In a report
from the Council of State Governments Justice Center using a sample of local jails, 16.9 percent
of the incarcerated adults had a mental illness. This is a much higher percentage than is in the
regular population. After the de-institutionalization of state hospitals, state prisons have
have seen an increase in the percentage and number of mental health inmates. Therefore, mental
health presents a real challenge for the criminal justice system.
Law
enforcement officials throughout the country are partnering with local mental health advocates
and mental health service providers more and more in an effort to make it easier for law
enforcement to enable people with mental illnesses to receive much needed services. Studies also
report that 40 percent of individuals with serious mental illnesses have been in jail or prison
at some time in their lives.
In an interview with retired officer Mr. Dennis
Jones from United States Federal Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois, the highest level
penitentiary before the super-max penitentiary in Colorado was constructed, the following
information was provided on the challenges of mental health in a prison setting:
Mental health has long been a challenge for the criminal justice system. While there
are psychological services that are available and at least one psychiatrist is on call at the
prison, there is normally no mental hospital available. Therefore, medication is given in order
to control inmates who have severe psychological problems; however, these inmates must be
carefully monitored to ensure that they actually take their medication. Even so, sometimes there
are inmates whose mental conditions become so elevated that they cannot remain in the
institution. They are then sent to a psychiatric hospital.
In addition, many
of the other prison inmates are frightened by those prisoners who have mental health issues,
especially if they talk to themselves, hallucinate, or self-mutilate. When these other inmates
are frightened and unnerved by the erratic behavior of mentally unstable inmates, there is the
potential for dangerous conflict between inmates.
Still another problem for
inmates with mental health challenges arises with their release, because they are often
uninsured in the months after their release. This, too, is a time during which the inmates are
susceptible to having an increased risk of medical problems and even death, but they are without
insurance to pay for medication and treatment.
If former
prisoners seek psychiatric help and are not covered by Medicaid or other financial assistance
programs, they will end up in the emergency room. Most emergency rooms are not equipped to
handle people who are mentally ill. In addition, most of the mentally ill have a co-occurring
disorder that needs treatment.
If these former prisoners
end up in the emergency room, the taxpayer must absorb the costs that these people
incur.
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