Essay On Mental Illness In Prison

Jail and Prison hold three times as much mentally ill as mental health hospitals.

Mental disorders afflict between 200,000 and 300,00 Men and Women in U.S prisons.

Living in a prison for a long time becomes difficult for all inmates especially those who are mentally ill face stress when their environment suddenly becomes bars, harsh lights, and super maximum strict schedules. The inmates are forced to face the strict policies and conditions of custody in order to survive in the prison. These prolonged adaptations to the hardship and frustrations of life inside prison lead to certain psychological changes. Most of this inmates find it difficult to adjust in accordance with the prison rules. They get in trouble for destroying state property

and fighting with guards. Other are more sadly to be taken advantage of by other inmates. Some are abused, rape, and have their belongings stolen. Mentally ill offenders face mistreatment and neglect in prisons by others inmates. Many of them suffer of illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Mentally ill prisoners suffer painful symptoms and their conditions can become progressively worse. Some of those symptoms are Grinning or laugh that is inappropriate, moving lips without sound, rapid blinking, and increasing motor activity.
Mental Disability or Mental Illness is a group of disorders of psychological such as retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional illness, and specific learning disabilities.

They have a special service provided in prison. Ruiz v. Estelle (1980) established components needed to deliver adequate mental health treatment in prison. On jail, they don't have the right to force them to take medications or services. In 2009, Two Inmates committed suicide and three others attempted suicide. One inmate had a psychotic breakdown assaulted a corrections officer. Some jails back then didn't had special cells designed for the mentally ill but when they are brought out of a cell some are separated from other inmates, while others are not. Mentally ill inmates need a special housing, jails have a fewer options for handling inmates from the other inmates population who have disciplinary problems. Mentally ill inmates often stay in the jail longer than they should because of the overcrowding at state hospitals or they don't have who to take care of them. I think we can safely say there is no doubt that jails and prisons have become America's Major mental health facilities. For Example, 60 percent of males and 80 percent of female inmates in state prisons, and 65 percent of female and 60 percent of the male in jail will experience a mental health problem requiring mental health services in jail. U.S courts have clearly said that prisoners have that right to receive medical and mental

health care that she or he needs. While they are in prison, most inmates receive minimal medical treatment for substance abuse.
Society think they don't take care of the mental illness offenders in prison and some they don’t treat them the way they need to be treated.
“Mental health needs a great deal of attention. and it needs to be faced and dealt with.” (Adam Ant). I chose this population because in my opinion they should make more hospitals instead of them being illuminated as criminals. When Mental hospitals were shot down on the 1970s those who had mental illness were released but to where? Some to the streets others end up in prison, that's when hospitals were replaced with prison. Those who were Patients now they are inmates. While I was researching, I read this story of Joseph DeRiggi. Where he need to commit a crime just to make sure he would get his medication because the jail was there only option place to get them. I don’t think our society haven’t realized we need the most mental hospital now at days. We’re much more advanced than we used too. I just think it's wrong to put that offender in jails and prison when they should be treated with respect and as a patient in a hospital. The right way to deal with this kind of offenders is to have patient make the person feel safe. Tell them you're there to help them and try to calm them if is agitated. Build trust with him or her. I think people do care about this inmates but they just don’t know about them. For them is like Cancer it's an Illness i don't think they need to be punishment I think they need to be helped. To understand how mental illness started we need to know it came from streets it's a sad reality when a police officer killed and shot this mental person they had to understand