Research That Matters (January 17 - 20, 2008)

This symposium presents a set of papers meant to engage these broader issues and discuss some of the ways that they intersect in the lives of people with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system. In this vein, we present two pieces of research that look at the factors that explain the increased involvement of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system, research that examines police interactions with people with mental illness, people with substance abuse and mental health problems, and people with mental illness reentering the community after incarceration. Each of these presentations presents a view of crime and mental health interactions that is not often seen in this literature, such as an analysis of procedural justice issues in interactions between police officers and people with mental illness, two analyses that challenge the premise that mental illness is the principal cause of involvement in the justice system, research that asks people with mental illness to define and prioritize their service needs post incarceration, and research that broadens our understanding of the role that substance abuse plays in the lives of people with mental illness and their involvement in the criminal justice system. This symposium will encourage social workers to engage in research that has relevance to a broader audience by incorporating multiple disciplines in investigations that embrace new areas and methods. Research such as this offers compelling practice and policy implications that begin to address the underlying issues of poverty, substance abuse, and social exclusion that affect the lives of people with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system.