Al-Rousan, T., Rubenstein, L., Sieleni, B., Deol, H., & Wallace, R. B. (2017). Inside the nation’s largest mental health institution: a prevalence study in a state prison system. BMC Public Health, 17(342).
The researchers carried out a cross-sectional study using the Iowa Corrections Offender Network to determine the mental illness prevalence rates and associated comorbidities among the state prison systems’ inmates. It was found that almost half (48%) of inmates had a mental illness, of whom 29% had severe mental health challenges (Al-Rousan et al., 2017). Notably, almost all inmates were diagnosed with mental health disorders during the first year of their incarceration. The study is significant to the identified topic because it shows that prisons are aware of their inmates’ mental health problems but choose not to address them. In the social context, the source provides a commentary on the persisting challenge that remains unaddressed.
Fuller Torrey, E., Kennard, A. D., Eslinger, D., Lamb, R., & Pavie, J. (2010). More mentally ill persons are in jails and prisons than hospitals: A survey of the states. US Department of Justice.
The literature review is highly relevant to the current topic because it examines data, which now can be considered historical, on the number of mentally ill individuals in the US prison system compared to the number being treated at mental health institutions. The researchers suggest that prisons’ and jails’ capacity to treat mentally ill inmates is highly limited. Nevertheless, states lack political will and determination to address this problem and use assisted patient treatment for mentally ill patients. Instead, the inmates remain in their cells while their mental health condition gets worse.
Steinberg, D., Mills, D., & Romano, M. (2010). When did prisons become acceptable mental healthcare facilities? Stanford Law School.
The publication’s authors suggest that the severe oppression inflicted upon mentally ill individuals should not be ignored. In California only, mentally ill inmates represent 45% of the entire prison population, which shows that instead of being treated, people with psychological issues are put in prisons where they rarely get the needed treatment (Steinberg, Mills, & Romano, 2010). Thus, the report is essential to the chosen topic as the authors provide solutions to the challenge, such as a sentencing reform concerning mentally ill individuals and the provision of meaningful treatment. In the social context, the report provides a commentary on the mistreatment of a vulnerable population group that requires a healthcare intervention. The report suggests that treating prisons as mental health institutions is unacceptable, but they remain to be treated as such.
Edgemon, T. G., & Clay-Warner, J. (2018). Inmate mental health and the pains of imprisonment. Society and Mental Health, 9(1), 33-50.
The researchers studied national data on more than 5,000 inmates and more than 200 prisons in which they reside to examine whether prison conditions are related to the exacerbation of mental health symptoms. The results revealed that the deprivation inmates experience in prison exacerbated their adverse mental health systems. At the same time, there are no strategies set in place to alleviate the burden of psychological distress in prisons. The study is relevant to the topic because it shows that prisons are not ideal environments for people with mental health conditions. The social context needs addressing because the symptoms of mental health disorders only become severe when people are in prison.
Dyer, W., Cassidy, K., Ridley, L., Biddle, P., McClelland, N., & Brandon, T. (2021). The development of a prison mental health unit in England: Understanding realist context(s). International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 20(2), 101-117.
In their study, the researchers explored a pragmatic solution to the mental health problem in prisons – developing a prison unit for prisoners diagnosed with severe mental illness. The unit was created “within over-lapping health and justice contexts” that affected the mental health outcomes of inmates (Dyer et al., 2021, p. 101). The study is highly relevant to the research topic because it shows that there are solutions to the problem of unaddressed mental health in prisons. Still, it is the lack of determination that prevents their implementation. In the social context, the research suggests that attention to the mental health outcomes of inmates can significantly improve if the system considers their needs and enhances the available services.