Bridging the Gap: Integrating Mental Health and Criminal Justice Reform
I am a criminal justice master’s student at Boston University MET because I am deeply committed to serving as a voice, a bridge, and a light for the disenfranchised. I feel a profound calling to advocate for the underrepresented, the neglected, the abandoned, and the forgotten—those whom society often overlooks. My passion extends beyond offering support; I am determined to defend and empower these individuals.
I’ve dedicated the past year and a half of my career to providing case management in Newark, NJ to those in need of resource identification and connection. In each of my case management roles that I’ve ever served in, I’ve had the pleasure of working primarily with individuals who have a history of substance use that have often resulted in legal issues. Through my one-on-one interactions with clients, I have noticed a consistent and concerning pattern: every client I work with has at least one diagnosed mental health diagnosis, and many have multiple diagnoses. In some cases, while they were abusing substances at that time in their life, clients have been arrested after displaying “high-like” behaviors, yet were not actively under the influence at the time of arrest; rather, law enforcement was responding to what were actually mental health crises, such as manic episodes. This repeated observation has led me to recognize a significant gap in psychological training within the criminal justice system. There is a clear lack of sufficient mental health training and resources for law enforcement personnel.
For example, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety’s transparency records (Newark Department of Public Safety, n.d.), between 2020 and June 2025, only 20.8% of all pat-downs and searches resulted in the discovery of weapons or contraband. About 79.2% of these stops didn’t turn up any weapons or illegal items. Still, that didn’t always stop things from escalating. In many cases, people’s reactions during the stop — especially if they were dealing with mental health challenges — played a big role in what happened next. That’s why mental health can’t be ignored in these situations. For instance, individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—particularly those who have experienced physical abuse, sexual assault, or other traumatic events—may be triggered during physical restraint, activating a fight-or-flight response rooted in past trauma. What may seem like defiance or aggression to an officer may actually be a survival response to perceived danger.
Similarly, the individual with schizophrenia may perceive a completely different world than the police officer. Where an officer may logically explain how a search is occurring because the individual matches the description of a robbery suspect, an individual with schizophrenia will also likely have simultaneous auditory or visual hallucinations that change the circumstances. They may hear threatening voices or receive threatening visions, and as a result of that, feel perpetual fear and confusion. Even when the officers describe their mission to the subject in candid and factual terms, the subject’s skewed view of reality can lead the person to fight, flee, or act violently on an honest perception that he/she is being threatened. Unless proper mental health information and intervention methods are applied, such incidents can get out of hand, and the person and law enforcement officers can incur unnecessary injury.
In New Jersey, programs like Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS) are a step in the right direction, offering the help of specially trained mental health professionals in police encounters. PESS centers provide immediate psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention to individuals in acute mental health crisis. When police come into contact with a person in crisis, they can refer that individual to PESS instead of relying on arrest or hospital emergency departments that might not deliver the care needed. Trained mental health workers at PESS assess whether individuals need hospitalization, outpatient treatment, or community-based support with the goal of diverting individuals from the criminal justice system whenever feasible. However, PESS programs are beset by under-staffing and lack of availability that reduces response times and effectiveness. Most services are hospital- or clinic-based with no mobile teams embedded in the community or within police forces. Expanding PESS funding, staffing, and including mental health professionals directly within police operations as co-responders would greatly improve crisis outcomes and reduce harmful escalations.
To truly move forward, we need to improve collaboration between police departments and mental health providers — and that means getting full-time mental health workers into the field directly, with officers. Those workers have to be trained to handle high-stress situations safely and effectively. Or, alternately, departments must make more in-depth psychological and crisis training a priority for officers before they hit the streets. If we are serious about a justice system that is compassionate and actually works, we have to start where it matters most: at the intersection of mental health and public safety.
To address these loopholes, I believe that it is essential not only to enhance partnerships with mental health agencies—such as the Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS)—by providing additional funding to facilitate increased staffing and improved response capabilities but also to incorporate full-time mental health specialists into the Newark Police Department itself. Strengthening external alliances while developing internal mental health expertise would ensure that trained personnel can always accompany officers on arrests, pat-downs, detainments, and other high-stress encounters.
In pursuing my master’s degree in criminal justice at Boston University MET, I am committed to being a catalyst for change—someone who not only understands the complexities of the justice system but actively works to transform it into one that is equitable, compassionate, and effective. Programs like Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services offer a promising foundation but require significant investment and expansion to meet community needs adequately. By advocating for increased funding, integrating mental health professionals into police departments, and prioritizing comprehensive crisis intervention training for officers, I hope to contribute to building a system where vulnerable individuals are met with care and dignity rather than suspicion and harm. My work with individuals impacted by substance use and mental health challenges has deepened my resolve to fight for a justice system that empowers redemption and healing, reflecting the values I hold dear. With the right partnerships and policy changes, we can create safer communities where everyone—especially the disenfranchised—has a voice and a chance to thrive.
References:
Newark Department of Public Safety. (n.d.). Transparency data. Retrieved June 2025, from https://www.newarkpublicsafety.org/npd/transparency-data/