Mental Illness

and the CRIMINAL

JUSTICE SYSTEM
People with mental illness deserve help, not handcuffs. Yet people with mental illness are
overrepresented in our nation’s jails and prisons. We need to reduce criminal justice system
involvement and increase investments in mental health care.

About 2 million About 2 in 5 people 66% of women in 5.5"

times each year, who are incarcerated have a prison reported having 4.5"

people with serious history of mental illness a history of mental

mental illness are (37% in state and federal prisons illness, almost twice 3.5"

booked into jails. and 44% held in local jails). the percentage of men in prison.

Nearly 1 in 4 Suicide is the An estimated

people shot and killed leading cause 4,000 people
by police officers with serious mental
between 2015–2020 had
of death for people
held in local jails. illness are held in solitary
a mental health condition. confinement inside U.S. prisons.

COMMUNITIES ACCESS TO CARE

70% of youth in the juvenile justice system About 3 in 5 people
have a diagnosable mental health condition. (63%) with a history of mental
YOUTH

illness do not receive mental

YOUTH Youth in detention are 10x
more likely health treatment while incarcerated in
state and federal prisons.
to suffer from psychosis than youth in the community.

45%
Less than half of people
About 50,000 veterans with a history of mental
are held in local jails — 55% report illness receive mental
experiencing mental illness. VETERANS health treatment while
held in local jails.

People who have health care

Among incarcerated people with . a mental coverage upon release
health condition, non-white individuals are from incarceration are more
PEOPLE more likely to be held in solitary confinement,
OF COLOR likely to engage in services
be injured and stay longer in jail. that reduce recidivism.

Data from the U.S. Department of Justice and other select sources. Find citations for this resource at nami.org/mhstats