Christopher Simmons correctional law paper

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Lamar University *

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3300

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Sociology

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May 1, 2024

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docx

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1 Christopher Simmons Lamar University Vidisha Worley CRIJ_3380_3B_3- Correctional Law April 19, 2024

2 Research Paper The connection between mental health and the criminal justice system offers many complexities, especially in prison environments. People with mental disorders are sometimes housed in prisons because there is no appropriate mental health care, which is known as overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. The utilization of force within these facilities, particularly towards individuals with mental health issues, raises significant concerns regarding human rights and effective treatment. This paper explores strategies for promoting collaboration between mental health and criminal justice systems to address these challenges. 1. How can collaboration between mental health and criminal justice systems be enhanced to reduce the use of force within correctional facilities? 2. What are the critical barriers to effective collaboration between mental health and criminal justice systems in addressing the needs of individuals with mental illness within correctional facilities? Dempsey et al. (2020) underscore the pervasive issue of the criminalization of individuals with mental illness, highlighting the frequent encounters between law enforcement and those in mental health crises. Regardless of the existence of specialized police training courses like Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), the criminalization trend has not diminished, which leads to tragedies, including deaths. CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) model, is being used to equip law enforcement officers with the required skills and knowledge to deal efficiently with such crisis associated with mentally ill individuals. The institute achieves this by providing education to first responders about mental health and through the nurturing of relationships between CIT and mental health professionals which altogether aims at effectively handling such incidents and preventing persons' detainment and incarceration. The co-responder model where mental health practitioners

3 and police officers jointly respond is mentioned as another approach that could be used to fully aid people on the edge (Dempsey, et al., 2020). Furthermore, having community-based programs emerge as a tool to ease the mental illness issues. The aim of these initiatives is to alleviate the situation by providing some solutions locally so that a place is not transformed into the local authorities' or courts' jurisdiction. Nevertheless, the authors admit that even though their efforts are geared towards collaborating, there exist challenges such as limited resources, systemic problems, and the stigma attached to mental health. Whilst these challenges remain, there is still hope in a multi-party approach like CIT and the co-responder model for solving the more complex issues at the confluence of mental health and law enforcement. By prioritizing proactive interventions and community support, there is potential to reduce the overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system and improve outcomes for both individuals and communities. The second article by Kamin, Weisman, and Lamberti (2022) delves into the critical need for collaboration between mental health and criminal justice systems, particularly in light of recent high-profile deaths of individuals experiencing mental health crises in police custody. The predominant presence of individuals with serious mental health issues in the criminal justice system illuminates the need for cooperation to deal with this problem. The article presents a conceptual framework designed to guide collaboration between mental health and criminal justice service providers, emphasizing the role of supervisors and administrative officials in its implementation. While acknowledging the challenges posed by fundamental differences in cultures and methods between the two systems, the article offers strategies for facilitating collaboration at the service provider and systems levels (Kamin, et al., 2022). Moreover, it underscores the importance of early intervention and diversion programs to prevent individuals

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