Oregon’s jails, prisons, and juvenile detention facilities have become, by default, mental health centers – a role they are poorly equipped to play and one that pulls justice system resources away from their intended target: criminals.

The demand on our public  safety systems is staggering.  According to the Council of State Government’s Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, persons with mental illness stay in jail longer, are more expensive to maintain, are more likely to return to jail, and are at high risk for suicide while incarcerated. 

Yet, 70% of individuals with mental illness in our jails are there for non-violent offenses.  Often, these offenses are manifestations of untreated mental illness.  For the relatively small percentage of justice-involved individuals with mental illness who commit violent crimes, adequate ongoing treatment and support can dramatically improve stability and potential to live successfully and safely in the community.