Keys to Federal Benefits AccessThis tool identifies four key issue areas for policymakers seeking to ensure that people who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicaid are enrolled immediately upon release. Within each key, related recommendations and examples are outlined.
Federal Benefits Comparison ChartThis chart compares features of several federal benefit programs for which individuals with serious mental illnesses returning from jail or prison may be eligible. In addition, this tool provides information about how current or previous incarceration affects eligibility for these programs.
This publication highlights research that indicates that enrollment in Medicaid increases access to treatment for people with mental illnesses released from jail and that without continuity of care, these individuals are likely to be reincarcerated.
The Justice Center worked with officials from four states – Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Minnesota – to develop case studies that detail processes and policies implemented in these states to ensure a seamless and successful reentry for people with mental illness. Understanding the steps these states have taken, and the challenges that impede their progress, could inform related efforts in other states.
Download overview of case studies
Download the individual case studies:
Minnesota | New York | Pennsylvania | Texas
This PowerPoint, jointly presented by the Justice Center and Cases Inc., an alternative to incarceration agency, provides an overview of the work these two organizations are conducting related to ensuring that more individuals who may be eligible for SSI/SSDI and Medicaid are enrolled in these programs promptly upon release from jail or prison.
This Justice Center PowerPoint presentation indicates the importance of ensuring continuity of care for individuals with serious mental illnesses leaving jails and highlights various strategies that jail administrators can use to facilitate enrollment in benefit programs in order to promote prompt access to treatment.