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Untreated Mental Illness In Prisons

525 Words3 Pages

Untreated mental illness is dangerous and over time we have learned that locking people with a mental illness is not the solution but makes it worse. People with untreated mental illness face many consequences. “People with untreated psychiatric illnesses comprise 250,000 people, of the total homeless population” (mentalillnesspolicy.org). The quality of life for these individuals is extremely heart breaking, and many are victimized regularly. There are also cost to the communities, people with untreated MH issues end up in hospitals, shelters or jail. “In 2011, there were about 240,000 seriously mentally ill people in prisons and 125,000 in jails, an additional 770,000 seriously mentally ill are on probation or parole. There are now more than ten times more seriously mentally ill persons in jails and prisons than in state hospitals” (mentalillnesspolicy.org). …show more content…

“The Department of Justice report found: of spouses killed by spouse 12.3 percent of defendants had a history of untreated mental illness; of children killed by parent 15.8 percent of defendants had a history of untreated mental illness; of parents killed by children 25.1 percent of defendants had a history of untreated mental illness; and of siblings killed by sibling 17.3 percent of defendants had a history of untreated mental illness”

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602 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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1833 Words | 8 Pages

Currently the World Health Organization claims that 450 million people around the world suffer from some kind of mental or behavioral illness, and this impacts 15.4 percent of the lives lost around the globe. The American Psychological Association states that in order for something to be a mental illness, it needs to be deviant, dysfunctional, and distressful (Myers 561).Through this staggering number, the world understands and acknowledges those impacted by psychological disorders, yet it only sits back and stares. To these people, their emotions, life, physical and mental well being is compromised yet the resources to aid them and bring them back to the everyday world are not readily available. The confusion, lack of control, and external pressures exerted on a mentally ill person leads them to deviate away from the normal ways of society. In order to bring them back and make them a functioning member of society, the hospitals and government should spread their programs and make it more easily available and cheaper, since many of the mentally ill lack the social acceptance that most people have.

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1426 Words | 6 Pages

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679 Words | 3 Pages

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1349 Words | 6 Pages

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834 Words | 4 Pages

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1461 Words | 6 Pages

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1528 Words | 7 Pages

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1363 Words | 6 Pages

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503 Words | 3 Pages

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860 Words | 4 Pages

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1196 Words | 5 Pages

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1225 Words | 5 Pages

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577 Words | 3 Pages

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947 Words | 4 Pages

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