Jail Recidivism and the Intensity of case Management Services among Homeless Persons with Mental Illness Leaving Jail

Abstract

Sixty-five homeless mentally ill clients leaving jail were followed into the community for six months after being assigned an intensive case manager upon leaving jail. With demographic and clinical controls, service intensity variables were entered into an event history analysis to predict jail recidivism by service month. Less satisfaction with quality of life, fewer case management services provided in clients' homes, more service time face to face with case managers, and more services involving interaction with other providers were associated with return to jail within six months. Special attention needs to be paid to the appropriate intensity of services and the overreliance of public mental health service providers on monitoring, as opposed to treatment for forensic clients with mental illness, who are especially vulnerable to the stresses of poverty, addiction, homelessness and arrest.