A report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) identifies six intervention points to divert people with mental illness from the criminal justice system for treatment and services—while still holding offenders accountable—including before they come into contact with the justice system. The report suggests that mental health reform could reduce jail incarceration and create more effective treatment with community-based mental health services, training for law enforcement, pretrial diversion programs, mental health facilities as alternatives to jails, adopting more effective screening and assessment tools, and tailoring rules to adapt to individual requirements. MacArthur supported the NCSL report as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge to reduce jail incarceration in the United States.
