One-Third Of U.S. Jails Use Screenings & Assessments For Behavioral Health Diversion

About one-third of U.S. jail administrators surveyed said their jail uses information from behavioral health screening and assessment tools to divert people into appropriate settings for either behavioral health or substance use issues, according to research by the Pew Charitable Trusts. These low diversionary practices occur despite 88% of jails reporting that they screen all prisoners for mental health needs, the researchers found.

The Pew Charitable Trusts presented these findings in AJA Behavioral Health Screening and Assessments in Jail Survey Methodology and Toplines. The goal was to better understand the extent to which jails can identify people with . . .