Medicaid Benefits and Recividism of Mentally Ill Persons Released from Jail

摘要

Overall, the findings indicate that keeping detainees with severe mental illness on Medicaid can benefit the criminal justice system as well as the mental health system. Individuals who had Medicaid at release (or who had Medicaid for a greater number of days prior to next arrest) accessed more services and had more days in the community. But Medicaid benefits alone were not enough to keep people with severe mental illness out of jail. The implications are that, in addition to ensuring that individuals with severe mental illness have Medicaid, breaking the cycle of jail recividism for detainees with severe mental illness will require access to effective treatments, stable housing, employment, and other community supports that promote recovery and increase opportunities for successful community living.