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    Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System

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    Anne Nichol, Portland Community College

    Kendra Harding, Portland Community College

    Monica J. McKirdy, Linn-Benton Community College

    Copyright Year:

    Publisher: Open Oregon Educational Resources

    Language: English

    Formats Available

    Conditions of Use

    Attribution-NonCommercial Attribution-NonCommercial
    CC BY-NC

    Table of Contents

    • About this Book
    • Chapter 1: Introduction: The History of Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 2: Mental Disorders in the Criminal Justice System
    • Chapter 3: Disability Activism and the Rights of People with Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 4: Reducing Criminalization of Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 5: Crisis Response and Law Enforcement: Safer Communities for People with Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 6: Mental Disorders in the Criminal Courts: Competence and Insanity
    • Chapter 7: Rethinking Incarceration for People with Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 8: Successful Community Reentry for People with Mental Disorders
    • Chapter 9: When Courts Order Treatment: Civil and Criminal Commitments
    • Chapter 10: Opportunities, Rewards and Challeneges in the Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Fields
    • Glossary

    Ancillary Material

    • Instructor Course Packs
    • About the Book

      This is an introductory textbook exploring the management and treatment of people with mental disorders throughout the criminal justice system.

      About the Contributors

      Authors

      Anne Nichol is a lawyer, an educator, and a mother of four teenagers. Anne obtained her B.A. in Classical Studies from Rhodes College in 1990 and her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1996. Her legal practice began in New York City, where she spent several years engaged in complex civil litigation at Debevoise & Plimpton and later in Portland, Oregon, at Perkins Coie. In 2002, Anne joined the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office as a prosecuting attorney, ultimately specializing in juvenile work. Anne has also served in numerous advocacy roles in the context of inclusive education for disabled children. In 2017, Anne was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to Oregon’s Psychiatric Security Review Board, where she is now the Board Chair, serving her second four-year term. Anne has been a Criminal Justice instructor at Portland Community College since 2015.

      Kendra Harding currently works for Lifeworks NW as a Service Director. For several years, she worked for the U.S. Courts as the treatment services Senior U.S. Probation Officer. She graduated from the University of Iowa and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with her master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. Kendra is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC). She has primarily worked with survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation who are also involved in the criminal justice system. Kendra has worked in a variety of settings, including correctional facilities and behavioral health outpatient & residential treatment programs. In 2022, Kendra was appointed by the Governor to serve as the public health expert on the Oregon Health Authority’s Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee. She has been an instructor at Portland Community College since 2021.

      Monica J. McKirdy is a faculty member at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). She currently teaches for the psychology department and formerly taught for the criminal justice department until it was discontinued at LBCC in 2024. Through Walden University, Monica earned a Master of Science degree in Forensic Psychology with a specialization in Mental Health Applications. She also completed a post-graduate certificate in teaching psychology online. In addition to the for-credit courses she teaches, she has also created several courses for LBCC’s Community Education department, covering topics such as destructive cults and serial killers.

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