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Improving Police Officer Responses To Persons With Mental Illnesses: A Review Of The Literature, Portland State University. Criminology And Criminal Justice Senior Capstone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project

Addressing mental illness in the American criminal justice system is necessary in order to ensure both citizens and officers are safe. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), published studies show approximately 25 percent of all adults in the U.S. have a mental illness and nearly 50 percent of adults in the U.S. will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetimes. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics also indicates nearly 25 percent of state prisoners and jail inmates with a mental health problem have three or more prior incarcerations (as cited in Glaze …