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CAPS and PACE Backgrounder


  • About 40% of the DOC population are individuals with current or a history of mental health issues.
  • DOC works closely with Correctional Health Services to improve coordination and appropriate information-sharing between health and security staff and provide additional training on working with persons in custody diagnosed with a mental condition.
  • To keep seriously mentally ill persons in custody out of punitive segregation, DOC created CAPS (Clinical Alternative to Punitive Segregation) in 2013 for seriously mentally ill persons in custody who have infracted.
  • The CAPS units provide patients with intensive, therapeutic schedules that include morning meetings, multiple day and evening programs, and one-on-one encounters with a wide range of mental health staff, including counselors, psychologists and psychiatric providers. The program has grown from 4 persons in custody in 2013 to 44 persons in custody as of July 2017.
  • Since its inception, PACE has served over 500 individuals; and CAPS has served over 700 individuals.
  • Created in January 2015 to build on CAPS, PACE (Program to Accelerate Clinical Effectiveness) encourages adherence to treatment, including medication, and jail rules for patient-persons in custody who struggle to function adequately while incarcerated due to chronic mental illness, risk of acute psychiatric decompensation, and/or behavioral disruption.
  • CAPS and PACE are considered national models for therapeutic treatment of seriously mentally ill persons in custody.
  • Persons in custody in CAPS and PACE are involved in fewer Use of Force incidents and show lower rates of self-harm than similar persons in custody in other housing.
  • There has been a decrease in person in custody involvement in Use of Force by 43% in CAPS and by 69% in PACE.
  • There has been a 72% decrease in assaults on staff in CAPS; and a 63% decrease in assaults on staff in PACE.
  • An 8-hour Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) mandatory training course helps officers to recognize the signs of distress in mentally ill persons in custody. The course was rolled out in August 2014 for new recruits. In-Service classes started April 2015. To date, more than 4,000 officers have been trained in Mental Health First Aid.