Abstract
The current study examined the inmates’ mental healthcare needs in local county jails in Madison County, Illinois and explored approaches for future improvement. It used a mixed method with both a quantitative descriptive study design and a qualitative case study design. Non-probability sampling was used to recruit study participants. Mental health screening data from 222 adult inmates at a local Madison County jail were included in the quantitative study, and 15 professionals working with Madison County’s criminal justice system participated in the qualitative case study to complete an online in-depth survey. Results indicated that at the initial screening, about 30.6% of inmates reported that they had a psychiatric history (n=68), and 69.4% did not think that they ever had a psychiatric history (n=154). However, at the second assessment, 50 (23%) more inmates showed psychiatric symptoms. Female inmates were more likely to report a psychiatric history than males (40% vs. 30%); inmates who were younger than 48 years old had a higher rate of psychiatric history than those at the age of 48 and above (43.7% vs. 33%); and Hispanic inmates had the highest rate of psychiatric history compared to other races (75.0%). Participants in the case study stated that there was a significant lack of mental healthcare services provided in diagnosis, treatment, and referral while a considerable proportion of jail inmates were suffering from serious mental illness. Recommendations were made for future improvement, such as strengthening partnerships with mental health professionals and agencies to ensure the adequate and prompt mental health services in jails; increasing facilities to host mentally ill inmates; improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of mental health screening/assessment tools. The study advocated for structural/systemic changes and more innovative and evidence-based practice to address inmates’ mental health concerns.
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