|
|
|
The Evidence for Offender Mental Health Programs |
Pushing mentally ill offenders back into society with forty bucks and a bus ticket just doesn't cut it. Far too often, these people get lost, have no medication, wind up living in a homeless shelter, and are psychotic again in a month - threatening both themselves and the community around them. Thankfully, William Jones did not experience this painful cycle. That's because staff from the state of Washington's Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender program (DMIO) noticed his case and enrolled him in the services and intensive case management the program provides.
The Washington state legislature chose to protect public safety by helping people like William when it passed the Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender Law in 1999. The law's purpose is to improve identification, monitoring, and treatment of high-risk, mentally ill offenders returning to society from prison. The DMIO program began in March of 2000. It establishes a network of relationship between state and community agencies that provide services for the mentally ill. As the Department of Corrections collaborates with groups such as the Department of Social and Health Services and local medical treatment providers, it weaves a tight web of support for ill offenders who pose a potential threat of relapse and recidivism. After his release from prison, William received housing, consistent counseling, and monitoring of his mental condition, which he has found "extremely helpful."
Testimonies of people like William are supported by scholarly research. A report published in February, 2008, presents recent findings on DMIO's influence on recidivism and its cost-savings value. Analyzing 172 DMIO participants three years after their release from prison reveals a recidivism rate 37% lower than a comparison group. By reducing Washington's prison population and its number of victims, DMIO generates $1.24 in savings for every dollar spent on the program. That's a pretty good deal for improved safety. As for William, rather than receiving a piteous allowance and a ticket to deterioration, he has been empowered to remain in the bounds of good health and the bounds of the law.
For more information on mental health programs, visit Justice Fellowship's Mental Health in Prisons issue page.
For more information about DMIO, visit the Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign |
|
