Introduction
The number of mental health conditions in prisons has continually exceeded those of the general population. For example, Mills and Kendall (2018) explain that three-quarters of female inmates and half of the male prisoners exhibit signs of mental disorders compared to nine percent of the general population. The United States’ correctional facilities are considered the most prominent mental health care providers worldwide (Ford, 2019). Despite the mandates set by the courts about access to adequate care in prisons, these rules and regulations are limited to critically ill prisoners. This has made access to mental health care sporadic for inmates (Mills and Kendall, 2018). However, mental institutions in the United States play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of mentally ill inmates despite significant challenges.
Reasons Why Mental Health Issues are High in Prisons
The high number of mental health issues in prisons is attributed to various reasons. Mills and Kendall (2018) expound that the public perception of these patients is among these elements. This is because most individuals believe that mentally ill people are dangerous; therefore, they isolate them. Additionally, the public is unwilling to tolerate the disturbing and challenging behavior of individuals with mental disorders (Ford, 2019). Different countries and states fail to promote these patients’ treatment, rehabilitation, and care. This might be caused by inadequate resources in the correctional facilities.
Mental health care poor access or inadequate services play a significant role in accelerating these issues. Moreover, the mental health care inadequate services play a significant role in accelerating these issues. For example, Ford (2019) states that 306 inmates have died in Washington and Oregon jails since 2008 (par. 6). Additionally, in 2017, 428 prisoners died in Florida correctional facilities, while sixteen others lost their lives in Mississippi in August 2018 (Ford, 2019 par. 8). Ford (2019) explains that one remarkable incident is that of Sandra Bland, who committed suicide in Texas jail in 2015 after explaining to the prison staff that she had previously tried to kill herself (par. 8). However, the prison staff did not pay much attention to Sandra’s case, which caused her death. Some inmates have mental issues before they get to prison, while others develop the disorders during imprisonment. This might be caused by torture, prevailing conditions, consequences, or other violations of human rights.
Factors that Worsen Prisoners’ Mental Health Disorders
Mental institutions in prisons are essential and might be helpful to inmates. However, various factors adversely affect mentally ill individuals (Mills and Kendall, 2018). For example, some correctional facilities are overcrowded, resulting in worsened health results, and increased suicide risks. The primary causes of these effects are mandated sentences and inadequate funds to construct more prisons (Mills and Kendall, 2018). Therefore, different American states use correctional facilities over the intended capacities.
Violence is another element that hurts prisoners. There are different forms of conflicts experienced in prisons. This has caused the United States prisoners to live and die in horrifying conditions (Mills and Kendall, 2018). For example, in 2019, the Civil Rights Division investigated the cause of deaths in Alabama (Mills and Kendall, 2018). A dead inmate’s body was left unattended for long until their face became flattened; another prisoner was tortured after being tied up for two days while another had burns from hot shaving cream (par. 1). The researchers also established that prisoner to prisoner violence had doubled over the last five years in Alabama (Mills and Kendall, 2018 p. 15). Lack of meaningful activity, privacy, and isolation from social networks are also associated with worsening the conditions of mentally ill people. Therefore, despite the many efforts invested by mental institutions in prisons, the number of deaths increases due to the surrounding environment.
Mental institutions play a crucial role in correcting the behaviors of prisoners in and out of correctional facilities. Corresponding to Mills and Kendall (2018), after being released from prison, there is 70% that individuals who receive professional mental health issues diagnosis and treatment go back to prison at least one time compared to those who lacked the diagnoses (p. 123). Additionally, the recidivism rates among people who had been previously imprisoned range from 50% to 230% for mentally ill individuals compared with those that do not have these disorders (Mills and Kendall, 2018 p. 125). The possibility of reoffending for people who had mental issues and received quality care is minimal. Moreover, Mills and Kendall (2018) expound that some people face discrimination and stigma from the community. Therefore, they commit crimes intentionally because they view the correctional facilities as safe.
Solutions
Prevention, detection, and proper mental health issues treatment should be a priority in prisons. Mental institutions in correctional facilities should implement measures to transfer inmates to the relevant healthcare facilities at all criminal proceedings stages (Mills and Kendall, 2018). This is because prisons concentrate on punishment and deterrence of criminals instead of care and treatment. Prisoners should be provided with adequate access to mental health services. This can be achieved through training correctional facilities’ health workers and establishing community mental health teams’ regular visits to detention places (Mills and Kendall, 2018). As a result, mentally ill people will get the help they need in correctional facilities.
Prisoners should have equal psychotropic medication access similar to other people in society. In addition, the friends and family members of inmates should be educated about mental health (Mills and Kendall, 2018). This will significantly minimize the possibility of stigma and discrimination when the prisoners are released from correctional facilities (Mills and Kendall, 2018). Mental institutions should also be willing to disclose factual information in correctional facilities. This is because state lawmakers argue that crucial information is hidden from them; therefore, they cannot take action against prisons that fail to provide adequate mental health care (Ford, 2019). Therefore, these facilities should collaborate with lawyers to promote the well-being of prisoners.
Conclusion
In summary, the number of prisoners with mental health issues has increased over time compared to the general population. There is a strong correlation between mental health and criminal behavior. Therefore, the United States government should implement measures to strengthen prisons’ mental institutions to minimize injuries, deaths, and reoffending. Prisoner-to-prisoner cases have doubled over the last five years, a trend caused by rising mental health disorders. This has resulted in increased deaths and recidivism cases in America. Mental issues have been determined by factors such as inadequate healthcare services, stigma and discrimination, and societal perception of the illness. Additionally, the conditions in most correctional facilities, such as lack of privacy, idleness, violence, and uncertainty about the future, worsen the needs of mentally ill patients.
References
Ford, M. (2019). The Everyday Brutality of America’s Prisons. The New Republic. Web.
Mills, A., & Kendall, K. (Eds.). (2018). Mental health in prisons: critical perspectives on treatment and confinement. Springer.