, specialized statutes for the application of CST in juvenile court, 20 of them by 2010. In 2011, the need for guidance in development of JCST legislation prompted the publication of a guide for lawmakers. Between 2010 and 2015, eleven more states passed specialized JCST statutes, bringing the current total to 31 states with juvenile-specific statutes that guide JCST. The remaining 19 states and the District of Columbia recognize CST in juvenile court, and it is likely that many of them will develop legislation to codify its application before long. Once juvenile-specific statutes are passed and enacted, the job is far from done. States must then tackle the complex task of implementation - that is, putting the new laws into practice. How will the new laws be applied? How will the legal and mental health systems manage the new demands for obtaining JCST evaluations? This Guide, then, aims to assist states in one part of this implementation phase assuring that courts and attorneys can obtain reliable forensic evaluations to assist the juvenile court in reaching decisions about CST in juvenile cases. JCST evaluations require a specialized process that is similar to such evaluations in criminal court in some ways yet dissimilar in others. On average, children and adolescents do not have adult capacities. The complex contours of child development, developmental psychopathology and the juvenile court system call for different rules, examiners with different skills, and different considerations in JCST cases than in adult CST cases. Those differences were outlined in an earlier clinical guide devoted to conducting JCST evaluations. In addition, Kruh and Grisso offered a best-practices manual for conducting JCST evaluations that was published soon after. Those documents offer a background for the present Guide, in that they describe the task of the examiner in JCST evaluations. Details: Delmar, NY: National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, 2017. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: https://www.ncmhjj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Juvenile_Competency_to_Stand_Trial_FINAL_508.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncmhjj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Juvenile_Competency_to_Stand_Trial_FINAL_508.pdf Shelf Number: 145825 Keywords: Competence to Stand TrialForensic EvaluationJuvenile CourtJuvenile DefendantsJuvenile OffendersMental Health |
Author: Torrey, E. Fuller Title: Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental Illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment Summary: Individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes represent 2% of the estimated 8.2 million individuals with a severe psychiatric disease in the United States. Although this is a small segment of the total population, research shows that, without treatment, these individuals are at heightened risk of being re-arrested after their release from jail or prison or discharge from a forensic hospital. Because the timely and effective treatment of individuals with the most severe mental illness is the focus of its mission, the Treatment Advocacy Center conducted a survey of selected state systems and structures available to individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes. The states were graded from A to F based on the availability and comprehensiveness of these practices. The result, Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment, finds this population is often overlooked in programming and funding decisions. The report recommends prioritizing evidence-based treatment to reduce re-arrest of individuals with serious mental illness who have a history of violence. Top Takeaway Evidence-based programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes allow individuals to succeed in the community following reentry from jail or prison or after discharge from a forensic psychiatric bed by providing complete and intensive treatment. However, no state in the United States utilizes them comprehensively or effectively. Fast Facts No state received an A grade. The majority of states do not provide adequate support in the community for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes, resulting in higher re-arrest rates and all the attendant human and economic costs of re-incarceration. Evidence-based programs can reduce the risk of re-arrest for individuals with serious mental illness living in the community from an average rate of 40%-60% to only 10% or less. The four states that received the best grades under this study - Hawaii, Maine, Missouri and Oregon - are all models that other states should look to for various aspects of their successful programming. Other states with exemplar programs and practices were also identified. Recommendations Federal, state and local governments must create policies to stop the criminalization of individuals with serious mental illness. Federal, state and local governments must prioritize treatment for individuals with serious mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system. State and local governments must implement evidence-based treatment programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes. Researchers and government agencies must conduct research and evaluate programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes to inform best-practices. Details: Arlington, VA: Treatment Advocacy Center, 2017. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2017 at: http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/treat-or-repeat.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/treat-or-repeat.pdf Shelf Number: 147987 Keywords: Evidence-Based ProgramsMental HealthMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsRecidivism |
