Recovery and recidivism reduction for offenders with mental illness

Abstract

Treatment of individuals with mental illness who have justice involvement has the same goals as the treatment of those without justice involvement: ameliorating symptoms, minimizing disability, maximizing community functioning, and supporting individualized recovery goals. The attainment of these goals are challenged, if not precluded, when a person is incarcerated, making the overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness all the more tragic, and decreasing criminal justice activity all the more important for both clinical success and public safety. Understanding and addressing the risk of criminal recidivism (i.e., re-arrest and return to jail for offenders with mental illness) is, therefore, a critical skill for the forensic clinician. In this chapter, we review risk factors for recidivism with specific focus on those relevant for offenders with mental illness, and present a holistic approach that incorporates both traditional treatment and recidivism-focused psychosocial interventions.