Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, defenders, and
judges - people on the front lines every day - believe too many people with
mental illness become involved in the criminal justice system because the
mental health system has somehow failed. They believe that if many of the
people with mental illness received the services they needed, they would not
end up under arrest, in jail, or facing charges in court. Mental health
advocates, service providers, and administrators do not necessarily disagree.
Like their counterparts in the criminal justice system, they believe that the
ideal mechanism to prevent people with mental illness from entering the
criminal justice system is the mental health system itself - if
it can be counted on to function effectively. They also know that in most
places the current system is overwhelmed and performing this preventive function poorly. continue...
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Introduction: Involvement with the Mental Health System
Policy Statement 1: Access to Effective Mental Health Services
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