This is a fascinating article. I did not know a lot of the statistics regarding the mentally ill in prison. I did not know that 40% of mentally ill people will have some experience with the criminal justice system. This does not surprise me, but it does sadden me. It is sad that so many mentally ill people are coming into contact with the system. I bet some of them do not even realize what they did was wrong or something of that nature. It is fantastic that six million dollars have been contributed to ATI initiatives. It is also great to hear that reforms have been getting passed to decrease the number of inmates. The articles main focus talks about permanently closing Rikers Island which is America's largest jail complex. I believe that shutting it down is probably not a good idea. Shutting it down would mean making a lot of offenses, not jailable which seems weird to me. The goal of reform and making things better is not to decriminalize a bunch of crimes because a reason why we have jail is that it deters people more than we will ever be able to get a number on. I agree that doing something different with mentally ill people is a step we should be taking, but shutting down a jail that is as big as it is is not the solution because some people in there deserve to be in there and it will burden the surrounding jails and prisons if Rikers Island closes. 19% of inmates at Rikers are mentally ill. This is a bad thing because in jail they are not getting the correct treatment they need to get better or to stay out of jail. Overall I agree that something needs to be done regarding mentally ill people, but shutting down Americas biggest jail is not the answer, and the solutions in the article are some excellent suggestions. -Legion001
You are right about this article presenting many strong statistics that were very shocking. I think the mistreatment of the mentally ill in our country is a very serious problem that most definitely needs reform but the reform needs to ensure the safety of the community as well. The mentally ill have such a high chance of coming out of the corrections system so much worse than when they first enter it and that just shows how tough the system can be on a person who may just need some therapy, and not a few years behind the steel bars. -Blues001
I can feel your pain that it is sad that 40% of people with mental illness will come into contact with the criminal justice system at some point in their life. It is almost disheartening that majority of these offenders don’t know what they’re doing when they commit the crime, but still come in contact with the criminal justice system. -lilbaby001
I agree that the statistics about the mentally disabled in prison are pretty shocking. I think that we really need to look at these numbers and see the problem. If one out of every five prisoners in the biggest jail complex are mentally disabled, then there is something wrong with the way we’re imprisoning people. Yes, some of these mentally disabled people are a danger to society but a lot of them are just confused and had bad guidance. I would like to see this number lower in the following years, and for the rehabilitation numbers for the mentally ill go up. Celtics002
This article hits a lot of very important points across the board when it comes to the mentally ill. While reading this it really causes you to think about all of the ways we are looking at the mentally ill in the wrong way. To see the statistics that say on any day there are 360,000 mentally ill individuals locked up in our prisons and jails is just shocking and it shows that a lot of our issues in the corrections system are just being overlooked or just passed over. When judge Liefman said "There is something wrong with a society that is more willing to incarcerate its population than treat it", that really puts a lot of programs into question and how our country is really treating the mentally ill. Liefman really understand these issues and even states that by locking up these mentally ill and stripping them of their rights just causes them to come out of the system much worse than when they went in originally. He states that we need programs in place to identify those who have a mental illness and have a way to treat them rather than just locking up the problem and looking over it. I can not agree more with all of that because this is a very real issue in our country and has just been over looked for so many years it is now much harder to go back and fix. This issue has just compounded and can be fixed but only with the right tools and programs implemented to help those in need before they get into the corrections system. Liefman also talked about how our taxes we are paying are being wasted due to locking up these mentally ill who really just need help and that really bothers me thinking that my hard earned money is just being wasted on avoiding a very serious problem that needs new programs in place. -Blues001
You're right with our mindset that we'd rather incarcerate someone that rehabilitate them. I think it's because that's the easier option, rather than spending the money on programs that may not work on some people, we're simply keeping them locked up as long as we can so that we're certain they can't do anything. -Stark001
I agree this article does cover many important topics. Many of our correctional problems are looked over. I agree that the most important aspect is to identify these problems and attempt to fix them head on. There needs to be a way to identify people with mental illness and separate them from the criminally insane. It is not morally right to house the two together. Jackrabbit001