Author: Stanford University. Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Lab Title: Mental Health Consequences Following Release from Long-Term Solitary Confinement in California Summary: In Spring 2017, members of Stanford University's Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Laboratory (the Stanford Lab) were invited to consult with attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) representing class members in the federal class action lawsuit Ashker v. The Governor of California (Ashker). The Stanford Lab was asked to gather narratives from Ashker class members in order to glean insight into what psychiatric sequelae directly related to prolonged, indefinite isolation in the Security Housing Units (SHU) at California prisons are present, and to determine whether that harm continues to impact prisoners following their release from SHU into the general prison population (GP). As aggregated, the class member narratives indicated that most of the men experienced severe psychological disturbances with lasting detrimental consequences as a result of their experience in SHU. The Stanford Lab's interviews revealed a range of common impairments and adverse consequences associated with long-term, indefinite incarceration. The majority of class members endorsed mood symptoms consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, including depressed mood, hopelessness, anger, irritability, anhedonia, anger, fatigue, feelings of guilt, loss of appetite, and insomnia. Nearly all class members also endorsed anxiety symptoms characteristic of DSM 5 diagnoses of panic disorder, traumatic stress disorders, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorders, such as nervousness, worry, increased heart rate and respiration, sweating, muscle tension, hyperarousal, paranoia, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and fear of losing control. Psychiatric symptoms and diminished capacity for socialization continue to cause psychological suffering and problems with social function for most of the men now in GP. Class members cited emotional numbing and desensitization as the some of the most common responses to living in SHU. This sense of emotional suppression and dysregulation continues to be problematic for prisoners following the transition to the general population. Class members also reported significant alterations in cognition and perception. Problems with attention, concentration, and memory were common, and described as persistent and worsening. Some of the most pronounced and enduring effects of long-term isolation appeared to have resulted from relational estrangement and social isolation; interviewees frequently reported losing, over time, the motivation to seek social connection. These psychiatric and social difficulties were reported to have persisted throughout the transition to GP. Class members commonly reported ongoing anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Specific difficulties endorsed by class members include pervasive hypervigilance, worry, and nervousness; they described experiences of being on constant alert and chronically feeling under threat or danger. Many class members endorsed sensory sensitivity following their transition to GP, noting experiences of distress, anxiety, paranoia, and irritability particularly in response to the "chaotic" environment of GP with an influx of new activities, interactions, and sounds. Furthermore, class members report that periods of lockdown in GP are triggering and retraumatizing, and that they invoke re-experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. These social and psychological responses to SHU are consistent with the majority of current literature on prolonged isolation. In considering opportunities to improve post-SHU experience and functioning for prisoners, the Stanford Lab noted that class members generally felt overwhelmed by and underprepared for the post-SHU experience in GP. Class members described the experience of GP as totally foreign and overwhelming; these experiences appeared to stem from the drastic contrast between the physical, social, and sensory environments of SHU and GP, as well as the absence of an effective transition program. The loss of routine and stability in daily functioning, and the related lack of predictability and demand for flexibility, was jarring and distressing for many interviewees, resulting in feelings of anxiety, nervousness, irritability, and a sense of isolation and disconnection, exacerbated by the lack of any transition preparation. The mental health professionals in the Stanford Lab are well versed in treatment modalities and useful interventions for persons with mental health disorders and/or symptoms. Based on the information summarized in this report, the Stanford Lab recommends reparative services in the form educational, occupational, and social programming opportunities to help address the lasting consequence of the long-term SHU experience. Emotional and psychological support services are also needed. For transition, it is clear that improved, earnest access to mental health treatment is necessary, and that such access should come from non-CDCR sources for a number of reasons elucidated in the full report. The Stanford Lab recommends that class members be offered mental health and psychological services in the form of independent psychiatric care and/or peer-led or peer-facilitated support groups. Moreover, interviews indicate that prisoners seem to derive a sense of fulfillment and self-worth from opportunities to mentor their peers; such programming could be helpful in combatting some of the detrimental effects of time in SHU, including by diminishing anxiety and depression. Furthermore, class members' requests for greater access to jobs and other out-of-cell activities, to programs, and to therapeutic groups are wise interventions for their symptom profiles and are likely to improve their transitions and the long-term prospects for functioning and contribution to society. The Stanford Lab found the men interviewed to be resilient, self-educated, intellectually curious individuals, many of whom have implemented therapeutic coping mechanisms on their own. The Stanford Lab recommends that CDCR and other prison authorities seek to offer adequate and enriched programming opportunities as a means of providing reparative services and personal, community, and societal healing following long-term isolation in SHU. Details: New York: Center for Constitutional Rights, 2017. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2017 at: https://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/CCR_StanfordLab-SHUReport.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/CCR_StanfordLab-SHUReport.pdf Shelf Number: 148505 Keywords: Administrative SegregationIsolationMental HealthRestrictive HousingSolitary Confinement |
