Our local radio station is quite vocal about the “frequent flyers” that appear on the roll of jail inmates. Quite commonly those people are there because of co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse.
There are three times as many mentally ill people in prisons than in mental health hospitals, and the rate of mental illness in prisons is two to four times greater than in the general public
…the largest de facto psychiatric facility in the country is the Los Angeles County Jail (Butterfield, 2003).
Jails and prisons are constitutionally obligated to provide general and mental health care (Cohen, 2003). In fact, incarcerated individuals are the only U.S. citizens with legally protected access to health care. Jails may be the first opportunity for COD problem identification, treatment, and community referral (Peters & Matthews, 2002).
At midyear 2005 more than half of all prison and jail inmates had a mental health problem…
These estimates represented 56% of State prisoners and 64% of jail inmates. About 74% of State prisoners and 76% of local jail inmates who had a mental health problem met criteria for substance dependence or abuse.
Two sets of interacting disorders [mental illness & substance abuse] that impair cognition, lead to behavioral disturbances, and result in both the commission of crimes and the inability to avoid arrest and subsequent sentencing.
Nearly a quarter of both State prisoners and jail inmates who had a mental health problem had served 3 or more prior incarcerations.
These individuals may have appeared as habitual criminals when they came to the attention of law enforcement and their criminal histories were accessed. In reality, they were persons with serious mental illness who were not receiving adequate treatment, and they acted in an inappropriate and often aggressive manner when stressed.
If they have schizophrenia or other serious “Axis I” disorders, psychotic symptoms, or other serious dysfunction, inmates may suffer from delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (erroneous perceptions of reality), chaotic thinking, or serious disruptions of consciousness, memory, and perception of the environment. They may experience debilitating fears or extreme and uncontrollable mood swings.
As a result of their illness, they may huddle silently in their cells, mumble incoherently, or yell incessantly. They may hear voices or “command hallucinations,” telling them to commit violence against themselves or others. They may exhibit their illness through disruptive behavior, belligerence, aggression, and violence. They may suddenly refuse to follow routine orders, such as to come out of a cell, to stand up for the count, to remove clothes from cell bars, or to take showers. They may beat their heads against cell walls, smear themselves with feces, self-mutilate, and attempt suicide (sometimes succeeding). In short, they may—and often do—behave in ways that prison systems consider punishable misconduct.
In Washington State, “offenders with serious mental illness constitute 18.7 percent of the prison population but account for 41 percent of the infractions."
Jail inmates who had a mental health problem were twice as likely as those without to have been charged with facility rule violations (19% compared to 9%). Inmates in local jails who had a mental health problem were also four times as likely as those without to have been charged with a physical or verbal assault on correctional staff or another inmate (8% compared to 2%).
"Mercy bookings" by police who are trying to protect people with the severest forms of psychiatric illnesses also are surprisingly common.
There are three times as many mentally ill people in prisons than in mental health hospitals, and the rate of mental illness in prisons is two to four times greater than in the general public
…the largest de facto psychiatric facility in the country is the Los Angeles County Jail (Butterfield, 2003).
Jails and prisons are constitutionally obligated to provide general and mental health care (Cohen, 2003). In fact, incarcerated individuals are the only U.S. citizens with legally protected access to health care. Jails may be the first opportunity for COD problem identification, treatment, and community referral (Peters & Matthews, 2002).
At midyear 2005 more than half of all prison and jail inmates had a mental health problem…
These estimates represented 56% of State prisoners and 64% of jail inmates. About 74% of State prisoners and 76% of local jail inmates who had a mental health problem met criteria for substance dependence or abuse.
Two sets of interacting disorders [mental illness & substance abuse] that impair cognition, lead to behavioral disturbances, and result in both the commission of crimes and the inability to avoid arrest and subsequent sentencing.
Nearly a quarter of both State prisoners and jail inmates who had a mental health problem had served 3 or more prior incarcerations.
These individuals may have appeared as habitual criminals when they came to the attention of law enforcement and their criminal histories were accessed. In reality, they were persons with serious mental illness who were not receiving adequate treatment, and they acted in an inappropriate and often aggressive manner when stressed.
If they have schizophrenia or other serious “Axis I” disorders, psychotic symptoms, or other serious dysfunction, inmates may suffer from delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (erroneous perceptions of reality), chaotic thinking, or serious disruptions of consciousness, memory, and perception of the environment. They may experience debilitating fears or extreme and uncontrollable mood swings.
As a result of their illness, they may huddle silently in their cells, mumble incoherently, or yell incessantly. They may hear voices or “command hallucinations,” telling them to commit violence against themselves or others. They may exhibit their illness through disruptive behavior, belligerence, aggression, and violence. They may suddenly refuse to follow routine orders, such as to come out of a cell, to stand up for the count, to remove clothes from cell bars, or to take showers. They may beat their heads against cell walls, smear themselves with feces, self-mutilate, and attempt suicide (sometimes succeeding). In short, they may—and often do—behave in ways that prison systems consider punishable misconduct.
In Washington State, “offenders with serious mental illness constitute 18.7 percent of the prison population but account for 41 percent of the infractions."
Jail inmates who had a mental health problem were twice as likely as those without to have been charged with facility rule violations (19% compared to 9%). Inmates in local jails who had a mental health problem were also four times as likely as those without to have been charged with a physical or verbal assault on correctional staff or another inmate (8% compared to 2%).
"Mercy bookings" by police who are trying to protect people with the severest forms of psychiatric illnesses also are surprisingly common.