Essay Mentally Ill in Prison - 698 Words

Given the number of incarcerated inmates who suffer from some form of mental illness, there are growing concerns and questions in the medical field about treatment of the mentally ill in the prison system. When a person with a mental illness commits a crime or break the law, they are immediately taken to jail or sent off to prison instead of being evaluated and placed in a hospital or other mental health facility. â€Å"I have always wondered if the number of mentally ill inmates increased since deinstitutionalization† Since prison main focus is on the crimes inmates are incarcerated; the actual treatment needed for the mentally ill is secondary. Mentally ill prisoners on the surface may appear to be just difficult inmates depending on the†¦show more content†¦With states closing many of its mental facilities in the communities, there were a lot of people in need of outpatient care who fell through the cracks of the system and ended up in prison. Prison is where many of them died from inadequate treatment. Prisons were suddenly receiving inmates with the following types of mental illnesses: Schizophrenia, bipolar, and deep depressions. These prisons just did not provide these inmates with any medication during their incarceration. Because the community based health services is lacking, and patients aren’t receiving sufficient outpatient care, it makes the effectiveness of deinstitutionalization a serious problem. Without the availability of 24/7 psychiatric services that are well structured, I believe that deinstitutionalization is what is accounting for the increase of the mentally ill inmates in the correctional facility. Incarcerating the Mentally Ill While most people are concerned and want violent offenders punished and thrown in prison (which is a valid concern), it is rare that violent acts are committed by the mentally ill. For those crimes the mentally ill commits, prison may not always be the right answer; instead, proper treatment and rehabilitation would be much better. In general, the statement has always been made that theShow MoreRelatedTreatment Of The Mentally Ill And The Prison System926 Words   |  4 PagesNew Asylums†, the program explored the lives in prison of several Ohio inmates. The presentation presented numerous distinct issues of the treatment of the mentally ill in the prison system. The most significant issues presented within the program were the medical treatment received both in and out of the prison system, factors that influence punishment, isolation and medication, the length of the sentencing the mentally ill receive, and why prisons seem to have become the n ew asylums. One of theRead MoreServing Mentally Ill Prison Populations Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesServing Mentally Ill Prison Populations Kylee L. Radcliffe Argosy University  Abstract [The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. Section titles, such as the word Abstract above, are not considered headings so they don’t use bold heading format. Instead, use the Section Title style. This style automatically starts your section on a new page, so you don’t have to add page breaks. To apply any text style in this document with just a tap, on the HomeRead MoreMentally Ill Prisons And The Death Sentence2084 Words   |  9 PagesMentally Ill Prisons and the Death Sentence Criminals with mental disorders should be held accountable for their actions and receive adequate punishment up to and including the death penalty. If they’re well enough to commit the crime that someone without a mental disorder can commit they should get the same punishment. Inmates with mental disorders are more likely to disrupt day to day prison activity, leading to needing more and more prison guards to keep the order. An estimated 283,000 prisonersRead MoreThe Shutdown Of Public Mental Health1614 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Bureau of Justice Statistics calculated that there were approximately 705,600 mentally ill adults incarcerated in state prisons, 78,800 mentally ill adults incarcerated in federal prisons, and 479,900 mentally ill adults incarcerated in local jails (â€Å"Mentally Ill†). In response to the increase in the number of incarcerations and news stories, people around the nation developed harmful stigmas towards mentally ill people. According to Sarah Glazer’s article entitled Prisoners and Mental IllnessRead MoreThe Death Of Christopher Lopez918 Words   |  4 PagesA lawsuit has been filed over the death of Christopher Lopez who was a diagnosed mentally ill inmate. On March 17, 2013 Lopez died while incarcerated in the San Carlos Correctional Facility. Lopez died on a concrete floor struggling to breathe while guards watched through the food slot to his cell. The reality of it which is why this is beyond frustrating and unacceptable in America is because Lopez s was a schizophrenic. Lopez was given a psychotropic drug to deal with his schizophrenia. LopezRead MoreMental Health Treatment Of Mentally Ill Essay1542 Words   |  7 Pagesservices to be insufficient for the mentally ill population. Mentally ill individuals were send back to society despite of their prevailing circumstances. The lack of assistance made mentally ill individuals to commit a high percentage of crimes due to their state of mind. Mentally ill ind ividuals who had committed crimes were being incarcerated instead of forcing them to receive mental health treatment. According to Schneider (2008) the percentage of mentally ill entering the Criminal Justice SystemRead MoreCrazy: a Fathers Search Through Americas Mental Healthy Madness - Annotated Bibliography864 Words   |  4 PagesPeriod Annotated Bibliography Doyle, Jim, and Peter Fimrite. Caring for Mentally Ill Criminals Outside of Prison Is Dangerous. Americas Prisons. Ed. Clare Hanrahan. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Criminally Insane Taking over State Hospitals. San Francisco Chronicle 22 July 2001. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. In this article, the incarceration of the mentally ill is encouraged because it is safer than keeping them in mental institutionsRead MoreEssay on Prisoners and The Development of Severe Mental Illness1375 Words   |  6 Pagesreturn to the free world following their time in prison. Due to the punitive tendencies of the prison system, prison will likely only exacerbate peoples preexisting mental illnesses, making them susceptible to recidivism, or further engaging in criminal behavior. This paper will examine the links between the prison system’s mentality to punish rather than rehabilitate its prisoners and therefore the lack of mental health care or rehabilitation the prisons provide for inmates with severe mental illnessRead MoreMentally Ill Criminals : Punishment Vs. Treatment1524 Words   |  7 Pages2016 Mentally Ill Criminals : Punishment vs. Treatment When a mentally ill offender is brought before the court, the appointed judge has to make a difficult decision, determining whether treatment or punishment would be more effective in the case. Cases may differ, some may be more deliberate and perplexing while others are straightforward, but more research is needed for cases involving the mentally ill no matter how simple they may seem. Many factors are measured when a mentally ill criminalRead MoreKiana Griffin. 2 May 2017. Rhet 105 – M2. Rehabilitation1618 Words   |  7 Pagessignificant cause of morbidity in prisons across the United States (U.S). Deinstitutionalization of the state’s mental health system has turned prisons into America’s â€Å"new asylums†; it has become a warehouse for the mentally ill. Our U.S prison rehabilitative services are not equipped to provide care and psychological treatment for the mentally ill which allows for these mental illnesses to persist, worsen or even trigger new ones. It can even cause inmates to wind up back in prison upon release for minor offenses