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Introduction: Suicide is a major public health issue, however, little is known about the characteristics/circumstances of suicide events. Data from law enforcement (LE) call reports are an important source of information related to suicide. Hence, this study explores suicide events captured in LE call reports. Method: This mixed-methods study used data from call reports collected in a metropolitan county in 2017 in a Midwestern state wherein LE responded to suicide incidents (N=213). Descriptive and bivariate analyses of quantitative data were used to assess differences between incident type (i.e. attempts vs. deaths). Themes of suicide emerged from the qualitative data. Results: Findings revealed that suicide decedents tended to be male, older, and had at least one intrapersonal issue as a precipitating factor. The qualitative sections illuminated three themes across suicide attempts: self-harm as an autonomy seeking strategy; challenging claims of suicidality; and promising to not self-harm. Conclusions: Suicide incidents that rise to the level of crisis requiring a LE response is understudied in both the suicide and LE literature. Increasing the sophistication of call report documentation procedures would allow for communities to deepen their understanding of how suicide manifests and could create pathways to non-institutionalized care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1994, policies have been instituted throughout the United States that require sex offenders to register their personal information with law enforcement officials (Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Program, 1994). With the passage of additional laws, this information is now available to the public via the Internet or a request to a police department. These laws have brought about consequences for both the registrants and for members of their families. A focus group was held with four mothers who have sons listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. Psychological and social consequences of registration were found and policy implications are discussed.

This study investigated public attitudes regarding sex offender sanctions through telephone surveys (n = 703). The greatest support was for residency and work restrictions. There was less support for publication of names in a newspaper, curfews, life in prison, and castration. Support for nonsevere sanctions correlated with socioeconomic status, being a parent of a school or preschool aged child, and a fear of sex offenders. Support for severe punishments for sex offenders positively correlated with fear and being a parent of a preschool-aged child. Education and income were negatively correlated with both severe and non-severe sanctions for offenders. (Contains 2 tables.)

Estimates indicate that nearly half of rural jail detainees meet the criteria for co-occurring disorders (COD). It is critical to examine factors of recidivism among detainees with COD in rural communities. This exploratory study aimed to examine factors of recidivism among adults in rural jails. Administrative data sources were utilized to assess postyear recidivism among 191 individuals with COD who participated in a jail-based intervention. Results indicated that a greater number of previous jail bookings and not receiving continuity of care were the strongest associations of overall recidivism, and a greater number of previous jail bookings was associated with of multiple recidivism events. The protective effect of receiving continuity of care was diminished in reducing recidivism 4- to 12-months following jail release. Re-entry services should consider developing or further expand specialized psychiatric care parole and connections to evidence-based integrated dual diagnosis treatment with a focus on programs with adaptability for rurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the characteristics that distinguish between women's and men's sexual offending. We compare women and men currently incarcerated for a sex offense in one state using two data sources: administrative data on sex offenders in the state prison (N = 9,235) and subsample surveys (n = 129). Bivariate and logistic regressions were used in these analyses. Women account for a small proportion (1.1%, N = 98) of incarcerated sex offenders. In the population, women and men were convicted of similar types of sex offenses. The subsample was demographically similar to the population. In the subsample, women were more likely than men to have a child victim, be the parent/guardian of the victim, have a co-offender, and repeatedly perpetrate against the same victim. Findings suggest that women convicted and sentenced for a sex offense differ from their male counterparts, with predictive factors being dependent upon the age of their victim(s). Sex offender treatment interventions developed for men are poorly suited to and may have limited efficacy for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal/legal system is well documented. While professional associations urge diversion towards treatment, little is known about the practices these institutions use to identify this population. One understudied space in the criminal/legal continuum is jails. This exploratory study compares two types of mental health identification at jail booking to assess jail‐ and community‐based service outcomes by identification type (N = 2956): (a) staff observation and (b) a standardized screening instrument. Individuals identified through staff observation were significantly more likely to receive jail‐ and community‐based services, even though current symptomology and substance misuse were both significantly higher for individuals identified only by the screening instrument. These findings point to the importance of jails in providing stabilizing services during incarceration, but further, show the impact that identification practices have on individuals as they transition to the community. Community context showed varied rates of jail staff observations of mental illness, showing greater risks for individuals in rural communities. Implications include a need for system‐level changes by instituting evidence‐based identification practices in jails, and improving professional collaboration practices between mental health and criminal/legal practitioners as individuals enter and exit jails. Highlights: This study compares the mental health identification practices‐as‐usual (i.e. staff observation) of eight jails to an objective screening instrument, and assesses the jail‐ and community‐based service outcomes resulting from these methods.Individuals identified by staff observation were significantly more likely to receive jail‐ and community‐based services, even though those identified by only the screening instrument had significantly greater behavioral health risks.Rural jails were significantly less likely to identify individuals through staff observation, yet had higher proportions identified by the screening instrument.Mental health practices of jails can have enduring treatment effects that follow individuals as they return to the community. Staff training combined with a screening instrument is recommended for identification, as well as strong community‐based collaborations for uninterrupted care upon reentry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest that up to 44% of individuals in the criminal/legal system have a severe mental illness (SMI), and although diversion programs have been established, a significant portion still end up incarcerated. The Sequential Intercept Model is a framework designed to reduce the overrepresentation of individuals with SMI in the criminal/legal system by identifying points of interception to prevent individuals from entering or moving further into the system. Although studies assess programs in each intercept, none has evaluated how individuals process through all intercepts. Using data from eight counties (N = 1,160), this exploratory study assesses criminal/legal involvement across each intercept between individuals identified with (n = 880) or without (n = 280) SMI. Findings indicate longer stays in jail, low rates of treatment engagement and enrollment in specialty courts, and poorer diversion outcomes for individuals with SMI. Recommendations for research, policies, and practices are proposed to advance Smart Decarceration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) research has shown increases in officer transports of individuals with serious mental illness to emergency departments (ED) which, while more appropriate than incarceration, can be expensive and lack linkage to long-term mental health services. Mental health crisis centers offer a promising alternative, but impact may be limited by proximal distance and lack of officer awareness. To address this concern, this study asked, "Does CIT training affect officer transport decisions to a crisis center over a nearby ED?" Researchers analyzed crisis call reports in a Midwestern county and found increased use of the crisis center and decreased use of EDs by officers after CIT was implemented. The crisis location affected officer transport decisions, yet CIT officers were more likely than non-CIT officers to travel farther for appropriate linkage. Findings suggest CIT changes officer behavior, which could potentially lead to long-term, low-cost treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses when there is a mental health crisis center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]