Improving Criminal Justice Outcomes through Mental Health Court Development
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2020
Abstract
Improving Criminal Justice Outcomes through Mental Health Court Development was developed by researchers with the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and prepared in response to Bucks County’s intention to develop a mental health court. The report provides important background and a set of recommendations Bucks County might consider in designing and implementing a mental health court. In sum, through the creation of a mental health court, Bucks County can improve both clinical and criminal justice outcomes for people living with mental illness. A mental health court would operate as a form of judicially supervised probation, diverting defendants from incarceration to the community, where they can access both treatment and social supports. As the report describes, mental health courts contribute to reductions in time offenders with mental illness spend in jail, improve public safety by reducing rates of re-offending, and lead to improvements in quality of life among participants. Furthermore, a mental health court would draw from existing resources in Bucks County to provide it with a new set of tools to tackle the challenges posed by people with mental illness who come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Recommended Citation
Dobson, Cheyney; Barsky, Benjamin A.; Sisti, Dominic; and Hollway, John, "Improving Criminal Justice Outcomes through Mental Health Court Development" (2020). Reports. 5.
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/qc_reports/5