Mental Illness In Prisons

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We all agree that the effects of mental illness can be devastating. Yes, the illness deserves recognition, but how far can our pity go before mental health is an everyday excuse for bad behaviour? Should it be a valid loophole in our legal system for criminals on trial? How long would it be before paedophiles, rapists and murderers are picking up litter in the park instead of reforming in prison due to the blame being placed on their 'second personality'? Now, I'm not arguing that mental health should not be acknowledged at all when sentences are being considered but recovery inside prisons is definitely possible and we can all know that the courts are too lenient when it comes to those 'unfit to plead'!

The term 'unfit to plead' can be …show more content…
the clear distinctions between these two terms is that murder is when you set out and plan to kill a person on purpose. whereas with manslaughter you still kill a person illegally but you did not plan or mean to. If a person that has been found guilty of the offence by the reasoning of mental illness then sentences are usually adjusted. For smaller less serious crimes the sentence could be ‘bound over’ which means the person is let off if they agree not to do it again. Or they could be let out on probation which means you are free to go but have to stick to certain conditions. For more serious crimes the offender could be sent to a mental hospital where they will get treatment for their illness. after six months the offender can appeal to get out but for crimes of a greater magnitude the courts can put a ‘restriction order’ on the hospitalization which means the patient can not be discharged without the permission of the Ministry of Justice. Other cases show that mentally ill criminals are committed to mental hospitals until they show signs of ‘normality’ again. This just proves that claiming to be mentally ill can definitely change your

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