This brief was developed in response to growing concerns regarding the increasing number of people with mental illnesses in jail. In order to better understand the issue, researchers researched existing data, analyzed millions of individual arrest, jail, and behavioral health records in a cross-section of counties across the United States, examined initiatives designed to improve outcomes for this population, and met with countless people who work in local justice and behavioral health systems. Findings highlighted potential reasons why efforts thus far have yet to have an impact on this population and include insufficient data, lack of evidence-based program design and implementation, small scale of initiatives, and a lack of initiative tracking.
