The community re-entry of mentally disordered offenders in British Columbia

People with mental illness are overrepresented in British Columbia’s jails. Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDOs) typically commit low-level crimes and receive short sentences that make them ineligible for parole. After incarceration, it is difficult for MDOs to find housing, employment, maintain good mental health and apply for benefits due to their mental illness, criminal record and, often, their addiction. Almost half of the MDOs released from jail fail to re-enter the community and consequently re-offend. In BC, there are too few transition services to help MDOs successfully re-enter the community. This study examines case studies from the United States to identify service delivery models that reduce the rate of recidivism among MDOs and interviews to find the gaps in mental health service delivery for MDOs in British Columbia. Recommendations include implementing a transition program, creating housing spaces for MDOs and establishing a mandate to service this complex, and often overlooked population.