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Vera Study Highlights Mental Health Needs of People Arrested in DC

People arrested in Washington, DC often pass through the justice system without having their mental health needs identified, a new research study from Vera’s Substance Use and Mental Health Program (SUMH) reports.

Working with information from four DC criminal justice agencies and the District’s Department of Mental Health for people arrested in June 2008, Vera researchers have compiled an unprecedented dataset. The report highlights missed opportunities to identify mental health needs among a vulnerable population that often cycles through pretrial services, the courts, jail or prison, and probation without treatment.

The report, Closing the Gap: Using Criminal Justice and Public Health Data to Improve the Identification of Mental Illness, recommends information-sharing among relevant justice and mental health agencies—when appropriate—to capitalize on opportunities for early identification and to help ensure continuity of care for those involved in the DC criminal justice system who might benefit from mental health services, including community-based programs.

Click here to download the full report.
Click here for a report fact sheet.