In a criminal justice system that many are eager to improve, one significant group is often overlooked: people who experience mental disorders. Thank you for your interest in this important topic.

The authors of this text have served in multiple professional roles in the overlapping fields of criminal justice and behavioral health. As community college instructors, we sought to share our experience and perspective with students, but recognized that few available textbook resources offered the information we wanted to provide. None offered the inclusive and equity-focused points of view that we prioritize and that today’s criminal justice professionals require to meet the needs of their communities with safety, effectiveness, and respect. We have endeavored to create a resource that provides the information we want our students to possess, and we hope that it serves you well.

As you complete your reading of this text, please consider sharing your feedback with the authors. The language and available information on our complex topics is always evolving, even in the midst of this writing. We appreciate your help in correcting any problems and improving this resource.

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Message to Students by Anne Nichol is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.