The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project: Improving Access to Mental Health Treatment in Miami-Dade County.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project (CMHP), a court-based jail diversion program, was established to divert individuals with serious mental illness from the criminal justice system into treatment and support services. The CMHP's success is built on collaboration among a diverse array of community stakeholders. This column describes the establishment and maintenance of these partnerships. CMHP's success is the result of several factors, including motivated local champions, acquisition of grant funding, formalized communication support, and use of the sequential intercept model. As the CMHP grows, system science methods will be useful for supporting optimization and sustainment.

Two Systems, One Population:: Achieving Equity in Mental Healthcare for Criminal Justice and Marginalized Populations.

The mental health system is often not readily accessible, culturally responsive, or a reliable source of effective interventions for society's most vulnerable populations. Modern-era studies estimate the number of persons diagnosed with serious mental illness in correctional facilities is more than 3 times the amount in hospitals. Understanding mass incarceration and the criminalization of mental illness is imperative to address mental health inequities. This article examines the interplay of mental health and criminal justice inequities, the historical context for the prevailing extant approaches to correctional mental health treatment, and programmatic approaches to addressing these inequities.

Speaking out to improve the health of inmates. Interview by Vivienne Heines.

Prison public health is becoming increasingly important to our society as growing numbers of men and women are incarcerated and later released. Numerous studies indicate that the prison population has a higher risk of certain infectious diseases and a higher rate of mental illness than the general population. Two community leaders, Dr Melanie Spector in the area of public health and Judge Steven Leifman in the judicial system, have addressed the vital issues of women's health and mental illness, respectively. Their efforts have had a positive impact both on prisoners themselves and on the overall health of their communities.