Can a simple alert to police keep mentally ill people out of jail?

NCT ID NCT03740139

First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated May 10, 2026 · Updated 28 times

Summary

This study tested whether alerting police officers that a person has a serious mental illness during a routine check can reduce arrests and help them stay in treatment. About 1,400 adults with conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression who had been arrested before took part. Half had a notice sent to officers with a phone number for mental health support, while the other half did not. Researchers then tracked arrests and gaps in care over two years.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • DeKalb Community Service Board

    Decatur, Georgia, 30030, United States

  • Gateway Behavioral Health Services

    Savannah, Georgia, 31406, United States

Conditions

Explore the condition pages connected to this study.