PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anthony C. Tamburello
AU  - Zoë Selhi
TI  - Commentary: Bridging the Gaps for Former Inmates with Serious Mental Illness
DP  - 2013 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 510--513
VI  - 41
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/41/4/510.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/41/4/510.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2013 Dec 01; 41
AB  - Serious mental illness is a prominent and vexing problem within the correctional systems of North America. Simpson and colleagues draw attention to the epidemiology, special characteristics, and management problems relevant to Canadian inmates with serious mental illness. Of great interest to those in the forensic psychiatric field is the matter of continuation of care for mentally ill prisoners, in that untreated or undertreated psychiatric problems are strongly associated with poor social functioning and criminal recidivism. In this commentary, we expand on the discussion in Simpson et al. of the effectiveness of assertive community treatment teams for those former inmates at greatest risk for future involvement with the criminal justice system. We also propose outpatient civil commitment as one strategy to facilitate the successful return of select inmate patients to the community.