Crime causes substantial social and economic harm in communities across the United States, and Americans deserve solutions that work. Much criminal behavior may in part be the result of untreated mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD). For instance, studies suggest that around 65% of people incarcerated in the United States have an active SUD.1 A growing number of high-quality studies provide strong evidence that expanding access to mental and behavioral health care reduces crime and recidivism.