Author: Wiebe, Daryl Title: Vancouver Police Mental Health Strategy: A comprehensive approach for a proportional police response to persons living with mental illness Summary: The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has been proactive over the past 30 years regarding incidents involving mental health, implementing a number of programs and initiatives to improve outcomes relating to police interactions with persons living with mental illness. In 1978, the VPD implemented 'Car 87,' an integrated response model partnering a police officer with a mental health professional. That program continues today, and has served as a model for many other police agencies to copy. It has been further augmented with other initiatives to focus on youth and chronic offenders, and more specialized mental health programs. Over the past five years, the VPD has publicly reported on the dramatic increase in the incidence of police interactions with persons living with mental illness (see Appendix - A). There has also been a number of high-profile incidences of violent crime associated with an apparent mental health factor, highlighting gaps in the continuum of care and in the system generally. That is not to say that mental illness is a causal factor in violent crime. Rather, persons living with mental illness are more likely to be a victim of crime, rather than the perpetrator. These drivers have led to the VPD enhancing its service delivery and actively participating in broader multi-disciplinary teams, with health care providers, to deliver proper community-based mental health support for those in need. While these initiatives have all proven valuable in terms of client needs and reduced police interaction, and can each be supported as effective through evidence-based research, a broader Mental Health Strategy will serve as an overarching approach for the VPD. It is intended to account for the significant impact that can result from persons living with mental illness coming into contact with the police, and set forth a framework on how the VPD models its interaction with this segment of the population. In addition, it is important to acknowledge that most mental-health-related calls to the police involve persons with concurrent disorders - a mental illness and substance abuse problems. This Mental Health Strategy is framed around the core values of the VPD, and the principles of justification, proportionality and intrusiveness. It is designed to provide clear and concise information about the VPD's position and intent, and to serve as a framework to support operational deployment, organizational partnerships, education and training initiatives, and a commitment to the community relative to its interactions with persons living with mental illness. Finally, this Mental Health Strategy was not developed in isolation. The VPD has consulted with partners in the mental health community, in an effort to include their perspectives on this jointly-shared social challenge. Input was received from numerous stakeholders and partner organizations, including Vancouver Coastal Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the City of Vancouver, and mental health professionals from St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and UBC Psychiatry. In addition, a consultation session with the Persons with Lived Experience Committee, Mayor's Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction resulted in meaningful feedback from this affected population. Details: Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Police Department, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2018 at: http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-strategy.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-strategy.pdf Shelf Number: 149708 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill PersonsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Public Safety Canada Title: Youth Mental Health, Mental Illness & Crime Summary: Mental and emotional health and well-being of youth is a serious health issue in Canada that has several implications in the field of youth crime prevention as well as for the juvenile justice system. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) reports that as much as 70% of people suffering from mental health illnesses have their onset during the years of childhood and adolescence (MHCC, 2015), and that the early onset of mental health problems and illnesses have lifelong consequences. Compelling evidence for this latter statement can be seen in Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, conducted between 1994 and 2008, which found that children who self-report emotional difficulties at ages four to eight were four times more likely to report depression eight years later (Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 2015). These statistics are also in line with the results of the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health1 which found that the likelihood of youth (age 15-24) coming into contact with police because of a mental or substance use disorder is significantly higher than for those aged 45 and above (Boyce, 2015). According to the most recent reports of the MHCC (2017), in 2016, more than 7.5 million people in Canada were likely facing one of the common mental illness: major depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorders, social phobia and depression (Ratnasingham et al., 2012 in MHCC, 2017b). The same report also reveals that more than 900,000 adolescents ages 13 to 19 lived with a mental health problem or illness in Canada (MHCC, 2017a). For this group of population, substance use is the most frequent problem (9.9%), followed by anxiety (9%), mood disorders (5.2%), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (3.9%), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) (1.9%) and conduct disorders (1.9%) (MHCC, 2017b). These statistics show the need to better understand the links between mental illness and youth crime and the practices currently being used to serve the youth suffering from mental health disorders. As such, the purpose of this report is to examine the Canadian knowledge concerning youth suffering from mental health disorders and their involvement in crime, with particular interest in the age group 12-24, to highlight the important correlations between mental health and some specific crime issues and to identify the knowledge gaps. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2017. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2018 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/sp-ps/PS2-4-2017-1-eng.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/sp-ps/PS2-4-2017-1-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 150472 Keywords: Mental HealthMental Illness Mentally Ill Offenders Mentally Ill Persons Substance Abuse Youthful Offenders |
