A Multisite Study of the Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness, PTSD, and Substance Use Disorders of Women in Jail

Abstract

The prevalence of serious mental illness and its co-occurrence with substance use disorders and PTSD in this multisite sample suggest the critical need for comprehensive assessment of mental health at the point of women's entry into the criminal justice system and the necessity for more programs that offer alternatives to incarceration and that can address the complexity of female offenders' treatment needs.