Black and Native people continue to be grossly overrepresented in jails at 592 and 401, respectively, per 100000 people compared with White people, who are incarcerated at a rate of 187 per 100 000 1 HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH IN JAILS Jails concentrate people with highly infectious and chronic diseases and untreated mental illness and substance use problems, which contributes to the health inequities in the communities to which they return 2 We see this today more than ever, with jails being vectors for spreading COVID-19 3 People spend an average of 25 days in jail1;these short stays can disrupt established mental health care and bring infectious disease home to people's families and neighbors Hedden et al suggest several solutions, including the application of critical race theory to policy and practice in the criminal-legal and behavioral health fields, authentic leadership that mirrors affected populations, and culturally responsive interventions to address systemic and individual barriers Policy reform and the development and testing of interventions that work for people of color with SMI who enter orare at risk for entering the criminal-legal system are essential in closing the gap between need and service utilization in this critical postincarceration period
Behavioral Health Services Following Release From Jail: A Widening Racial Disparity Gap