Legally Involved Individuals in State Hospitals and Community Mental Health Settings: Introduction to the Special Section

Impact Statement This article describes an increasing involvement of people with serious mental illness in the legal system. Resource limitations continue to impact a system with increasing demand. The studies in this section describe innovative approaches that will hopefully begin to address the problem. Over the past several years, individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have become involved with the legal system at an increasing rate. State psychiatric hospitals and community mental health programs have seen a high number of referrals and admissions at a time when resources and staffing have been challenges. Individuals with SMI continue to be highly represented among those incarcerated in jails and prisons, often for minor charges. This article serves as an introduction to a special section of Psychological Services on innovations in assessment and treatment of legally involved patients in state hospitals and community mental health settings. Data are presented on the prevalence of legal involvement among individuals with serious mental illness, including the exponential growth in individuals evaluated and found incompetent to stand trial. A brief summary of the articles in the special section is presented, broken down by themes of assessment, treatment, and policy. We hope that the studies described in this issue will lead to further exploration of problems, barriers, and potential solutions for individuals with SMI who become involved with the legal system.