Do you have any experience working with people with mental illness?

Those working within the Department of Juvenile Justice often work with inmates experiencing an array of health issues, including mental health issues and experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts. In addition, it's estimated that over 10% of the prison population has a diagnosed mental health disorder, most commonly mood disorders. The interviewer is curious about what level of experience you have in such situations, and how you'd handle being confronted with situations such as these.

Take time to determine whether you have relevant, translatable experience in this regard. If you have, use the STAR method to describe the Situation you encountered in your example, the Task at hand, the Action you took, and the overall result. If you don't have any experience that translates, offer the experience you do have, and detail that you understand that it may not directly translate to the position you are interviewing for. Offer your understanding of how this relates to the position, and eagerly ask clarifying questions as to what is expected.