Supporting People with Serious Mental Illnesses and Reducing Their Risk of Contact with the Criminal Justice System

The Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI) released a primer developed with the support of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) and the CSG Justice Center. With input from leading clinical and forensic psychiatrists, Supporting People with Serious Mental Illnesses and Reducing Their Risk of Contact with the Criminal Justice System was written to help familiarize clinical professionals with the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model and provide information on ways they can help address the particular needs of people who have serious mental illnesses and a criminal justice history. This primer highlights how critical it is for psychiatrists to better identify and address the clinical and forensic needs of these patients and incorporate interventions that address their criminogenic risks and needs into patient treatment plans.