This article really got me thinking about the treatment of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system. To start, I knew that a lot of inmates suffer from some form of mental illness, but I didn’t realize that 40% of mentally ill encounter the criminal justice system at least once in their life. I agreed with the argument made by Speaker Mark-Viverto that punishment should fit the crime. There are plenty of violent offenders out there, but it seems like the criminal justice system is focusing down on a lot of minor offenders. Prisons and jails are already over crowded as it is, we need to focus more on the real threats to society. The mentally ill need help and not jail or prison. sexy_in_bikini 001
It's surprising how many mentally ill people will come into contact with our criminal justice system in their lifetime. When these people get put into prison, we should be focusing on rehabilitation instead of simply throwing them in with the rest of the population of hardened criminals. There is also an issue where mental health facilities are not up to the standards that they need to be. Also, minor nonviolent crimes need to stop being punished with incarceration and other high level sanctions. The program that they instated in Miami is a great step forward though, with only 20% of people in the program reoffending rather than the 70% there was before. The main issue that corrections officials will run in to regarding the rehabilitation of inmates is budget, everyone wants something to be done but nobody wants to pay for it. I don’t think that this issue will ever resolve itself until the government gives more of a budget to corrections, as well as relaxing some laws that people don’t need to be incarcerated for. When treatment can be afforded, it can have amazing results, this is seen with Evans’ county in Texas where offenders who went through his program reoffended at 6.6% as opposed to the national average for felons of 43%. Imagine if we were able to implement programs like that around the country. The tough on crime policy that we’ve had as a country is finally starting to show it’s downsides, now it’s time to start reforming these laws to hopefully do something about the crisis that we’re currently facing in our country. -Stark001
I agree that we need to be implementing more programs like the one in Texas. It seems to be working so I think that should be a lesson to other states and counties to implement similar programs to help people be rehabilitated instead of just being locked up, especially when them being locked up is making their condition worse. Making their situation worse is a reason why mentally ill people have a higher probability of re-offending. I also agree that it is surprising how many mentally ill people come into contact with the criminal justice system and that is a sad fact. -Legion001
This article starts out by saying that the mentally ill do not need to be in correctional facilities. He then says a quote that really jumps out at you, “Instead of tough or soft on crime, let’s be smart.” This quote in my opinion is so powerful to the reader because it really makes you think what we are doing with the corrections system. Another thing I found interesting is the number of people in a correction facility or is under some type of correctional supervision that is mentally ill in America. There are approximately 360,000 people in a correctional facility and approximately 760,000 people under correctional supervision that are mentally ill. To me, this number is crazy and almost unacceptable. These offenders are there for a reason, and to me that only reason is because they are mentally ill. Judge Liefman makes a good point by saying, “This is a shameful American tragedy and it must and can be reversed.” He said it how it was in this quote and I totally agree with him. He sends out a message to Americans by calling the country out calling it a shameful tragedy. This would definitely open people’s eyes and make them want to do something about it. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project is a brilliant idea in my opinion. It proved that it worked in Dade County, Florida, so why not implement it everywhere? Lippman also makes a good point by saying it is not all about punishing people, it is about what the outcomes are of the people when they come out. I 100% agree with this because honestly punishment may not do anything to an offender and if they are coming out just as bad as when they came in, we are not doing our job in the corrections system. -lilbaby001
This article talks about the mentally ill in prison systems. At the Rikers Island jail complex 19% of the inmates are mentally ill. This is alarming because it’s the biggest jail complex and that’s 1 out of every 5 inmates. I think that they should look for a different way to punish the mentally ill, that being rehabilitation. It’s not even really a punishment, it just somewhat forces them to go on the right track. I feel very strongly about this topic because my brother is mentally disabled in several different ways including slight autism and cerebral palsy. There are a lot of things that he does that aren’t right and may be seen as bad to those who don’t know about his disabilities. We have to treat him differently when it comes to punishment, so why should it change with the law? A lot of these inmates don’t even truly know what is right or wrong so punishing them like the other inmates is just simply not fair. One quote that I really liked came from chief judge in the New York State Court of Appeals. Jonathon says, “Instead of tough or soft on crime, let’s be smart”. I like this because there isn’t any logically reasoning for punishing these mentally challenged people other than to be fair across the board. The problem with this reasoning is that it’s not fair for the mentally ill. I think that depending on the severity of the mental illness and the severity of the crime they should be either put in court supervision with an ankle bracelet or put into a rehabilitation center. Of course, in some situations these individuals are too dangerous for the public and have to be locked away, but that just simply isn’t the case for all of them. We really just need to think more about these cases and take the time to figure out what is really wrong with the person and why they actually did the crime. Celtics002
