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Mental Health Courts And Sentencing Disparities, E. Lea Johnston, Conor P. Flynn
Mental Health Courts And Sentencing Disparities, E. Lea Johnston, Conor P. Flynn
UF Law Faculty Publications
Despite the proliferation of mental health courts across the United States, virtually no attention has been paid to the criminal justice effects these courts carry for participants. This article provides the first empirical analysis of differential sentencing practices in mental health and traditional criminal courts. Using a case study approach, the article compares how Pennsylvania’s Erie County Mental Health Court and county criminal courts sentenced individuals who committed the same offenses and held the same average criminal history score. Information on the mental health court—including eligibility criteria, plea bargaining and sentencing procedure, sentencing policies, program length, graduation rates, likelihood of …
Retributive Justifications For Jail Diversion Of Individuals With Mental Disorder, E. Lea Johnston
Retributive Justifications For Jail Diversion Of Individuals With Mental Disorder, E. Lea Johnston
UF Law Faculty Publications
Jail diversion programs have proliferated across the United States as a means to decrease the incarceration of individuals with mental illnesses. These programs include pre-adjudication initiatives, such as Crisis Intervention Teams, as well as post-adjudication programs, such as mental health courts and specialized probationary services. Post-adjudication programs often operate at the point of sentencing, so their comportment with criminal justice norms is crucial. This article investigates whether and under what circumstances post-adjudication diversion for offenders with serious mental illnesses may cohere with principles of retributive justice. Key tenets of retributive theory are that punishments must not be inhumane and that …