Mental health and the criminal justice system have long been intertwined. Analyzing and understanding the links between these two topics requires a person to delve into the fields of criminology, sociology, psychology, and psychiatry, because there are many points of view on whether or not a person's criminal behavior is due to their mental health. Some believe that an unstable state of mind can greatly influence a person's decision to commit criminal actions. Others believe that mental health and crime are unrelated and that linking them together is a form of discrimination because it insinuates that those in our society who suffer from poor mental health are more likely to become criminals because their misunderstood behavior is not seen as a problem . normality in society. In this report I will go into detail about what mental health and mental illness are, what differentiates a normal criminal from a mentally unstable one, provide examples of criminal cases where the defendant's state of mind was brought up, introduce theories as to why one should commit crimes due to their mental health, and finally I will discuss how the criminal justice system has been modified to accommodate mental health issues. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) the term mental health is commonly used to refer to mental illness. However, knowledge in the field has advanced to a level that completely separates the two terminologies. But even though mental health and mental illness are indeed related, they represent a different mental state in a person. Mental health refers to our physical and emotional well-being. Mental health is primarily about how we behave, interact and think. It is......at the heart of the card......culture and beliefs. Another reason why one might commit crime is that when people fail to meet society's expectations through legal means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime. People also develop the motivation and skills to commit crimes through the people they associate with. Some criminals commit crimes because of the controls that society places on a person through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families. Sometimes there are occasions when a person's actions go against what society considers normal and are consequently considered a crime instead. Furthermore, some criminals continue their criminal acts because they have been shunned by their society because once a person is labeled as a criminal, society takes away opportunities from them, which in most cases leads to more criminal behavior.