About the Project

People with serious mental illness are disproportionately involved in the criminal legal system, particularly when that involvement begins early in life. This project will center the experiences of adults with serious mental illness who first encountered the legal system during adolescence, using in-depth life history interviews to understand their journeys through adolescence and adulthood. By exploring experiences with mental health care, housing, employment, and other systems alongside periods of legal system involvement, recovery, and stability, the study will identify key moments when supportive, community-based services could help prevent or interrupt cycles of criminalization. Findings will inform strategies to shift responses to mental illness away from punishment and toward care, recovery, and long-term stability.