An Examination of the Relationship of Homelessness to Mental Disorder, Criminal Behaviour, and Health Care in a Pretrial Jail Population

Objective: To examine the prevalence of homelessness and its relationship to mental disorder, criminal behaviour, and health care. Method: Interview and file data were collected for 790 male admissions to a large, pretrial jail facility over a 12-month period. Results: A significant relationship was found between homelessness and severe mental disorder as well as between homelessness and prior psychiatric history. There were no significant differences found between the homeless and the nonhomeless on the types of crimes for which they were incarcerated or on contact with health care services within the past year. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for a link between the jail and community services for homeless individuals. (Can J Psychiatry 1996;41:435–440) Key Words: forensic assessment, jail mental health, mentally disordered offenders, homelessness Although prevalence rates vary considerably acrossstudies, there is general agreement among researchers that the number of mentally ill individuals in jail is substantial (1–6), and that many of these individuals are arrested fo