The impact of knowledge and opinions on the implementation of public policies for mentally ill offenders

New legislation may not always have its intended effect. Agencies targeted by the legislation must be aware of it, understand its demands, develop pro cedures to insure implementation, and monitor compliance. This paper report s a study of the extent to which several new state statutes impacted policy , procedures, and services for mentally ill offenders in a large urban Texa s county. Key informant-interviews, document reviews and surveys of knowled ge and opinions were used to assess implementation, understanding, and acce ptance of these new statutes. Results were reported to local constituencies , and used to shape recommendations for local action. Following the study, the community formed a council that has made specific improvements in the s ystem.