The Intersection of Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System - What have we learned?

The Intersection of Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System - What have we learned? is organized by Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA) and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Foundation (PRF).

Opens: April 5, 2018
Closes: October 31, 2023

Description:
It is widely known that persons with serious mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system in the United States.  This phenomena has been described as “criminalization” and “transinstitutionalization” and is often considered the result of inadequate training of criminal justice personnel and a woefully under-resourced community mental health system.  Initially, this led to the conclusion that training front-line law enforcement and provision of mental health treatment would fix the problem.  While both are useful to some ends, they have not been shown successfully in reducing criminal recidivism.  There is a new awareness of the need for cross-system collaboration and for strategies that address criminogenic risk factors must be incorporated into interventions targeting individuals with mental illnesses that become involved in the criminal justice system. This webinar will discuss what we have learned about persons with mental illnesses that come in contact with the criminal justice system and what has and has not worked for reducing system penetration, reducing recidivism, and improving outcomes.

Learning Objectives:
• List the underlying causes overrepresentation of persons with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system.
• Discuss the latest research about what works to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes.
• Explain the value of cross-system collaboration for addressing the needs of the population at different points of contact with the criminal justice system.