Introduction to this issue: diversion from the criminal justice system.
- PubMed: 15818602
Abstract
One of the most significant developments in the criminal justice system in the last decade has been the expansion of initiatives to divert people with mental disorders into treatment. This special issue is devoted to this very important topic. Two of the articles provide data on programs designed primarily to divert individuals with mental disorders before prosecution. Others provide data on the efficacy of two individual mental health courts and the impact of "perceived deterrence" on defendants in drug court. It might be argued that therapeutic courts do not strictly meet the definition of a diversion program, since often the individual has been charged with an offense and in many courts must plead to the offense as a condition of entry to the court. At the same time, such courts are becoming ubiquitous throughout North America, Europe, and Australia/ New Zealand. Despite differences across courts, a common purpose is to obtain access to treatment for defendants, based in part on the assumption that treatment may break the cycle of multiple arrests experienced by many individuals with mental disorders. Given their rapid growth, it is not surprising that researchers are turning to their impact as part of a more general look at diversion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
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