Criminal Justice and Mental Health ― An Overview for Students

This textbook provides an overview for students in Criminology and Criminal Justice about the overlap between the criminal justice system and mental health. It provides an accessible overview of basic signs and symptoms of major mental illnesses and size of scope of justice-involved individuals with mental illness.

In the United States, the criminal justice system is often the first public service to be in contact with individuals suffering from mental illness or in mental distress. Those with untreated mental illnesses are often at higher risk for committing criminal acts, yet research on this population continues to shed light on common myths – such a prevailing assumption that those with mental illness tend to commit more violent crimes. Law enforcement agents may be called in as first responders for cases of mental distress; and due to a lack of mental health facilities, resources, and pervasive misconceptions about this population, those with mental illness often end up in the corrections system.

In this environment, students in Criminology and Criminal Justice are likely to encounter those with mental illness in their future career paths, and need to be prepared for this reality. This timely work covers the roles of each part of the criminal justice system interacting with mentally ill individuals, from law enforcement and first responders, social services, public health services, sentencing and corrections, to release and re-entry. It also covers the crucial topic of mental health for criminal justice professionals, who suffer from high rates of job stress, PTSD, and other mental health issues. The final section of the book includes suggestions for future research.

This work will be of interest to students of criminology and criminal justice with an interest in working in the professional sector, as well as those in related fields of sociology, psychology, and public health. It will also be of interest to policy-makers and practitioners already working in the field. The overall goal of this work is to inform, educate, and inspire change.

?Jada N. Hector is an accomplished mental health clinician with an array of experience from treating severe mental illness, trauma, substance use and abuse, to everyday mental health struggles shared by Americans and their loved ones. These days, Ms. Hector lends those experiences to help local and state governments remedy gaps in mental health surveillance, treatment, and recovery options, create better policy, and heal communities. Ms. Hector is a graduate of the Louisiana State University with a masters degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana. She also attended B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she earned an undergraduate degree in business with a concentration in marketing.

 

David N. Khey has focused his research on a few areas in criminology, criminal justice, and forensic science. In particular, he is currently investigating mental health policy, drug policy, control, toxicology, chemistry, and addiction, as well as the changing evidentiary power of forensic science technologies. Born and raised in South Florida during the late 1970s and early 80s, drug policy and enforcement quickly piqued his interest. In this topical area, Dr. Khey has presented research on drug and alcohol use/abuse and provided policy analysis to local and state officials in Florida. A highlight of this work includes an invitation to address the Governor's Office Drug Policy Advisory Council in 2007. Soon after moving to Louisiana at a time when divestments in mental health services were at its modern day peak, mental health policy quickly became one of his key areas of focus and remains that way to this day. Dr. Khey holds advanced degree in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in forensic drug chemistry and doctorate in criminology, law, and society from the University of Florida.