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Adults with Behavioral Health Needs under Correctional Supervision
Many of the individuals in groups 2, 3, and 4 are likely to avoid criminal justice involvement without intensive monitoring once in the community. They may have less frequent contact with supervising agencies and different support services. In fact, research suggests that the more closely they are monitored by corrections, the more likely they are to return to prison on a technical violation instead of integrating successfully back into the community—particularly given the propensity for behavioral health relapses or setbacks expected during recovery. And when supervision agencies place them in programming alongside individuals who pose a higher risk of criminal activity, they are more likely to pick up bad behaviors and antisocial thinking. While in prison and jail, this population must be provided health care for their acute and chronic health conditions. Corrections administrators need to collect data that tracks the prevalence of mental health and/or addiction disorders in order to plan for, or contract for, the provision of health services while individuals with these needs are in custody. On release, however, corrections resources should be limited to linking these individuals to community service providers to ensure continuity of treatment. Outside the corrections facility, the level of care and types of treatment provided will conform to existing eligibility criteria and payment sources. For groups 2, 3, and 4, policies and procedures should reflect these types of resource allocation decisions: • In accordance with RNR principles, fewer resources spent on intensive monitoring and supervision. This may involve less frequent face-to-face contacts between the community corrections officer and the supervisee. • Greater investments in training, incentives, and evaluation mechanisms for officers to spend less time with these individuals and to promote behavioral health case management and services over revocations for technical violations and/or mental health- or substance abuse-related issues. • Separation from high-risk populations for community programming when possible. • For those with either substance dependence or a serious mental illness, access to correctional health treatment resources while in jail or prison. As part of reentry planning, corrections personnel facilitate connections to community treatment providers. This may entail creating memoranda of understanding or processes such as help with booking first appointments with community providers. • For those with both mental health and addictive disorders, integrated service models while in jail or prison, and coordination of supervision and integrated treatment upon reentry consistent with co-occurring disorder treatment principles.117 Co-occurring self-help groups (e.g., Dual Disorders Anonymous) can be held in facilities and the community. Case Example: Susan is 55 years old and was convicted of simple assault of a spouse who had been abusive. They were both drinking at the time of the incident. She is additionally charged with DUI. She is sentenced to jail for 60 days, followed by a period