ERIC Number: EJ844589
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1050-9674
EISSN: N/A
Gaols or De Facto Mental Institutions? Why Individuals with a Mental Illness Are Over-Represented in the Criminal Justice System in New South Wales, Australia
Henderson, Corinne
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, v45 n1-2 p69-80 2007
The over-representation of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system highlights the need for legislative reform and the implementation of programs breaking the cycle of mental illness, poverty, unemployment and substance abuse across Australia. Whilst there is no inherent association between mental illness and crime, there is a strong causal link between mental illness and incarceration. The fragmentation of mental health services and the closure of many community-based services have led to the criminalisation of the mentally ill. As a consequence, unsurprisingly, gaols and juvenile detention centres have become "de facto" mental institutions.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Mental Disorders, Mental Retardation, Disproportionate Representation, Correctional Institutions, Institutionalized Persons, Incidence, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Violence, Crime, Substance Abuse, Socioeconomic Status
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A