By the Numbers - Apr. 28, 2014
7.5 percent
The percentage of crimes committed by people with mental disorders that were directly attributable to their mental illness symptoms, according to a recent study published in the journal Law and Human Behavior -- How Often and How Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders With Mental Illness?
The researchers analyzed 429 crimes committed by 143 individuals with major depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. They found 3 percent of crimes directly related to major depression symptoms, 4 percent to schizophrenia symptoms and 10 percent to symptoms of bipolar disorder. The researchers concluded:
The findings in this study indicate that effective mental health treatment may prevent a minority of crimes from occurring (about 18%, according to our findings), but would likely not improve criminal justice outcomes for the vast majority of offenders with mental illness.
According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), roughly 400,000 inmates in the nation's jails and prisons suffer from mental illness. Also, according to NAMI, "Between 25% and 40% of all Americans with mental illness will at some point pass through the criminal justice system.".
7.5 percent
The percentage of crimes committed by people with mental disorders that were directly attributable to their mental illness symptoms, according to a recent study published in the journal Law and Human Behavior -- How Often and How Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders With Mental Illness?
The researchers analyzed 429 crimes committed by 143 individuals with major depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. They found 3 percent of crimes directly related to major depression symptoms, 4 percent to schizophrenia symptoms and 10 percent to symptoms of bipolar disorder. The researchers concluded:
The findings in this study indicate that effective mental health treatment may prevent a minority of crimes from occurring (about 18%, according to our findings), but would likely not improve criminal justice outcomes for the vast majority of offenders with mental illness.
According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), roughly 400,000 inmates in the nation's jails and prisons suffer from mental illness. Also, according to NAMI, "Between 25% and 40% of all Americans with mental illness will at some point pass through the criminal justice system.".