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Mental Health Courts In Reducing Recidivism: A Case Study

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Mental Health Courts are effective in reducing recidivism
Mental health courts operate in State level and link offenders who would ordinarily be prison-bound to long-term community-based treatment. Mental health courts, after a mental health assessment to the offenders, choose individualized treatment plan, so cover the needs of offenders and public safety.
Although mental health courts vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but most share the following characteristics:
A specialized docket.
Judicial supervised, community- based treatment plans for each defendant participating in the court.
Regular status hearing at which treatment plans are review for appropriateness.
Criteria defines a participant’s competition of the program.

In Broward County, Florida, has had low recidivism rates for mental illness offenders. Sheriff Jenne indicates that the cost is $80 per day to house a general population inmate and $130 a day to detain a person with mental illness; in Miami the cost of treating inmates with mental illness is $125 per day, while the cost for healthy inmates average $18 a day. “By diverting inmates with mental illnesses from the jail to Community treatment in Pinellas County, Florida, treatment cost $60 a day per individual diverted” (Slate, and Johnson, 2008). …show more content…
“The Court has in place an integrated comprehensive treatment program, equipped with a court case management specialist and access to adult living facilities and an ACT team to assist person with mental illness diverted from jail” (Slate, and Johnson,

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