Mental Illness In Prisons Research Articles

Incarceration Rates of Persons With First-Admission Psychosis

Incarceration Rates of Persons With First-Admission Psychosis

Report Sounds Alarm on Plight Of Mentally Ill Inmates

Report Sounds Alarm on Plight Of Mentally Ill Inmates

Compulsion of the detained: Service, legal and ethical issues in the use of civil commitment in correctional settings in New Zealand

The Mason Inquiry (Mason et al., 1998) established the service principle that people with a serious mental illness in prison in New Zealand have the same right of access to mental health services as anyone in the community. This includes the access to inpatient treatment if acute admission is required. Recent work on psychiatric morbidity in New Zealand prisons (Simpson et al., 1999; Brinded et al., 2001) has confirmed that there are perhaps 200 people with acute mental health treatment needs in prison. Over-demand for forensic inpatient beds has created waiting lists for prisoners to get access to inpatient treatment, many of whom are incompetent to make treatment decisions. Should such people have the same “right” to access compulsory community treatment as others in the “community”? The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 (NZ) (the Act) allows for the continuation of compulsory treatment in prison of a remand prisoner already under such an order at the time of arrest, but once sentenced, compulsory treatment can only be initiated by transfer to hospital. The ethical and practical issues that emerge from this legal and service context are examined. The difficulties inherent in compulsory mental healthcare in prison exceed any benefits that might accrue from its use.

The prevalence of mental illness in prison.

Over the last decade state prisons have experienced unprecedented growth and many demographic changes. At the same time, courts are requiring states to provide mental health screening and treatment to prisoners. Findings from recent studies indicate that the prevalence of mental illness is higher in prisons than in the community, and comorbidity is common. Our ability to generalize from these studies is limited, however, because of major shifts in the demographic mix in prisons during the past decade. New studies on the prevalence of mental illness in prisons, which consider these recent changes would help planners allocate funds and staff to more effectively meet the needs of these individuals.

Coping with Mental Illness in Prisons

Persons with mental illness reside in America's jails and prisons in ever-increasing numbers. This article traces developments that have led to the incarceration of large numbers of persons with mental illness; discusses related legal, political, and social issues; and describes one state's response to this dilemma. An innovative residential treatment program within a prison setting is described. Results indicate that intermediate care options are both clinically successful and cost-effective. Difficulties in maintaining such a program within a criminal justice setting are discussed. The authors' experience suggests specific recommendations for maintaining the clinical momentum of a correctional mental health program.