This article talks about the mental health problems in prisons. It brings up various problems with incarcerating the mentally challenged. I did not know that they were also getting warehouses similarly to drug offenders. I feel as if there just is no help for those people anymore. I feel that most states do not want to pay for a mental health hospital or even have the ability to pay for it. There is no way to argue that it is fair to house criminals and mentally disabled in the same building. I agree with this article that incarceration is not the answer. I was surprised to read that New York is making a change for the better in regards to the situation. I also found it interesting that the article mentioned that it might not work elsewhere in different states or counties. I really liked the opening quote "instead of being tough on crime, let's be smart." I agree that the "tough on crime" mindset can really interfere with people with disabilities. It is unfortunate that so many people support that mindset making it even more difficult to attempt to change the laws brought on to the small time drug offenders and mentally disabled. I find it humorous that some people thought the changes that were being made were going to ruin the town. I agree that punishment is not the answer to every problem. Seeing that this plan put forward is working it is in everyone's best interest that other states attempt to put their own reform plans into play and try to correct this injustice. I had no idea that we incarcerate so many people with mental illnesses even knowing that they had said problems at trial. Jackrabbit001
This article was interesting because of how in depth they go about how mentally ill people are being incarcerated rather than hospitalized. Those with a mental illness should be put in a hospital and getting the proper treatment. What you say about how some states not wanting to pay for a mental health hospital may be true. There are so many people with a mental illness being locked up as if they are criminals. They don't deserve to be locked up like that. States should find a way for the mentally ill to get treatment. -Ram001
The number of mentally ill people in prisons is staggering. It makes you think about all the cases that we hear about on television or the internet where people are claiming that they are mentally ill or insane and get away with it. But when you read this you realize there is a warehouse effect on the mentally ill just like the other groups of. It is also sad to think about all the help that those people are missing out on. They don't have any access to the care or medicine that they need to help suppress what they have going on in their head. I agree that locking them up is not the answer. Some states are making plans to help. But locking up somebody because they do not know right from wrong because of a mental disability is not ok. Locking them in a room with no help is only going to hurt them. Also just putting in with the general population is not wise. I hope something changes and the trials begin to realize this.-Purdue001
The article first talks about how mentally ill inmates need to find different and effective treatment due to trying to close down Rikers Island. It doesn't seem right that mentally ill people are being put in the same facilities as criminals. They should instead be getting treatment for there conditions at a more appropriate location. I don't understand what made them think that it was okay to house mentally ill people in prisons. 19% of the prisoners at Rikers have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. That is too many people to have housed in along with actual criminals. On top of that a prison is not a safe environment for mentally ill people. Two health care experts have been working to finding alternatives to incarceration for the mentally ill. I think it is good that they are doing that because as I said before, a prison is not the right environment for the mentally ill. Steven Leifman, a mental health court judge says that 40% of everyone with mental illnesses in this country at some point come into contact with the criminal justice system. That number seems very high. Leifman early on in the article also talks about a horrifying visit to a mental health hospital in Miami-Dade county. It is terrible how that hospital was able to operate treating their patients like that. A 2010 survey by Treatment Advocacy Center found out that people with mental illness are more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized and more likely to find a bed in a prison cell than a hospital. Those with a mental illness should be able to get the proper treatment to help them. They should not be thrown in the cell of a prison. Hopefully at some point they will understand that the best place for someone with a mental illness is in a hospital receiving treatment for their illness. -Ram001
First i would like to say that this article was very fascinating but also very eye opening. Knowing that 19% of Rikers has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness is upsetting, 40% of all people with mental illnesses in this country at some point in their life will come into contact with the criminal justice system, and the sight of one teenager strapped to a bed and given thorazine which made him overweight. The teenager, it turned out, was not there for psychiatric treatment; he was autistic. With these stated in this article makes me very uneasy. This article brings awareness and questions that need answered. Stated in this article was “the mental health system’s failure to provide adequate care for troubled individuals has only shifted the burden to jails and prisons.” Which sparks up another whole situation. It is sad that they're thinking about closing Rikers because where would these people go? They have nowhere to resort to and that is sad. It states that two health care experts have been finding new ways to help the incarcerated who are mentally ill which is good because they need homes and classes and educational things. “On any given day, there are approximately 360,000 people with serious mental illnesses in jails and prisons and another 760,000 under correctional supervision” that statement is stated in this article and that makes me wonder about what they are getting arrested for. It is very sad about learning about mental illness in prisons. -freckles001
