Medical Alternatives to Incarceration: Health Liaison to the Court Advocates for Community Health and Health in All Policies

NYC Correctional Health Services oversees health services on Rikers Island, the second largest jail system in the US. CHS’ provides health-based court advocacy to facilitate community alternatives to incarceration, compassionate release, and sentence reduction. CHS acts as a Health Liaison to the courts by creating a service plan to address health and social service needs of the client while addressing public safety.

By providing health information to the courts and coordinating activities among the medical team, jail-based care coordinators, Alternatives to Incarceration  programs and the legal system, CHS has faciliated over 700 community placements in lieu of incarceration. The Health Liaison approach addresses the need for systemic collaboration between ATI programs and the justice system to remove the need for incarceration as well as facilitate compassionate release and placement into a skilled nursing, behavioral health treatment or other community programs.

In 2014, 735 people incarcerated in NYC jails consented to and received Health Liaison services.  Of these, 390 were diverted to ATI, 109 were placed in community treatment programs not requiring court supervision, 113 were restored to parole after revocation, 82 were granted compassionate release, and 41 had the term of incarceration reduced in the interest of justice.  In total, 345 (46.9%) of those receiving CHS Health Liaison services would have otherwise remained incarcerated.  By offering information unavailable to the courts, and improving individual health outcomes, CHS' Health Liaison approach reduces the impact of incarceration on communities with the greatest health disparities.