In case you haven’t looked around in a while, America is a nation obsessed with punishment.
As a result, we have it all backward; the standard approach to crime focuses primarily on punishment rather than addressing the underlying factors that contribute to criminal behavior. This flies in the face of research that demonstrates mental health playing a key role in many criminal cases.
It makes me think of the dichotomy between The Joker and Batman; we’re all one bad day, one choice away, from either profound madness or from being a hero. What each of us do with it varies greatly by the circumstances life has dealt to us.
Lawmakers and elected leaders need to recognize this. And then, to quote Jack Nicholson’s Joker, “this town needs an enema!”
To truly be effective, we all need to reframe our understanding of crime and how we address it as a society.
The Mental Health-Crime Connection
The data doesn’t lie. According to multiple studies, individuals with untreated mental health conditions are significantly overrepresented in prison populations.
Many people who commit crimes are struggling with issues such as:
- Untreated serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
- Substance use disorders, which are themselves mental health conditions
- Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Developmental disorders that affect decision-making and impulse control
These conditions don’t excuse criminal behavior, but they do help explain it.
And more importantly, it all points toward needing solutions outside of incarceration, and how America’s inability to provide adequate mental health care is contributing to society’s woes.
Beyond Punishment: A Public Health Approach
When we view crime through a mental health lens, different solutions emerge:
Diversion programs that connect individuals with treatment rather than jail can address the root causes of criminal behavior. Mental health courts, which specialize in cases involving defendants with mental illness, have shown promising results in reducing recidivism.
Early intervention is also crucial. Many mental health conditions first emerge during adolescence or early adulthood, exactly when many people first encounter the criminal justice system. Accessible mental health care could prevent the progression from minor offenses to more serious crimes.
The Economic Case
Don’t care about human rights? Well luckily for The Capitalists out there reading this, I’ve got evidence you can get behind, too.
Beyond the pesky human rights issues, there’s a compelling economic argument for treating crime as a mental health issue. Incarceration is very, very expensive. Taxpayers spend between $23,000-$307,000 per inmate per year in the U.S., depending on the state:
And then, these individuals are exposed to violence, trauma, and drugs that for many, they otherwise would not have had contact with if they hadn’t have been sent to prison to begin with.
Because guess what? The data tells us again and again that Prison DOESN’T WORK.
By comparison, comprehensive mental health treatment typically costs much less and addresses the underlying issues that lead to recidivism. It’s amazing for the economy and communities. It prevents parentless households.
So unless you’re one of the handful of professions that benefits from the current system’s mass incarceration, there’s zero reason NOT to support improved mental health efforts.
Challenges and Considerations
Contrary to fear-mongering politicians, this shift in perspective does not at all mean abandoning accountability or public safety concerns.
Rather, it suggests integrating mental health awareness into every aspect of our criminal justice system. Some important considerations include:
- The need for proper assessment of mental health needs at every stage of the criminal justice process
- The importance of trauma-informed approaches to policing and corrections
- The critical role of community-based support systems for those with mental health needs
Moving Forward
Addressing crime as a mental health issue requires substantial changes to both our criminal justice and healthcare systems. It means investing in accessible mental healthcare, training law enforcement in crisis intervention, and creating more opportunities for diversion and treatment.
Nearly one-quarter of police shootings involve someone experiencing a mental health issue.
We need to heal, rather than shoot first.
The evidence suggests that these approaches not only reduce crime but also improve community well-being and use public resources more efficiently. By recognizing the mental health dimensions of criminal behavior, we can create a society that is both more compassionate and safer for everyone.