Author: Everytown for Gun Safety Title: Fatal Gaps: How the Virginia Tech Shooting Prompted Changes in State and Mental Health Records Reporting Summary: In 2007, 32 people were shot and killed and 17 others were wounded at Virginia Tech. The shooter was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a court judgment that he was a danger to himself and others, but his records were never submitted to the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System ("NICS"). As a result, he was able to pass several background checks to purchase the guns he used in the shooting. In the wake of this mass shooting, lawmakers took action to close the fatal gaps in state mental health records reporting that undermine the background check system and threaten the safety of Americans. This report documents ten years of progress, examines its key drivers, and underscores the vital importance of state and federal laws that govern and support mental health records reporting. Key findings include: -In the past 10 years, 35 states have improved records reporting by passing new reporting laws, 16 states have improved existing laws, and 29 states have accessed federal funding. -As a result, mental health records submitted by states have increased by nine times and gun sale denials have increased by 11 times. -States with mental health reporting laws submitted more than twice as many records per capita as states without these laws. -The states with the highest submission rates per capita had reporting laws and had received federal funding. Notwithstanding this progress, it is likely that hundreds of thousands of prohibiting mental health records are missing from the background check system, potentially enabling prohibited people to purchase firearms illegally. To close these fatal gaps, the seven states that do not have mental health reporting laws should pass and implement strong laws. All 50 states need laws that require prompt submission of all prohibiting records and federal funding to support the submission process. States should regularly audit their submission processes to ensure no records are falling through the cracks. Details: Everytown for Gun Safety; Atlanta, GA, 2018. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2018 at: https://everytownresearch.org/reports/fatal-gaps-mental-health-records/ Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://everytownresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FATAL-GAPS-RESEARCH-070218B.pdf Shelf Number: 151436 Keywords: Gun Control Gun Laws Gun Regulation Gun Safety Guns Mass Shootings Mental Health |
Author: United Nations Development Programme Title: Know Violence: Exploring the Links Between Violence, Mental Health, and HIV Risk Among Men who have Sex with Men and Transwomen in South Asia Summary: This report by UNDP, ICRW and APCOM Foundation explores the links between violence, mental health and HIV risk among men who have sex with men and transwomen in seven South Asian countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is based on focus group discussions in 12 sites in 7 countries with men who have sex with men and transwomen who have direct experience of violence, as well as interviews with key informants from community-based organizations, health, law, and government. The report provides concrete recommendations to stakeholders across many sectors to mitigate and minimize the effects of violence on mental health and HIV vulnerabilities through programme and policy efforts. Details: Thailand, 2018. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2018 at: http://www.asia-pacific.undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/library/democratic_governance/hiv_aids/know-violence--exploring-the-links-between-violence--mental-heal.html Year: 2018 Country: Asia URL: http://www.asia-pacific.undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/library/democratic_governance/hiv_aids/know-violence--exploring-the-links-between-violence--mental-heal.html Shelf Number: 151538 Keywords: HIVLGTBQMental HealthPolicy RecommendationsSexViolence |
Author: Perlin, Michael Title: "She's Nobody's Child - The Law Can't Touch her at All": Seeking to Bring Dignity to Legal Proceedings Involving Juveniles Summary: Inquiries into a range of issues involving juveniles in the psychiatric hospitalization and criminal trial process reveal that, regularly, juveniles are subject to shame and humiliation in all aspects of the legal system that relate to arrest, trial, conviction, and institutionalization, shame and humiliation that are often exacerbated in cases involving racial minorities and those who are economically impoverished. We contextualize them into the juvenile justice system, and look specifically at how this is reflected in the case law. We then consider these findings through the filters of therapeutic jurisprudence and international human rights laws, concluding that these approaches best remediate the current state of affairs and infuse this system with badly‐needed dignity. Details: New York, 2016. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2018 at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/fcre.12324 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: file:///C:/Users/AuthUser/Downloads/Perlin_et_al-2018-Family_Court_Review.pdf Shelf Number: 151529 Keywords: CourtsJuvenileJuvenile DelinquencyJuvenile Justice SystemMental HealthPsychiatric Health |