This is an interesting article about Rikers Island. What got to me as I read is 40% of people who come in contact with the criminal justice system have some type of mental illness, and I feel as if people with mental illness are not being treated correctly. Instead of giving them the proper care and treatment they need, they get sent to prison and they’re not being diagnosed properly. Rikers Island prison 19% of the inmates have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. More than 4000 men and women are diagnosed with mental illness are incarcerated at any given time. When Judge Lippman said “Whether you’re there for three days, three weeks, or three years, you wind up in a much worse place than when you came in,” and that’s what really hit me because you never know what can happen to you while you’re in that prison. You can go into Rikers Island perfectly fine and come out 1 year or even 5 years later a totally different person. Coming out you can be mentally ill without even knowing it. I feel as if they should put mentally ill people in a hospital with proper care where they belong, instead of locking them up. Most crimes they commit, they’re not in the right state of mind and can’t control their thoughts and actions, and end up going to prison which are going to make them 10x’s worse than they were at first. I feel as if people look at other people with mental illness as crazy animals but they should be somewhere with help they need. Rikers Island is not the place people with mental illness should be. djay001
This is a fascinating article. I did not know a lot of the statistics regarding the mentally ill in prison. I did not know that 40% of mentally ill people will have some experience with the criminal justice system. This does not surprise me, but it does sadden me. It is sad that so many mentally ill people are coming into contact with the system. I bet some of them do not even realize what they did was wrong or something of that nature. It is fantastic that six million dollars have been contributed to ATI initiatives. It is also great to hear that reforms have been getting passed to decrease the number of inmates. The articles main focus talks about permanently closing Rikers Island which is America's largest jail complex. I believe that shutting it down is probably not a good idea. Shutting it down would mean making a lot of offenses, not jailable which seems weird to me. The goal of reform and making things better is not to decriminalize a bunch of crimes because a reason why we have jail is that it deters people more than we will ever be able to get a number on. I agree that doing something different with mentally ill people is a step we should be taking, but shutting down a jail that is as big as it is is not the solution because some people in there deserve to be in there and it will burden the surrounding jails and prisons if Rikers Island closes. 19% of inmates at Rikers are mentally ill. This is a bad thing because in jail they are not getting the correct treatment they need to get better or to stay out of jail. Overall I agree that something needs to be done regarding mentally ill people, but shutting down Americas biggest jail is not the answer, and the solutions in the article are some excellent suggestions. -Legion001
ReplyDeleteYou are right about this article presenting many strong statistics that were very shocking. I think the mistreatment of the mentally ill in our country is a very serious problem that most definitely needs reform but the reform needs to ensure the safety of the community as well. The mentally ill have such a high chance of coming out of the corrections system so much worse than when they first enter it and that just shows how tough the system can be on a person who may just need some therapy, and not a few years behind the steel bars. -Blues001
DeleteI can feel your pain that it is sad that 40% of people with mental illness will come into contact with the criminal justice system at some point in their life. It is almost disheartening that majority of these offenders don’t know what they’re doing when they commit the crime, but still come in contact with the criminal justice system. -lilbaby001
DeleteI agree that the statistics about the mentally disabled in prison are pretty shocking. I think that we really need to look at these numbers and see the problem. If one out of every five prisoners in the biggest jail complex are mentally disabled, then there is something wrong with the way we’re imprisoning people. Yes, some of these mentally disabled people are a danger to society but a lot of them are just confused and had bad guidance. I would like to see this number lower in the following years, and for the rehabilitation numbers for the mentally ill go up. Celtics002
