Mental Health Courts: A Workable Proposition?

Sherine Mikhail, Akintunde Akinkunmi, Norman Poythress

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In the UK the notion of diverting people suffering from mental disorders from the criminal justice system to treatment within the health service is not new (Home Office, 1990), nor is the concept of a court-based psychiatric assessment and liaison service (Joseph & Potter, 1990; James & Hamilton, 1991; Joseph, 1992). Similarly, the concept of ‘specialist’ courts is not a novelty in the USA (Bean, 1998; Schwartz & Schwartz, 1998). We report on the first specialist mental health court in the USA and propose a modification of the current provision of psychiatric services to courts in England and Wales by combining elements of the mental health court with current court diversion practice.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalThe Psychiatrist
Volume25
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2001

Disciplines

  • Health Law and Policy
  • Law
  • Medicine and Health Sciences
  • Mental and Social Health
  • Psychiatric and Mental Health

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