Author: Equality and Human Rights Commission Title: The Impact of LASPO on Routes to Justice Summary: This research underlines the emotional, social, financial and mental health impacts for individuals who have attempted to resolve their legal problems without legal aid, following the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) in 2013. LASPO introduced funding cuts to legal aid and narrowed the scope and financial eligibility criteria, with the result that fewer people could access legal advice and representation for problems in areas such as family, employment and welfare benefits law. We interviewed over 100 people in the Liverpool City Region, with problems in at least one of these areas of law, to understand how LASPO had affected their options for resolving those issues. We also interviewed a number of advice providers and legal aid practitioners, and analysed national data from Citizens Advice. Many participants reported significant financial deprivation as a result of trying but not being able to resolve their legal issues. Some were unable to afford food, adequate housing or other essentials. A lack of preventive legal help led to delays in resolution, which often made problems worse. There was also evidence that costs were passed to other parts of the public sector, including an increased reliance on welfare benefits as a result of unresolved employment issues. Family law - The high cost of legal fees is a key barrier to justice. Some participants who paid for legal advice or representation reported going into debt as a result. - People's inability to pay for expert or specialist evidence without legal aid may have led to courts making decisions on the basis of insufficient information. - Cuts to legal aid have had a negative impact on childrens lives, especially in relation to child contact cases. Employment law -The main barriers to justice are the high cost of legal representation, the difficulty of navigating the tribunal process without support and a low level of knowledge about employment rights. - Many participants reported that the costs of bringing their claims to tribunal were disproportionate to the value of the claims. This deterred them from bringing claims and made it harder to find a solicitor willing to take their case. - Participants had fewer options for accessing third-sector specialist advice and representation. Those participants who went to tribunal had to represent themselves as a result, and in general they lacked the skills or experience to do this competently. Welfare benefits law - LASPO has significantly reduced the capacity of voluntary sector organisations to provide welfare law advice. There is almost no specialist advice left to provide support to appeal benefits decisions. - The removal of welfare benefits law from the scope of legal aid has exacerbated the impact of recent welfare reforms, which is likely to have affected disabled people disproportionately. Most participants tried multiple routes to resolve a single issue: attempting to resolve problems on their own, trying to access free advice and taking steps to get paid advice or representation before courts or tribunals. But without legal aid, almost all the participants struggled to solve their problems. Details: United Kingdom, 2018. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2018 at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/the-impact-of-laspo-on-routes-to-justice.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/the-impact-of-laspo-on-routes-to-justice.pdf Shelf Number: 152878 Keywords: Courts Employment Law Family Law Legal Aid Mental Health |
Author: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Title: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Initial Report Summary: Commission Responsibilities and Scope of Report The MSDHSPSA specified a number of specific considerations and topics that the Commission should address in its initial report to the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President. The following is a summary of the tasks as assigned by law. - Produce a timeline of the incident, incident response and all relevant events preceding the incident. - Review interactions between the perpetrator and governmental entities such as schools, law enforcement agencies, courts and social service agencies. - Identify failures to adequately communicate or coordinate regarding indicators of risk or possible threats and whether failures contributed to an inability to prevent deaths and injuries - Analyze incident response by local law enforcement agencies and school resource officers, including a review of existing policies and procedures for active assailant incidents at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. - Evaluate whether the incident response complied with the existing policies and procedures and how those existing policies and procedures compare to national best practices. -Evaluate whether failures in the policies and procedures, or execution of them, contributed to an inability to prevent deaths and injuries. - Provide recommendations for improvements for law enforcement and school resource officer response. - Provide recommendation for a ratio of school resource officers per school by school type along with a methodology for determining ratio, which must include school location, student population and school design. - Provide recommendations for improving communication and coordination of agencies that have knowledge of indicators of risk or possible threats of mass violence. - Provide recommendations for effectively using available state/local tools and resources for enhancing communication and coordination related to indicators of risk or possible threats. During the Commission's first meeting on April 24, 2018, the requirements of the law were discussed and grouped into specific topic areas. The Commission voted on a list of topic areas to be included in the initial report. They are as follows: - History of K-12 active assailant events - Nikolas Cruz background and timeline - Marjory Stoneman Douglas physical structure and security - Active assailant response- Broward schools and school board - Active assailant response Broward sheriff's office on campus response - Active assailant response- law enforcement officer response by Broward Sheriff's Office, Coral Springs Police Department and incident command response. - Other topics: social media, Florida mental health system, baker act, privacy laws and threat assessment and management. During the course of the Commission's investigation and subsequent Commission meetings, other topics were addressed and these topic areas were slightly modified