It is generally understood that people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the US criminal justice system (Prins, 2014; Skeem, Winter, Kennealy, Louden, & Tatar, 2014). However, the prevalence rates among the academic literature and national samples vary. The most recent meta-analysis of the academic literature found a range between 10% and 31% of sampled prisoners suffered from mental illness (Prins, 2014). On the other hand, the most recent Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports, among state prisoners, 61% of offenders had mental health issues, and 76% had substance use issues (James & Glaze, 2006). Standardization of sampling methods and methods for determining mental health issue prevalence is needed.

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