NCJ Number
80518
Date Published
1980
Length
260 pages
Annotation
This empirical study documents the extent to which mentally ill people come to police attention, explores the hypothesis that mentally ill people are being diverted into the criminal justice system via police discretion, analyzes the ability of community agencies to maintain marginally functioning mentally ill people in the community.
Abstract
Data obtained from four police departments in Delaware County, Pa., indicate variation in the extent to which the problems of mentally ill persons come to the attention of the police. In two densely populated urban communities, the growing number of incidents involving mental illness and the amount of time they absorb constitute a serious problem for police departments. In two smaller, more affluent communities, problems posed by incidents involving mentally ill persons stem not so much from their frequency as from their impact in terms of tying up the entire police force when they do occur. Data do not support the hypothesis that mentally ill persons in the communities studied are being diverted into the criminal justice system. On the contrary, police officers go out of their way to avoid using arrest as a disposition of the mentally ill offender. Findings indicate that crisis intervention by police officers contributes to the maintenance of mentally ill persons in the community. Tables, a few graphs, footnotes, and a bibliography of over 220 items are provided. The interview schedule is appended. (Author abstract modified)