Ill In Prisons

The number of incarcerated inmates who suffer from some form of mental illness is at a rise. There is a wide range of questions about the treatment of the mentally ill in the justice system and wether prisons are a suitable place for the mentally ill. When a person commits a crime or breaks the law, they are usually taken into custody and sent to jail or prison without being evaluated properly. Instead of being sent to a hospital or a mental health facility to receive the proper treatments, individuals are sent to prisons where they receive little to no help. Due to the deinstitutionalization in the 1950s, the mentally ill were unable to receive the proper treatments and services that the state mental hospitals once provided. The idea behind …show more content…
Pre-booking programs have been established in Pennsylvania, Memphis, Oregon, and Montgomery. Law enforcement is also trained in these areas to handle calls that involve the mentally ill and drug addicts. Each of these areas also provide a 24/7 crisis center that takes everyone in regardless of their situation. As an alternative to prison, police officers also bring the mentally ill and drug addicts to the crisis center. In addition to the pre booking programs, there are also post booking programs that serve similar purposes. The post booking programs are primarily in prisons and in courts. The post booking program in courts work with individuals that are mentally ill who are awaiting trial and consults with the court to find alternatives instead of prison. The post-booking programs in prison focuses more on the research aspect. The mental health providers in prison and the mental health providers in the community work together to create community based treatment alternatives for the mentally ill. With the team effort, the health providers can negotiate with courts to find alternatives from prison. Such alternatives ranges from release with conditions, postponed prosecution, and summary