Mental Illness In Prisons

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The number of inmates in the department of corrections that have a mental illness is steadily rising. In 2006, there were estimated to be 705,600 mentally ill inmates in state prisons, 78,000 in federal prisons and 47,900 in local jails (NIC). Most inmates suffer from social anxiety disorders or depression. There are three times more people in prisons with mental health problems than in actual hospitals (News). However, this is a problem for various reasons, two being that prisons cannot afford the proper medications and treatment as well as that prisons are not well enough equipped to handle these issues. Convicts often times blame their crime on their mental instability. With pharmaceuticals being as expensive as they are, offenders often …show more content…
This program would be stationed in building not on prison grounds. Psychologists and other experts could be employed in the building or facility. The newly released inmates could go here if they need any kind of mental health help or if therapy is prescribed. While there are other psychology offices the newly released could go to, this one will be designated specifically for former inmates. At first, this would be a place for those liberated who need a place to go to talk to a professional about adjusting to life outside of the prison. However, eventually, if the funding is available, this could be a place where inmates could go to pick up their medication at a discounted rate. The cost of medication often times causes those who need it to not take it because they cannot afford it. A 9.5 day treatment for Bipolar Disorder costs someone without insurance $7,593 (Examination). The medication aspect could be treated much like a methadone clinic: the patient walks in and takes his pills and then leaves. The patient is required to keep coming back for more doses. The person needing the prescription could come in and take only one dose at a time. This could also help avoid drug overdosing. If someone were to overdose, there would be care providers available to give them the proper medical attention immediately. Implementing a counseling program for the recently released …show more content…
If there is no attempt to solve the issue, then it will just continue to grow and spiral out of control. Building a separate facility on prison grounds allows the inmates to remain isolated from the est of the inmates, but at the same time they can feel like the general population with the dorm-like setting. This would be beneficial to both the mentally handicapped and “normal” inmates. The introduction of a counseling program at an off-campus facility would provide a place for recently released inmates to go when they need to take their medication or to talk to one of the professional employees. Finally, the implementation of testing in the schools would provide early detection, which could lead to early treatment and possibly prevent those children from becoming incarcerated themselves. The fact there are more inmates with mental illnesses than there are people in mental institutions is becoming a severe problem. Prison nurses cannot provide the same level of care that those who work with the mentally ill in hospitals can. As a society, people should want their communities and homes to be safe places, and if these solutions are implemented, those homes and communities are one step closer toward being
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