People with mental health conditions are disproportionately represented in America’s jails and prisons. An estimated 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners, and 64 percent of jail inmates are reported to have a behavioral health condition. There are further disparities, such as for women and minority inmates, where the percentages with behavioral health issues are shockingly high.

While the public widely perceives people with mental health and substance use conditions as dangerous, the reality is that for most who are repeatedly arrested it is for petty offenses. One widely touted solution to this problem is the expansion of specialty Mental Health Courts.

Please join us for this FREE webinar that will provide information about the characteristics of effective mental health courts, and offer information about best practices from both sides of the bench.

We will also explore the questions surrounding public policies that move towards an increased reliance on the judicial system solutions.

This webinar was originally conducted on September 21, 2015.