The Sequential Intercept Model and Criminal Justice: Promoting Community Alternatives for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

The number of individuals with severe mental illness in the criminal justice system is shockingly high. However, there is a wealth of research that shows that the traditional incarceration model is not effective with this population, and that many of these individuals can be helped in the community at less cost without increased risk to public safety by addressing their risk-relevant needs and improving their opportunities for recovery. As a result, during the last decade there has been an increasing interest in community-based alternatives to incarceration for individuals with severe mental illness.

The Sequential Intercept Model and Criminal Justice offers an overview of the recent changes in correctional policy and practice that reflect an increased focus on community-based alternatives for offenders. Developed by Drs. Mark Munetz and Patricia Griffin, the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) identifies five conceptual points at which standard criminal processing can be interrupted to offer community-based alternatives: (1) law enforcement/emergency services; (2) initial detention/initial court hearings; (3) jails/courts; (4) re-entry; and (5) community corrections/support. This volume describes the SIM in detail and reviews empirical evidence for each of its five points of interception. Chapters focus on its implementation, starting with an analysis of the national and state-level initiatives, then addressing specific challenges. A final section suggests how the SIM might be applied successfully to other populations (e.g., veterans, juveniles, and those with developmental disabilities). This volume will appeal to policy makers who are considering community-based alternatives, practitioners who carry out these changes, and program evaluators who seek to document the impact of such changes.

Patricia A. Griffin, PhD, is an independent consultant who is also associated with the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence, SAMHSA's GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, and Policy Research Associates. Her training is in community psychology. Her scholarly and practice interests include diversion, specialized training of first responders, and provision of services to justice-involved individuals with behavioral health disorders. She is a co-developer of the Sequential Intercept Model.

Kirk Heilbrun, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Drexel University and Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence. His research and professional interests include risk assessment and management, forensic assessment, and diversion.

Edward P. Mulvey, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence. His research interests include violence and mental illness, prediction of violence and crime, juvenile offenders and the juvenile justice system, and criminal justice policy. He is also interested in public agencies serving justice-involved individuals with mental health problems.

David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Law at Drexel University, where he is also Director of the JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology, and a consultant with the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence. His research interests include psychopathy, forensic mental health assessment, drug policy, and diversion.

Carol A. Schubert, MPH, is a researcher with the Law and Psychiatry Program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a consultant to the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Justice Center of Excellence. Her research interests include violence risk and service provision; she has coordinated numerous large research projects focusing on these areas with justice-involved adults and adolescents.