Friday, December 10, 2004

Psychiatrists Learn to Argue For Treatment of Offenders
A December 3 story at Psychiatric News - "Long-term data will be valuable in convincing policymakers about the effectiveness of treatment rather than incarceration for people with mental illness. Treatment of mental illness in the community, rather than in the criminal justice system, can save communities and local taxpayers money over time. But reversing the widespread criminalization of mentally ill people requires an educated cadre of clinicians to make the case before legislators that diversion of individuals with mental illness from jails and prisons and into treatment in the community is the right thing to do. And it will also require long-term follow-up studies to prove the point..."