Describe The Benefits Of The Mental Health Court Program

Student’s NameProfessor’s NameCourse TitleDate of Submission Mental Health CourtsIntroductionMental illness has been recognized as a global health issue that affects billions of people. In the United States alone, it is reported that around 43.6 million adults, representing 18.1 per cent of the population suffer from mental illness in any given year (Dean 5). The rate has been found to be higher among inmate as about 64% of inmates across the country are found to have some form of mental illness (Dean 5). Steadman et al. in a study sampling 822 inmates from five different jails in New York and Maryland reported that more than 50 percent of the inmates had serious mental issues (763). In general, the majority of the studies regarding the same have shown a trend where the number of people with the mental illness in jails outnumbers those in the general population. The situation has made some scholars to argue that jails have become de facto institutions for people suffering mental illness because the society has neglected to put in place measures and resources to support and treat them. To respond to the issue, the criminal justice system established what has come to be