In this student-friendly text, a team of respected scholars balances practical knowledge of how the mental healthcare system operates in conjunction with the criminal justice system, with an analytical framework that looks at how the quality of that collaboration is reflected in the issues, processes and outcomes of both institutions. Professors and students will benefit from an accessible new text that informs and explores: The role of mental healthcare law and procedure in the criminal justice systemHow mentally ill clients are processed through the criminal justice systemMental healthcare terms, resources, and treatment programsContemporary issues in mental health and criminal justice, such as the treatment of mentally ill juveniles inside the criminal justice system, and lack of full access to mental healthcare for at-risk groupsDiscussion of systemic interface and entropy, two central themes to guide student analysis of issues and examples drawn from real lifeMental Health and Criminal Justice is designed with a wealth of features for study and review, including: Learning Objectives Framing the IssuesPrologues and Epilogues that frame issues and provide vivid examplesKey Terms, highlighted in the text and defined in the GlossaryText boxes that expand on points of interestSummary and Chapter Review Questions at the end of each chapter