Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
Do timely mental health services reduce re-incarceration among prison releasees with severe mental illness?
Marisa Elena Domino1,2, Alex Gertner2, Brigid Grabert2
1Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Objective:
To examine whether the receipt of timely mental health services is associated with changes in criminal justice interactions.
Data Sources:
We used linked administrative data from Medicaid, mental health, and criminal justice settings in Washington State for persons with severe mental illness released from prison (n = 3086).
Study Design:
We estimate local and average treatment effects to examine measures of criminal justice use in the year following release as a function of timely mental health services.
Data Extraction Methods:
Measures of timely service and criminal justice use within 12 months postrelease were created from administrative data.
Principal Findings:
Individuals receiving timely mental health services are more likely to experience prison re-incarceration overall and specifically for technical violations 12 months postrelease. The effect of service receipt on incarceration for new charges was negative but not significant.
Conclusions:
The finding that mental health services receipt is associated with increased risk of re-incarceration due to technical violations speaks to the complexity of the relationship between mental health and criminal justice services for justice-involved persons with severe mental illness. Further research should examine strategies at the interface of criminal justice and mental health that can improve mental health and criminal justice outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Related Concept Videos
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Concepts of Health and Illness
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

