Skip to content

Justice Programs

Currently, the U.S. correctional system is the primary inpatient psychiatric warehouse. The APA Foundation is committed to changing that.

Lady liberty and gavel creating legal theme image
  • 2M
    number of times people with severe mental illness are booked into jails each year
  • 27%
    of people who have been jailed 3+ times in the last year reported having moderate or severe mental illness
  • 8%
    only 8% of APA poll respondents agreed that people in prisons and jails are definitely getting the mental health care they need

Our commitment to equity in mental health care extends to the criminal justice system, where many of our community members with serious mental illness (SMI) lack specific resources to support their wellness. Our Justice program is dedicated to providing those badly needed resources and reducing recidivism rates. By equipping law enforcement, judges, and county officials with the tools to understand, recognize, and address mental illness, we are reducing the number of people with mental illness in jails and improving both outcomes for the individual and our communities.