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.