Persons with mental illness reside in America's jails and prisons in ever-increasing numbers. This article traces developments that have led to the incarceration of large numbers of persons with mental illness; discusses related legal, political, and social issues; and describes one state's response to this dilemma. An innovative residential treatment program within a prison setting is described. Results indicate that intermediate care options are both clinically successful and cost-effective. Difficulties in maintaining such a program within a criminal justice setting are discussed. The authors' experience suggests specific recommendations for maintaining the clinical momentum of a correctional mental health program.
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Lovell et al. (1998) studied this question.