The criminal justice system tends to incarcerate many mentally ill people without considering whether jail time will benefit them. The cause of their behavior is unlikely to be addressed, creating opportunities for future misdemeanors. A diversion program may resolve the issue by offering some offenders mental health rehabilitation. While not everyone can qualify, it still improves the situation and supports those who committed non-violent crimes. This paper will present a diversion program for people with mental illness, highlighting its most important points.
The program is based on a local prosecutor’s office (the county level), which assigned a facility belonging to the nearest mental health unit as its site. The decision not to use a prison building was connected to the eligibility process and the fact that it reflects the goal of rehabilitating the offenders rather than punishing them. The staff will include psychologists, nurses, case managers, supervisors, and guards, all of which are trained in handling people with mental illness. The program’s case managers are the prosecutor’s office specialists and behavioral health workers, who cooperate with the community to organize the treatment procedures (Iglehart, 2016).
They also decide who is eligible for the program by reviewing one’s health and criminal records. If a person is believed to have a mental illness, they undergo an assessment. First-time offenders who committed a non-violent crime confirmed to be mentally unwell are fully qualified. Other cases, including violent offenses, are considered on an individual basis, and some repeat wrongdoers may also become part of the program,
The program offers mental health treatment administered by professionals, assertive community treatment, and other forms of support depending on a person’s needs. For instance, if an individual with a history of non-violent offenses happens to participate in the program, their criminogenic risk factors will also be addressed (Kennedy-Hendricks et al., 2016). The standard program duration is one year, even if an offender is supposed to be incarcerated for a shorter term. It is implemented to avoid recidivism and ensure that a patient undergoes all stages of treatment. Completing the program is considered equal to serving a sentence; however, escape attempts, violence, and other acts are the bases for halting the treatment and returning the offender’s case to the prosecutor’s office for revision.
References
Iglehart, J. K. (2016). Decriminalizing mental illness—The Miami model. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(18), 1701-1703. Web.
Kennedy-Hendricks, A., Huskamp, H. A., Rutkow, L., & Barry, C. L. (2016). Improving access to care and reducing involvement in the criminal justice system for people with mental illness. Health Affairs, 35(6), 1076–1083. Web.