A new study from the Florida Institute of Technology finds that criminal defendants who graduate from mental health court are much less likely to be re-arrested. “All the way out to three years after they’ve completed the mental health court treatment, about 40% less were re-arrested than those than those who were dismissed from the mental health court", said Dr. Julie Costopoulos, author of the study.
So, what is a mental health court?
“It’s an alternative court that diverts defendants away from incarceration by requiring mentally ill defendants who are accepted to the court complete treatment to have their criminal adjudication withheld”, Costopoulos explained.
Dr. Costopoulos says mental health courts may provide a solution for our over-crowded jails.
“Our results show that this is cost-effective and it protects us from new offenses as a society but also from the cost that we are carrying by incarcerating the mentally ill instead of treating them”, said Costopoulos.
The study was based on data from 118 participants in the Brevard County mental health court.
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