Arrested Adults Awaiting Arraignment: Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Criminal Justice Characteristics and Needs

This Study is one of the first to look at the mentally ill during the pre-arraignment process. The pre-arraignment process is an excellent place to identify individuals with mental health and substance abuse problems, to examine those problems, to consider legal interventions, such as diversion or routing to specialized courts, for instance, drug and mental health courts, and to plan for community mental health, substance abuse, health, and social service interventions. Following a brief review of the literature on rates of substance abuse and mental health problems for ciminal justice populations, the process from arrest to arraignment in Kings County (Brooklyn) is described. This Study concludes with a discussion of the implication of results for practice, criminal justice intervention, and policy