Mental Health and Justice One Pager

Mental health problems and illnesses are substantially higher among persons involved with the criminal justice system than in the general population and are increasing over time.

Without adequate support and services in the community, many persons with mental illness continue to cycle through the prisons, hospitals, and shelters—at great cost to persons with mental illness, their caregivers and society.

What we are doing

The MHCC has been engaging with mental health and criminal justice professionals, service providers and people with lived experience. Our conversations have revealed a few key service and system needs:

• Early intervention and prevention supports and services prior
• to incarceration
• Independence in the oversight and provision of health and
• mental health services in corrections
• Improved quality of standards for mental health supports
• and services in corrections
• Better continuity of care from the community to correctional facilities
• and vice versa
• Discharge planning and access to meaningful supports upon release