Oona Appel1, Dustin Stephens1, Sonya M Shadravan1, Justin Key1, Kristen Ochoa1. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (Appel, Stephens, Shadravan, Ochoa); Office of Diversion and Reentry, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles (Appel, Stephens, Ochoa); Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles (Key).
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed race-ethnicity and arrest charge data from the Los Angeles (LA) County jail mental health (JMH) population to examine disparities by race and ethnicity. METHODS: Data from the LA County Sheriff's Department for all persons in the JMH population on February 14, 2019 (N=5,134), and for the overall LA County jail population (N=16,975) were compared with chi-square tests (p≤0.05 for binary measures and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). RESULTS: The JMH sample had a significantly larger proportion of black (41% versus 30%) and white (19% versus 15%) persons and a smaller proportion of Hispanic persons (35% versus 52%), compared with the overall jail population (p<0.001). A significantly smaller proportion of the JMH sample was charged with a felony (80% versus 91%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Resources should be invested in prioritizing jail diversion of black individuals with mental illness and addressing the incarceration of persons with mental disorders charged with misdemeanors.
OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed race-ethnicity and arrest charge data from the Los Angeles (LA) County jail mental health (JMH) population to examine disparities by race and ethnicity. METHODS: Data from the LA County Sheriff's Department for all persons in the JMH population on February 14, 2019 (N=5,134), and for the overall LA County jail population (N=16,975) were compared with chi-square tests (p≤0.05 for binary measures and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). RESULTS: The JMH sample had a significantly larger proportion of black (41% versus 30%) and white (19% versus 15%) persons and a smaller proportion of Hispanic persons (35% versus 52%), compared with the overall jail population (p<0.001). A significantly smaller proportion of the JMH sample was charged with a felony (80% versus 91%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Resources should be invested in prioritizing jail diversion of black individuals with mental illness and addressing the incarceration of persons with mental disorders charged with misdemeanors.
Entities:
Keywords:
Homeless mentally ill; Law and psychiatry