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Papers on mental health and inmates of correctional facilities
Essays on mental ill and prisons
Papers on mental health and inmates of correctional facilities
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This episode of PBS Frontline focuses on the growing problem of the enormous mentally ill criminal population in prisons and jails. The viewer is also provided with insight on the challenges and difficulties many of the released mentally ill face that often lead them back into incarceration. As the numbers of mentally ill offenders increase, much is debated regarding terms of release and the deinstitutionalization of the 1970’s. One of the main focuses of this episode was how many mentally ill criminals often find themselves re-incarcerated. Those that make parole or temporary supervision are usually better off being that they have someone to make sure their lives are organized.
The Jaycee Lee Dugard case contributed to the overhaul of assessment of risks, needs, and management of offenders within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation program. Specifically, the role, importance, and connection to risk and needs assessment of offenders in community based correction (Bayens, pg. 91). Phillip Garrido was charged with kidnapped and sexual assault of Jaycee Dugard over 18 years span (1991-2009). The aggravating details arise from the incident is that Garrido was under parole supervision as a sex offender since 1999. During those years, Garrido was hardly supervised due to improper classification as low-risk sex offender and failure of background research.
Their are around 500,000 mentally ill people that are put away in prisons and jails. In the documentary “The New Asylums”,Ohio's state prison system reveals the issues that are ongoing with mentally ill inmates. The major problem we have today is that no one is taking care of the people of these people. Most mentally ill people live by themselves with no family or friends to take care of them and they are off their medications. The mentally ill come in to prison on non violent offenses such as disturbing the peace, trespassing, etc. After leaving mental hospitals they usually end up on the streets and become homeless.
Even after release, the counterproductive, deeply internalized patterns learned in prison are still present (Haney, 2002). In addition, the rate of incarceration of mentally ill individuals is alarming. Suspects will mental and developmental disorders are often unfairly sent to prison without regard to their conditions, leaving them helpless. Mentally ill inmates have an even more difficult time adjusting to life in prison, leaving them at an even higher risk for psychological
Many inmates in the correctional system have been incarcerated with a mental illness or has developed it while being in custody. Even though they place them in a separate section they are still in serious danger of harming themselves or having others harm them. Solitary confinement has also played a key role in those who develop mental illnesses. Many have suggested that solitary confinement is a serious threat to many inmates.
The shift is attributed to the unexpected clinical needs of this new outpatient population, the inability of community mental health centers to meet these needs, and the changes in mental health laws (Pollack & Feldman, 2003). Thousands of mentally ill people flowing in and out of the nation 's jails and prisons. In many cases, it has placed the mentally ill right back where they started locked up in facilities, but these jail and prison facilities are ill-equipped to properly treat and help them. In 2006 the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that there were; 705,600 mentally ill inmates in state prisons, 78,000 in federal prisons, and
Penal institutions in America are already over packed making it harder for the prison guards to look out for everyone. Mental diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can make it hard to control for their thoughts and actions, which results in them committing malicious crimes, such as murder. But, these personas do not know that they are doing something terribly wrong. Because of this, they sometimes end up in prison. But with the insanity plea, the accused have a chance in defending themselves.
There are so many mentally ill people in correctional facilities because most families do not know how to help their loves ones who suffer from a mental illness, so the call the police for help. Majority of the police officers do not know what to do or how to handle people with a mental illness disease. Police officers who are not trained to deal with the mentally ill often do not recognize that person is ill. Some police officers do not recognize if the individual should or not go to jail or a treatment center or medical facility. The impact of law enforcement and the judicial system dealing with people with a mental illness is to assist the inmates with the help they need.
Deliver a Speech on Incarceration 1 What percentage of U.S. adults are currently incarcerated? What is their demographic make-up (age, sex, race, class)? A percentage of 0.5% of the United States population is incarcerated.
Today there are more mentally ill people in prisons and jails in the United States than any hospital or psych facility in this country. Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois is the largest mental health institution in the country. When a mentally ill person gets arrested for a violent crime they stay three to four times longer than a regular violent offender. “One third of those incarnated in cook county jail suffers from psychological disorders.” According to a 2006 Justice Department study, more than half of prisoners in the United States Suffer from some sort of mental health problem.
This study examines the sex offenders while being incarcerated. Imprisoned sex offenders face ridicule because of their offense and they are the most victimized group of prisoners. This study tries to understand how these offenders try to be a part of the general prison population and how their conviction become known among the prison population. 59 interviews of formerly incarcerated men give their stories of how the sex offender passes themselves off as non-sex offenders in the prison environment.
Ten percent of men had major depression, 65 percent had a personality disorder and 47 percent had an anti-social personality disorder. Out of the women who were incarcerated, four percent had psychosis, 42 percent had a personality disorder and 12 percent had major depression. Many of those incarcerated also suffered from illnesses such as PTSD, TBI's, ADHD and intellectual disabilities (Anasseril, 2007). In 2008 there was about 2,310,984 individuals in jails, federal and state prisons in the United States. Out of this number, about 231,000 prisoners had a severe mental illness.
Offenders with these disorders could be dangerous to other or even themselves. The offenders with disorders like those stated before are close to being released back into society which must be frightening if they do not take their medicines. 2 Improve conditions Mental offenders are thrown in a correctional facilities due their crimes, but these offenders should be in a prison or a correctional facility where they do not get the help they need. When in a prison some of these offender could be and will be picked on like a schoolyard which might led to a suicide attempt. A report on mental offender in california have reported that over 30,000 prisoners confined in the state prison.
As citizens of the United States, contributing to the building of this nation is a major priority. Part of this, is doing as much as one can to help deter crime rate. In the process of doing so, however, it is possible that hundreds of lives could be put at risk. These are the lives of those who commit the wrongdoing but do not obtain the mental capacity to comprehend the severity of their actions. Throughout the years, there has been an up rise in the debate concerning whether or not criminals who have been diagnosed with, or show symptoms of having mental illnesses should be treated or incarcerated.
There are more people incarcerated who have a mental illness that there are in psychiatric hospitals. (Psychology Today). Mental Health America reports that “there are more than 1.2 million people currently residing in prisons and/or jails with a mental health condition and lack of access to mental health care”. (MHA). 40% of adults with a serious mental illness will be arrested at some point in their lifetime, usually for disturbing the peace or for a petty crime which are caused by their mental illness.
