The mentally ill in jails and prisons: Towards an integrated model of prevention

Jails and prisons have become a final destination for persons with severe m ental illness in America. Addiction, homelessness, and fragmentation of ser vices have contributed to the problem, and have underscored the need for ne w models of service delivery. Project Link is a university-led consortium o f five community agencies in Monroe County, New York that spans healthcare, social service and criminal justice systems. The program features a mobile treatment team with a forensic psychiatrist, a dual diagnosis treatment re sidence, and culturally competent staff. This paper discusses the importanc e of service integration in preventing jail and hospital recidivism, and de scribes steps that Project Link has taken towards integrating healthcare, c riminal justice, and social services. Results from a preliminary evaluation suggest that Project Link may be effective in reducing recidivism and in i mproving community adjustment among severely mentally ill patients with his tories of arrest and incarceration.