Fact Sheet: Support Mental Health and Criminal Justice Interventions to Lower Health Care Costs in the United States

This fact sheet was made leveraging BHECON’s State Chartbooks produced by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Economics & Policy. This advocacy tool overviews the over-representation of individuals living with serious mental illness or substance use disorders in the criminal justice system. Investing in community-based treatment and other support services improves outcomes for these individuals, reduces the burden on the criminal justice system, and ultimately saves money for states. An editable version exists for your own use.