Rearrests during mental health court supervision: Predicting rearrest and its association with final court disposition and post-court rearrests

Abstract

Mental health courts are one means to address the involvement of persons with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Using a sample of 811 participants of a municipal mental health court, this study found that 23.2% of participants were rearrested during court supervision. This study also identified factors associated with these rearrests, as well as the effect of rearrests during supervision on program completion and rearrests in the 1-year period following program completion. This study concludes with implications for mental health court supervision.