Jail Diversion for People With Mental Illness: The Dauphin County Case Study

OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Case Study In December 2004, about one-fourth of the population of the Dauphin County (Pennsylvania) prison was either receiving psychotropic medications or fully met the state’s definition of serious and persistent mental illness. With a capacity of 500, the prison population reached 1,053 that year. As budget reductions loomed in 2005 and the problem worsened, county officials looked for an innovative solution to prison overcrowding and the inappropriate use of the jail as housing for people with mental illness. Like so many other jurisdictions across the country . . .