Perceived Shortcomings of Mental Health Delivery Systems in North Carolina Community Corrections
Abstract
This paper examines survey data from probation and parole officers in North Carolina.
Officers responded to an online questionnaire about their caseloads; they were asked
to list the biggest or most important challenges they encountered when trying to supervise
probationers with mental illness. Probation officers reported experiencing difficulty
managing cases of probationers with mental illness, but they largely refrained from
blaming the probationer him- or herself for inability to complete probation successfully.
Rather, officers named systematic and environmental factors as their problems. Lack
of good mental health treatment was the most-commonly cited reason for problems arising
in the probation experience. The perceived needs and systematic shortcomings noticed
by the probation officers serve as a springboard in this paper; against the backdrop
of other literature and legal analysis, this paper suggests “next steps” for the North
Carolina Department of Corrections, including areas for future research and potential
policy changes. “Next steps” are geared mostly towards the creation of public-private
partnerships.
Type
Master's projectDepartment
The Sanford School of Public PolicyPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5243Citation
Shaffer, Whitney (2012). Perceived Shortcomings of Mental Health Delivery Systems in North Carolina Community
Corrections. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5243.More Info
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