Search

Background: There are little epidemiologic data on psychiatric disorders of women in jails. Accurate data on female jail detainees are critical because of their increasing numbers and their unique treatment needs., Methods: Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, independent interviewers assessed a randomly selected, stratified sample of 1272 female jail detainees awaiting trial in Chicago, Ill. We tabulated lifetime and 6-month prevalence rates of disorders by race or ethnicity (African American, non-Hispanic white, Hispanic), age, and education and compared the jail rates with general population rates for women in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area program. We also examined whether or not psychiatric disorder was associated with the severity of the detainee's current arrest charges., Results: Over 80% of the sample met criteria for one or more lifetime psychiatric disorders; 70% were symptomatic within 6 months of the interview. The most common disorders were drug abuse or dependence, alcohol abuse or dependence, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Major depressive episode was the most prevalent major mental disorder. Rates were generally highest among non-Hispanic whites and among older detainees. Rates for all disorders were significantly higher than general population rates, except for schizophrenia. Most detainees with psychiatric disorders were arrested for nonviolent crimes., Conclusion: These results suggest substantial psychiatric morbidity among female jail detainees.

The authors examined whether jail detainees with schizophrenia, major affective disorders, alcohol or drug use disorders, or psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) are arrested more often for violent crimes six years after release than detainees with no disorders. Trained interviewers assessed 728 randomly selected male jail detainees using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule and then obtained follow-up arrest data for six years. Neither severe mental disorder nor substance abuse or dependence predicted the probability of arrest or the number of arrests for violent crime. Persons with symptoms of both hallucinations and delusions had a slightly higher number of arrests for violent crime, but not significantly so. These findings held even after controlling for prior violence and age. The findings do not support the stereotype that mentally ill criminals invariably commit violent crimes after they are released. Future directions for research are suggested.

This paper presents prevalence rates by race/ethnicity and age for nine psychiatric and substance use disorders found in a random sample of 728 male jail detainees. Two thirds of the sample detainees had had a disorder other than antisocial personality during their lifetimes; half of these had had an episode within 2 weeks of the interview. More than 30% currently had either a severe mental disorder or a substance use disorder. Detainees with severe mental disorders or substance use disorders were most often in jail because they had committed nonviolent crimes. Policy implications of the results are discussed.

Studies have demonstrated that police often arrest the mentally ill when treatment alternatives would be preferable but are unavailable. Thus, jails may contain disproportionate numbers of severely mentally ill persons who have co-occurring disorders. Data on the co-occurrence of severe mental disorder, substance abuse, and antisocial personality disorders were gathered from 728 randomly selected male urban jail detainees. Using difference of proportions tests and loglinear analysis, the authors demonstrated that most subjects with a severe mental disorder (schizophrenia or a major affective disorder) also meet criteria for a substance abuse or antisocial personality disorder. These findings suggest several changes in public policy regarding health care delivery in correctional settings and for the general population.

This paper presents the prevalence rates of schizophrenia and major affective disorders by age and race among a random sample of male jail detainees. Subjects were administered the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule (NIMH-DIS). The jail prevalence rates were then compared with general population data from the five-city Epidemiologic Catchment Area program using difference of proportion tests and loglinear analysis. After controlling for demographic differences between the jail and five-city samples, the jail prevalence rates were still two to three times higher than those in the general population. These findings suggest several public policy modifications concerning the psychiatric management of our burgeoning jail population.