Therapeutic Justice: Crime, Treatment Courts and Mental Illness

Author: Karen A. SnedkerPublisher: Palgrave MacmillanPaperback:ISBN 10: 3030076768ISBN 13: 978-3030076764Hardcover:ISBN 10: 9783319789019ISBN 13: 978-3319789019This book examines Mental Health Courts (MHC) within a socio-legal framework. Placing these courts within broader trends in criminal justice, especially problem-solving courts, the author draws from two case studies with a mixed-methods design. While court observational and interview data highlight the role of rituals and procedural justice in the practices of the court, quantitative data demonstrates the impact of incentives, mental health treatment compliance and graduating patterns from MHC in altering patterns of criminal recidivism. In utilising these methods, this book provides a new understanding of the social processes by which MHCs operate, while narrative stories from MHC participants illustrate both the potential and limitations of these courts. Concluding by charting potential improvements for the functioning and eff