The imprisonment of people with mental illnesses presents significant controversy. Globally, criminal justice systems neglect the mentally ill offenders by imprisoning them without providing substantial treatment. Besides, due to overcrowding in prisons, the possibility of identifying convicted criminals with mental illness reduces. The result is the loss of government revenue in accommodating the large inmate population. In this regard, it is valid to argue that criminals with psychological disorders should receive treatment rather than be in jails. Criminals with mental disabilities should receive mental healthcare to prevent unjust criminal justice systems and avoid unnecessary government prison expenditures.
The role of criminal justice systems is not just to reprimand law offenders but also to rehabilitate. One in twelve male detainees with psychological disorder reported at least one occurrence of sexual abuse, compared with one in thirty-three male inmates without mental illness (Fazel et al., 2016). Therefore, detaining them in prisons is impulsive to both their physical and psychological states. Imprisonment of mentally ill criminals also draws significant funding and investment. Giliberti (2015) accounts that the cost of housing a convicted criminal with a mental disorder is approximately $31000, compared to $10000 incurred in the management of an individual with psychological illness outside the prisons. In this regard, it is essential to incur a cost where the taxpayer’s budget is low, yet with a quality outcome.
To conclude, a criminal with a psychological disorder needs to receive mental health treatments to prevent unjust criminal justice systems and to avoid unnecessary government prison expenditures. Apart from victimization, the cost of imprisoning a mentally disturbed person is higher than providing treatment. In this regard, it is valid to argue that criminals with mental illness should be treated rather than be imprisoned. Moreover, policies should be enacted to ensure criminal processes are just and cost-effective to the local government.
References
Fazel, S., Hayes, A., Bartellas, K., Clerici, M., & Trestman, R. (2016). Mental health of prisoners: Prevalence, adverse outcomes, and interventions. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(9), 871-881. Web.
Giliberti, M. (2015). Treatment, Not Jail: It’s Time to Step Up | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Web.