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The Mental Health of Federal Offenders: A Summative Review of the Prevalence Literature

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Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

 

To date, only a small number of government and peer-reviewed studies have examined the mental health of federal offenders. Although these studies provide isolated bits of information they have yet to be organized into a coherent body of knowledge from which clinicians, administrators and policy makers can inform their work. As a first step in constructing this knowledge and understanding the possible mental health needs of this population (currently America’s largest correctional population), this paper delineates the available government and peer-reviewed studies on federal offenders, highlights their convergent findings, and suggests opportunities for growth in research, administration and policy.

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Notes

  1. Approximately 60,000 federal offenders are released from prison yearly.

  2. In fact, several recent research initiatives by the National Institute of Justice, National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control would indicate that this movement has already begun.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20534, USA

    Philip R. Magaletta

  2. Center for Health Promotion, University of Texas at Houston Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Pamela M. Diamond

  3. Psychology Services Branch and Office of Research and Evaluation, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20534, USA

    Erik Dietz

  4. Marymount University, Arlington, VA, USA

    Stephen Jahnke

  5. Center for Health Promotion, University of Texas at Houston Health Sciences Center, 7000 Fannin, STE 2614, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Pamela M. Diamond

Authors
  1. Philip R. Magaletta
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  2. Pamela M. Diamond
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  3. Erik Dietz
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  4. Stephen Jahnke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pamela M. Diamond.

Additional information

*The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors (Philip R. Magaletta and Erik Dietz) only and do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, or their academic affiliates.

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Magaletta, P.R., Diamond, P.M., Dietz, E. et al. The Mental Health of Federal Offenders: A Summative Review of the Prevalence Literature. Adm Policy Ment Health 33, 253–263 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-005-0022-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-005-0022-2

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