Citation

Appelbaum PS. Psychiatr. Serv. 2020; 71(4): 409-411.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York. Dr. Appelbaum is editor of this column.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.202000084

PMID

32233771

Abstract

People being held in jails and prisons are entitled under the U.S. Constitution to necessary medical care, including mental health care. Whether such a duty includes planning for care after release has been less clear, despite widespread professional recognition of discharge planning as an integral component of correctional mental health treatment. A recent decision of a federal court of appeals considered the constitutional status of discharge planning for people detained in correctional facilities. The court concluded that a failure to offer discharge planning in the face of serious medical needs is an adequate basis for finding a constitutional violation.

Language: en

Keywords

Forensic psychiatry; Jails and prisons; Law & psychiatry