Study Examining Mental Health and Jail Populations Wins National Award
A groundbreaking, $3.6 million study acknowledging that jails in the United States are de facto mental institutions—which also studies implementation strategies that can reduce jail populations across the country—won the Mission Award from the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC), a national organization that encourages collaborations by academics, scientists, and researchers to create evidence-based psychosocial interventions.
This is the first time SIRC has presented the Mission Award. The award recognizes collaborations to advance system enhancements to better address health and justice equity issues.
The study, “Evaluation of Stepping Up Efforts to Improve MH Services and Justice Utilization,” is a collaboration among three universities led by Schar School of Policy and Government University Professor Faye S. Taxman at George Mason University, C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University Jennifer E. Johnson, and Jill Viglione, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida.