| MHDD Defendants in Jail, Average Number of Bed Days- All people have equal access to justice |
Strategic Priorities |
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8.2 Provide pre-arrest diversion and other alternatives to decrease the number of mentally ill residents in jail
- All people have equal access to justice
About this measure |
Mentally ill individuals are overrepresented in the U.S. criminal justice system, including in Cuyahoga County. Correctional institutions are not designed or intended to provide mental health services. This measure tracks the number of defendants on Cuyahoga County's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Court docket, the number of MHDD defendants in jail, and their average number of bed days (or days housed in the jail). These numbers do not include all inmates who suffer from mental illness or a developmental disability. To be on the MHDD docket, defendants must meet certain diagnostic criteria; specifically, a severe mental illness (SMI) with a psychotic feature diagnosed by a mental health professional.
Data are reported by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department on a quarterly basis.
Why is this important? |
The services provided to and treatment of mentally ill individuals are seldom appropriate in local, state, and federal correctional facilities. Resources are often over-utilized and suitable treatment is seldom received. The impact of treating severely mentally ill individuals in jails has resulted in the desertion of the goal of rehabilitation to one of merely stabilization. An estimated 30% of Ohio inmates are prescribed psychotropic medications, with jails spending two to three times more money on mentally ill inmates than other inmates. For the mentally ill individual, interactions with the criminal justice system often interfere with established treatment and linkages to services in the community.
How are we making an impact? | |
The Cuyahoga County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Court is a concerted endeavor committed to early identification of defendants with severe mental health disorders and developmental disabilities; to promoting coordination and cooperation among law enforcement, jails, community mental health treatment providers, attorneys, and the Courts; and to achieving outcomes that both protect society and support the mental health care and disability needs of eligible defendants during their involvement in the criminal justice system.
The MHDD Court incorporates weekly case staffings, therapeutic approaches, and evidence-based practices to address the following issues: mental health; community safety; housing; substance use disorders; benefit reinstatement; employment; financial planning; familial and peer associations; and criminal thinking.
It is important to note that not all defendants who suffer from mental illness are transferred to the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Court Docket (due to local rule constraints), just as not all individuals involved in the MHDD Court are incarcerated. On average, 13% of the County jail’s inmate population during Q4-20 was comprised of individuals that participated with the MHDD Court. Jail bed usage for this vulnerable population increased, in comparison to 2019, but this rise can be attributed to shuttered community agencies and limited service availability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Q4-20, 46% (n= 238) of all defendants assigned to a MHDD Court Docket (n = 518) were incarcerated in the County jail. Of these incarcerated defendants, the majority were confined but not convicted of their charges. The status of incarcerated MHDD Court participants were as follows: 67% were “pre-trial” cases (confined but not convicted), 7% had violated community control (probation) rules, and 26% were sentenced to the County jail- or were sentenced and awaiting transport to another facility.
Performance Target |
This is an informational measure. It is included to provide additional details related to core County programs and services. Measure performance is impacted by a number of factors, including funding levels, strategic priorities, community need, and policy decisions made at the federal, state, and local level. Targets are not set for informational measures, but timely reporting of updates is important.
MHDD Defendants - Current Performance |
MHDD Defendants Average Number of Bed Days |
Data Source |
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
*Previously reported data for Q3-20 data has been updated to reflect the total number of MH/DD defendants in jail during Q3-20.
Measure Data | Last Calculated 2 days ago |
| Period | | Status | MH/DD Defendants on Docket | MH/DD Defendants in Jail | Average Bed Days on MH/DD Docket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | | Not Defined | |||
| 2017 | | Not Defined | |||
| Q1-18 | | Informational Measure | 600 | 160 | 92 |
| Q2-18 | | Informational Measure | 630 | 180 | 81 |
| Q3-18 | | Informational Measure | 618 | 192 | 81 |
| Q4-18 | | Informational Measure | 650 | 245 | 83 |
| Q1-19 | | Informational Measure | 645 | 206 | 90 |
| Q2-19 | | Informational Measure | 518 | 222 | 94 |
| Q3-19 | | Informational Measure | 574 | 227 | 129 |
| Q4-19 | | Informational Measure | 584 | 212 | 116 |
| Q1-20 | | Informational Measure | 558 | 200 | 159 |
| Q2-20 | | Informational Measure | 407 | 111 | 178 |
| Q3-20 | | Informational Measure | 419 | 139 | 148 |
| Q4-20 | | Informational Measure | 518 | 238 | 189 |
| Q1-21 | | Informational Measure | 407 | 112 | 169 |
| Q2-21 | | Not Defined | |||
| Q3-21 | | Not Defined | |||
| Q4-21 | | Not Defined |