Moreover, people who need closer attention do not usually receive it because of accessibility issues and the minimal number of beds in Mental Health Units. There have been numerous attempts to address these issues through increased interest in whether mentally ill individuals pose an increased risk of dangerousness, and how to effectively evaluate and manage that risk (Gagliardi, 2004, p
Mentally ill offenders tend to receive inadequate treatment or inappropriate medication dosages because incarceration facilities are generally ill-equipped to deal with mental illness The current mental health legislation is not adequately supportive to mentally ill offenders who are on probation and parole services. The current experience of many mentally ill offenders in indigenous communities demonstrates that courts are increasingly reluctant to agree to their release or return to the community because of lack of necessary formal support (Hunter, n
Third, Australia's criminal justice system promotes differential treatment of mentally ill offenders in relation to probation and parole programs and services. While mental illness is not a risk factor for recidivism by itself, offenders with mental health concerns and problems are more likely to fare worse in risk assessments (Matejkowski et
Rehabilitation programs for mentally ill offenders should be based on theory rather than assumptions on what may be effective. This is based on demands by contemporary approaches in psychology and medicine that require psychological intervention to be evidence-based (Ogloff & Davis, 2004, p
Most of this attention has been centered on whether offenders with mental illness pose more risk of dangerousness and how to effectively evaluate and manage that risk. While the increased focus has contributed to the creation of various interventions, these services have poorly matched the policy objective of lessening recidivism (Skeem, Manchak & Peterson, 2011, p