Cost analysis of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy (MHS) court

Authors

  • Alexandra M. Zidenberg Department of Psychology, King’s University College, London, ON, Canada.
  • Ashmini G. Kerodal Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, Salem, OR, USA.
  • Lisa Jewell Centre for Forensic Behavioural Sciences and Justice Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
  • Glen Luther College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.241

Keywords:

mental health court, administrative charges, recidivism

Abstract

Housing inmates, particularly those living with mental health concerns, is a very expensive prospect. Mental health courts (MHCs) are designed to divert justice-involved individuals living with mental health concerns away from the traditional criminal justice system and to mitigate some of the issues commonly seen in these systems. Given this diversion, it would seem that MHCs could reduce costs associated with crimes committed by this population. While intuitive, these cost savings are an untested assumption as there has been very little research examining the costs of these programs, particularly in Canada. Thus, this study presents the findings from a cost analysis of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy Court in Saskatchewan, Canada. Results demonstrated that Court costs increased in the first and second year post-Court entry. Most concerningly, a large proportion of these increased costs seem to be attributable to administrative charges applied by the Court. Recommendations for MHC operation and potential impacts of the cost analysis are further explored.

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Published

2022-09-15

How to Cite

Zidenberg, A. M., Kerodal , A. G. ., Jewell, L., & Luther, G. (2022). Cost analysis of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy (MHS) court. Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, 7(3), 122–130. https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.241

Issue

Section

Original Research