Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Research has consistently shown that offender populations have higher rates of mental disorders, including history of suicide attempts, and that adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), including parental substance abuse, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, explain much of this association. As the population of incarcerated offenders with mental disorders continues to increase, it is important to analyze the role of trauma among jail inmates. Using a jail-based population from a mid-Atlantic county, we analyze the relationship between self-reported ACE’s and mental disorders, including history of suicidal behaviors. We discuss the results and conclude with a general discussion of the policy implications of the findings for the treatment of mental disorders and trauma responses, and more specifically, we discuss the implications for future jail-based treatment programs.