Mental health problems and the prison population

Taken from the Department of Justice report:

Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates (click to read it)

Highlights from the report:

• Nearly a quarter of both State prisoners
and jail inmates who had a
mental health problem, compared to a
fifth of those without, had served 3 or
more prior incarcerations.
• Female inmates had higher rates of
mental health problems than male
inmates (State prisons: 73% of
females and 55% of males; local jails:
75% of females and 63% of males).
• About 74% of State prisoners and
76% of local jail inmates who had a
mental health problem met criteria for
substance dependence or abuse.
• Nearly 63% of State prisoners who
had a mental health problem had
used drugs in the month before their
arrest, compared to 49% of those
without a mental health problem.
• Jail inmates who had a mental
health problem (24%) were three
times as likely as jail inmates without
(8%) to report being physically or
sexually abused in the past.
• Over 1 in 3 State prisoners and
1 in 6 jail inmates who had a mental
health problem had received treatment
since admission.