Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates

September 2006

Mental Health Problems of Prison & Jail Inmates

The United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated the prevalence of mental health problems among prison and jail inmates using self-reported data on recent history and symptoms of mental disorders. The report compares the characteristics of offenders with a mental health problem to those without, including current offense, criminal record, sentence length, time expected to be served, co-occurring substance dependence or abuse, family background, and facility conduct since current admission. It presents measures of mental health problems by gender, race, Hispanic origin, and age. The . . .