and reorganized as presented in this report. Because of the urgency of this issue, the Commission's initial report was completed within a relatively short time-frame in relation to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. In many other similar incidents, such as Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, post incident reports and evaluations were completed several years following the events. As a result, several ancillary investigations into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre or parts of the incident were also in the process of being conducted at the same time the Commission was conducting its investigation. This Commission attempted to coordinate with the entities conducting the other investigations so as not to duplicate or interfere with the other investigations, but some of the final reports were not available to the Commission for the purposes of compiling this report. There were also several active legal cases regarding the incident, which impeded obtaining some relevant testimony, documents and other investigative materials. During the Commission's subsequent years, portions of this report may be amended to take into account new information not available at the time this report was prepared. Details: Florida: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, 2018. 407p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 18, 2018 at: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/Meetings/2018/December-Meeting-Documents/Marjory-Stoneman-Douglas-High-School-Public-Draft1.aspx Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/stoneman-douglas-safety-commission-findings/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&eid=350368269&bid=2329105 Shelf Number: 154071 Keywords: Active ShooterGun ViolenceLaw Enforcement ResponseMarjory Stoneman High School MassacreMass ShootingsMass ViolenceMental HealthSchool Resource OfficersSchool SafetySchool ShootingsThreat Assessment |
Author: Chrysanthou, Georgios Marios Title: The Impact of Bullying Victimisation on Mental Wellbeing Summary: We investigate the impact of nine types of adolescent (verbal, physical, indirect) school/domestic bullying on life satisfaction, and two mental health outcomes (emotional symptoms and hyperactivity/inattention) using the Understanding Society dataset during 2009-13. Bullying significantly increases hyperactive, inattentive and emotional symptoms and reduces life satisfaction. Non-domestic bullying has a stronger adverse impact on all three mental wellbeing outcomes. Domestic sibling victimisation does not affect life satisfaction. Lower levels of family income increase adolescent hyperactive/inattentive symptoms and reduce life satisfaction. Females are more vulnerable to emotional symptoms while males report higher levels of life satisfaction. Initial conditions precondition hyperactive and inattentive symptoms. Details: Bonn, Germany: IZA Institute of Labor Economics, 2019. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper Series No. 12206: Accessed April 13, 2019 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp12206.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp12206.pdf Shelf Number: 155392 Keywords: Bullying Mental Health |
Author: Dempsey, Catherine L. Title: Association of Firearm Ownership, Use, Accessibility, and Storage Practices with Suicide Risk Among US Army Soldiers Summary: Importance: Since 2004, the suicide rate among US Army soldiers has exceeded the rate of death from combat injury. It is critical to establish factors that increase the risk of acting on suicidal thoughts to guide early intervention and suicide prevention. Objective: To assess whether firearm ownership, use, storage practices, and accessibility are associated with increased risk of suicide. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this case-control study, suicide cases (n = 135) were defined as US Army soldiers who died by suicide while on active duty between August 1, 2011, and November 1, 2013. Next-of-kin and Army supervisors of soldiers who died by suicide (n = 168) were compared with propensity-matched controls (n = 137); those soldiers with a suicidal ideation in the past year (n = 118) provided structured interview data. Data were analyzed from April 5, 2018, to April 2, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Firearm ownership, storage, and accessibility were assessed by using items from the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview screening scales along with items created for the purpose of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) study. Results: Among the 135 suicide decedents, next-of-kin reported that they had greater accessibility to firearms compared with propensity-matched controls. Specifically, suicide decedents were more likely to own 1 or more handguns compared with propensity-matched controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.7; x21 = 4.2; false discovery rate [FDR] P = .08), store a loaded gun at home (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.9-9.1; x21 = 12.2; FDR P = .003), and publicly carry a gun when not required for military duty (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.4-7.3; x21 = 7.4; FDR P = .02). The combination of these 3 items was associated with a 3-fold increase in the odds of suicide death (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.2-9.4; x21 = 5.4; FDR P = .05). Storing a loaded gun with ammunition at home or publicly carrying a gun when not on duty was associated with a 4-fold increase in the odds of suicide death (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.9-7.9; x21 = 14.1; FDR P = .002). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, in addition to gun ownership, ease and immediacy of firearm access were associated with increased suicide risk. Discussion with family members and supervisors about limiting firearm accessibility should be evaluated for potential intervention. Details: Chicago, Illinois: The Journal of American Medicine (JAMA), 2019. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2019 at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2735465 Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2735465 Shelf Number: 156388 Keywords: Case StudyFirearm OwnershipFirearmsGun ViolenceMental HealthSuicide RiskVeterans |