RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The Shift of Psychiatric Inpatient Care From Hospitals to Jails and Prisons JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law SP 529 OP 534 VO 33 IS 4 A1 Lamb, H. Richard A1 Weinberger, Linda E. YR 2005 UL http://jaapl.org/content/33/4/529.abstract AB Far‐reaching structural changes have been made in the mental health system. Many severely mentally ill persons who come to the attention of law enforcement now receive their inpatient treatment in jails and prisons, at least in part, because of a dramatic reduction of psychiatric inpatient beds. While more high‐quality community treatment, such as intensive case management and assertive community treatment, is needed, the authors believe that for many, 24‐hour structured care is needed in the mental health system for various lengths of time to decrease criminalization. Another central theme of this article is that when a mentally ill individual is arrested, that person now has a computerized criminal record, which is easily accessed by the police and the courts in subsequent encounters. This may influence their decisions and reinforce the tendency to choose the criminal justice system over the mental health system.