Mental Illness and Incarceration

Paper Summary:

The paper contends that the fact that the adult and juvenile justice systems are overpopulated with persons with mental illness is symptomatic of a misdirected public policy that has failed to fully fund mental health services. The paper argues further that lack of treatment for people with mental illness allows them to become a part of a vicious cycle that hurts themselves and society at large. Statistics that illustrate how prisons and jails are taking the place of what our healthcare systems could be handling are included in the paper.

From the Paper:

"Studies have repeatedly shown that there is a link between mental illness and individuals who are incarcerated. The topic is an important one and goes much further than merely noticing that there is a relationship; lack of adequate resources in our communities has led to the loss of resources for individuals who suffer from mental deterioration. The lack of resources and treatment is a huge factor, which leads individuals to certain behavior that could find them incarcerated (Goin, 2004). According to Felson et al (2008), "offenders with mental health problems tend to engage in more deviant types of criminal acts that those without such problems"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Atkins, D.L. et al. "Mental health and incarcerated youth. I: Prevalence and nature of psychopathology". (1999). Journal of Child and Family Studies. Springer Publishing.
• Goin, Marcia K., M.D., Ph.D., "Mental illness and the criminal justice system". The American Psychiatric Association. (2004). Retrieved from the website: The American Psychiatric Association Archives on August 9, 2008. http://archive.psych.org/edu/other_res/lib_archives/archives/200401.pdf
• Lamb, Richard., M.D.; Weinberger, Linda E., Ph.D. "Persons with severe mental illness in jails and in prisons: A review". (1998). American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved from the Website: Psychiatry Online on August 9, 2008.http://www.ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/49/4/483
• Mueser, Kim T., et al. "Models of community care for sever mental illness: A review of research on case management". (1998). Schizophrenia Bulletin. Oxford University Press.
• Silver, E., Felson, R.B., Vaneseltine, M. (2008). "The relationship between mental helath problems and violence among criminal offenders". Criminal Justice and Behavior. 35(4): 405-426.

More papers on Mental Illness and Incarceration:

• Research Paper # 59720 : "Mental Illness and Incarcerated Juveniles"
• Research Paper # 60954 : "Incarcerated Juveniles with Mental Illness"
• Analytical Essay # 123593 : "Mentally Ill and Specialty Courts"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: