Final Project

Mental illness in the criminal justice system

Unit 6 Crimes, Laws, & Punishments

Learning Objectives

o   Why has mental illness become prevalent in prison systems?

o   What is deinstitutionalization?

o   What are some stigmas surrounding mental illness?

Deinstitutionalization is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with community mental health services. The concept of deinstitutionalization first began in the early twentieth century due to the unhygienic, overcrowded, unsafe, and abusive conditions that went into the mental health industry in this time period. This process works by first decreasing the amount of patients, shortening stays, and reducing admission rates in psychiatric hospitals. Then, the reformation of mental hospitals’ internal processes to reduce dependency and maladapted behaviors. Deinstitutionalization has caused a domino effect of the mistreatment of mental illness. Since deinstitutionalization has been in effect, there are less long-term care facilities for the severely mental ill or disabled. In turn, people with mental illness have less of a chance to seek help for mental illnesses. Another reason for the mentally ill not seeking medical treatment and attention, is the stigmas surrounding mental illnesses.  Some of the stigmas that surround mental illness include shame, blame, discrimination, stereotyping, social exclusion, isolation, and secrecy. These reasons have made it almost necessary for prison systems to become involved in the treatment the mentally ill. Also, because of the influx of mentally ill patients in prison systems, the general lack of

training and education in mental illness, and the rather high recidivism rates in America, the return rate of inmates with mental illnesses has also been high. There has also been an increase in issues within prison systems themselves with the treatment and medication of inmates with diagnosed and recognized mental illnesses. One of the biggest problems surrounding this issue has been the general lack of knowledge and training of the guards and medical staff in prisons. Because of recent budget cuts to medical costs for prison, there also tends to be a lack of proper treatment for certain illnesses. Due to the lack of things ranging from education, treatment, or financial support, many prisons deal with inmates in the only way that they can see fit; with solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is often used for violent offenders who have shown aggressiveness towards other inmates, staff, and officers. Solitary confinement can be used as a punishment inside of prison as well as to implement a suicide watch for inmates who have threatened, or acted upon, harm to themselves. Another reason to invoke a solitary confinement sentence could be a psychotic episode or symptoms of a psychotic episode. Many studies have found that prisoners with mental illnesses who are

sentenced to solitary confinement do not show improvement in their condition, and in some cases, their condition may worsen due to lack of human interaction. Also, prisoners who previously had no symptoms, signs, or diagnoses of mental illness have been known to develop mental illnesses after extended period in solitary confinement. To make the situation even worse, inmates who have been freed directly from solitary confinement have recidivism rates twice as high as their fellow inmates.

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Discussion Prompt:
Write a paragraph discussing a few ways that you think this problem could be solved.

Articles:
http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/mentally-ill-offenders-u-s-criminal-justice-system#

http://www.abqjournal.com/517181/opinion/mentally-disabled-ill-prisoners-civil-rights-violated.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/patients-as-prisoners-jails-new-mental-health-institutions/

Sources:

"A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care System." Unite for Sight. Unite for Sight. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.uniteforsight.org/mental-health/module2>.

Byrne, Peter. "Stigma of Mental Illness and Ways of Diminishing It." Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/1/65.full>.

"Recidivism." National Institute of Justice. National Institute of Justice, 17 June 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx>.

"Solitary Confinement: Isolation & Administrative Segregation." Justice Fellowship. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.justicefellowship.org/solitary-confinement>.

Protecting the Kitsap Forest and Bay

The people in the community of Kitsap County, Washington have become increasingly concerned with a large area of land that has been considered for both residential and industrial development. These developments would pose a threat to the community’s drinking water, wildlife, and two of their priority salmon streams. The increasing size and need for industrialization of the area has caused issues with the community’s desire to retain the area’s natural landscape. The problem is so well known among the community that a community driven initiative known as the Kitsap Forest and Bay Project was formed to protect the shoreline and forest near the community, lining the Puget Sound.

 The Kitsap Forest and Bay Project has been working on raising enough money to acquire around 7,000 acres of forest and 1.8 miles of shoreline on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington's Puget Sound. Recently, Kitsap County purchased 900 acres of land and 1.8 miles of forested shoreline for North Kitsap Heritage Park to protect the land from deforestation and devastation of the area’s natural resources. Although this is a huge step for the project, and a big accomplishment for the community, there is still a lot of land to be acquired if they want to reach their goal. A lot of the local government has shown huge amounts of support, both financial and representative, of the project. The community as a whole is in huge support of the project because of the benefits it will have for the area as well as tourism because of

hiking and biking trails that are already in existence around the park. Many mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians have advocated for the conservation of the land not only because of the garnered area for activities, but also because of the money that the tourism to the forest and shoreline bring to local businesses. There are a lot of positive side effects to acquiring this land. Some of those being the protection of the area’s drinking water, the local wildlife population’s habitat, and two salmon streams on the land. The consequences of this project are little to none other than the possible loss of jobs and the relocation of possible building sites.

  "Kitsap Forest and Bay Coalition." Kitsap Forest and Bay Project. 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.kitsapforestbay.org/default.htm>.

"900 Acres of Trails and Habitat Permanently Protected." Sys-con Media. Ulitzer, Inc., 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3252833>.