The Cost of Incarceration: A Descriptive Analysis of Low-income Mentally Ill Misdemeanor Offenders in DeKalb County, Georgia (2012)

Objectives: We collected the jail housing unit histories and calculated the costs of incarcerating mentally ill misdemeanor offenders who were arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia in 2012 and represented by the Public Defender’s Office. Methods: We obtained records from the Sheriff’s and Public Defender’s Offices for the 2012 cohort. Days of detainment in and movement among jail housing and forensic hospital units were determined for those with moderate and severe illness. The costs of incarcerating offenders with mental illness, relative to those without, were calculated. Results: Offenders with severe illness spent an average of 64 days (SD=129) in jail compared to 39 days (SD=65) for those with moderate illness (p<0.05). DeKalb County spent 26 times more per offender for those with severe illness compared to those with none, 89% of which was spent on specialized mental health units. Conclusions: Mentally ill offenders spend a disproportionate amount of time in jail relative to those with no mental illness. Duration and cost vary with degree of illness. Diverting these offenders, particularly severe cases, into treatment could improve health outcomes and reduce criminal justice costs.