An increasing number of individuals with mental illness are now treated in correctional environments instead of community settings. In the incarcerated population, prevalence estimates of serious mental illness (SMI) range from 9 to 20% compared to 6% in the community. More astonishingly, over three times more persons with serious mental illness in the United States are located in jails and prisons than in hospitals. It was not always like this. How did U.S. correctional systems become de facto mental health institutions for so many? Scholars point to a number of reasons for the increasing prevalence of mental illness among incarcerated individuals, including deinstitutionalization and limited community resources, prominent court decisions and legislative rulings, and the ‘revolving door’ phenomenon. There are many similarities between correctional and community mental health care services. Both systems typically provide appropriate medications, emergency care, hospitalization, medication management, and follow-up care. However, key differences often exist in correctional systems, including restricted formularies due to concerns of medication abuse or cost, alternative involuntary medication procedures, restricted access by visitors, and the inability of mental health providers to control the treatment environment. This chapter summarizes the historical context of correctional versus community mental health; factors resulting in the increasing management of people with mental illness in correctional settings; and similarities and differences between the provision of mental health care in correctional versus community settings.
Community-Based Mental Health Care in Britain