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Assessing the Contribution of the Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill to Growth in the U.S. Incarceration Rate

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  • Steven Raphael
  • Michael A. Stoll

Abstract

We assess the degree to which the mentally ill who would have been in mental hospitals in years past have been transinstitutionalized to prisons and jails. We also assess the contribution of deinstitutionalization to growth in the U.S. prison population. We find no evidence of transinstitutionalization for any demographic groups for the period 1950-80. However, for the 20-year period 1980-2000, we find significant transinstitutionalization rates for all men and women, with a relatively large transinstitutionalization rate for men in comparison to women and the largest transinstitutionalization rate observed for white men. Our estimates suggest that 4-7 percent of incarceration growth between 1980 and 2000 is attributable to deinstitutionalization. While this is a relatively small contribution to prison growth overall, the results suggest that a sizable portion of the mentally ill behind bars would not have been incarcerated in years past.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Raphael & Michael A. Stoll, 2013. "Assessing the Contribution of the Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill to Growth in the U.S. Incarceration Rate," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(1), pages 187-222.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlstud:doi:10.1086/667773
    DOI: 10.1086/667773
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    Cited by:

    1. Mateus Dias & Luiz Felipe Fontes, 2024. "The Effects of a Large-Scale Mental Health Reform: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 257-289, August.
    2. Randi Hjalmarsson & Matthew J. Lindquist, 2022. "The Health Effects of Prison," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 234-270, October.
    3. Mallory Avery & Jessica LaVoice, 2023. "The effect of “failed” community mental health centers on non‐white mortality," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 1362-1393, June.
    4. Courtney C. Coile & Mark G. Duggan, 2019. "When Labor's Lost: Health, Family Life, Incarceration, and Education in a Time of Declining Economic Opportunity for Low-Skilled Men," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(2), pages 191-210, Spring.
    5. David J. Harding & Christopher Winship, 2016. "Population Growth, Migration, and Changes in the Racial Differential in Imprisonment in the United States, 1940–1980," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-37, July.

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