DeleteThis article hits a lot of very important points across the board when it comes to the mentally ill. While reading this it really causes you to think about all of the ways we are looking at the mentally ill in the wrong way. To see the statistics that say on any day there are 360,000 mentally ill individuals locked up in our prisons and jails is just shocking and it shows that a lot of our issues in the corrections system are just being overlooked or just passed over. When judge Liefman said "There is something wrong with a society that is more willing to incarcerate its population than treat it", that really puts a lot of programs into question and how our country is really treating the mentally ill. Liefman really understand these issues and even states that by locking up these mentally ill and stripping them of their rights just causes them to come out of the system much worse than when they went in originally. He states that we need programs in place to identify those who have a mental illness and have a way to treat them rather than just locking up the problem and looking over it. I can not agree more with all of that because this is a very real issue in our country and has just been over looked for so many years it is now much harder to go back and fix. This issue has just compounded and can be fixed but only with the right tools and programs implemented to help those in need before they get into the corrections system. Liefman also talked about how our taxes we are paying are being wasted due to locking up these mentally ill who really just need help and that really bothers me thinking that my hard earned money is just being wasted on avoiding a very serious problem that needs new programs in place. -Blues001
ReplyDeleteYou're right with our mindset that we'd rather incarcerate someone that rehabilitate them. I think it's because that's the easier option, rather than spending the money on programs that may not work on some people, we're simply keeping them locked up as long as we can so that we're certain they can't do anything. -Stark001
DeleteI agree this article does cover many important topics. Many of our correctional problems are looked over. I agree that the most important aspect is to identify these problems and attempt to fix them head on. There needs to be a way to identify people with mental illness and separate them from the criminally insane. It is not morally right to house the two together. Jackrabbit001
DeleteThis article really got me thinking about the treatment of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system. To start, I knew that a lot of inmates suffer from some form of mental illness, but I didn’t realize that 40% of mentally ill encounter the criminal justice system at least once in their life. I agreed with the argument made by Speaker Mark-Viverto that punishment should fit the crime. There are plenty of violent offenders out there, but it seems like the criminal justice system is focusing down on a lot of minor offenders. Prisons and jails are already over crowded as it is, we need to focus more on the real threats to society. The mentally ill need help and not jail or prison. sexy_in_bikini 001
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how many mentally ill people will come into contact with our criminal justice system in their lifetime. When these people get put into prison, we should be focusing on rehabilitation instead of simply throwing them in with the rest of the population of hardened criminals. There is also an issue where mental health facilities are not up to the standards that they need to be. Also, minor nonviolent crimes need to stop being punished with incarceration and other high level sanctions. The program that they instated in Miami is a great step forward though, with only 20% of people in the program reoffending rather than the 70% there was before. The main issue that corrections officials will run in to regarding the rehabilitation of inmates is budget, everyone wants something to be done but nobody wants to pay for it. I don’t think that this issue will ever resolve itself until the government gives more of a budget to corrections, as well as relaxing some laws that people don’t need to be incarcerated for. When treatment can be afforded, it can have amazing results, this is seen with Evans’ county in Texas where offenders who went through his program reoffended at 6.6% as opposed to the national average for felons of 43%. Imagine if we were able to implement programs like that around the country. The tough on crime policy that we’ve had as a country is finally starting to show it’s downsides, now it’s time to start reforming these laws to hopefully do something about the crisis that we’re currently facing in our country. -Stark001
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need to be implementing more programs like the one in Texas. It seems to be working so I think that should be a lesson to other states and counties to implement similar programs to help people be rehabilitated instead of just being locked up, especially when them being locked up is making their condition worse. Making their situation worse is a reason why mentally ill people have a higher probability of re-offending. I also agree that it is surprising how many mentally ill people come into contact with the criminal justice system and that is a sad fact. -Legion001
DeleteThis article starts out by saying that the mentally ill do not need to be in correctional facilities. He then says a quote that really jumps out at you, “Instead of tough or soft on crime, let’s be smart.” This quote in my opinion is so powerful to the reader because it really makes you think what we are doing with the corrections system. Another thing I found interesting is the number of people in a correction facility or is under some type of correctional supervision that is mentally ill in America. There are approximately 360,000 people in a correctional facility and approximately 760,000 people under correctional supervision that are mentally ill. To me, this number is crazy and almost unacceptable. These offenders are there for a reason, and to me that only reason is because they are mentally ill. Judge Liefman makes a good point by saying, “This is a shameful American tragedy and it must and can be reversed.” He said it how it was in this quote and I totally agree with him. He sends out a message to Americans by calling the country out calling it a shameful tragedy. This would definitely open people’s eyes and make them want to do something about it. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project is a brilliant idea in my opinion. It proved that it worked in Dade County, Florida, so why not implement it everywhere? Lippman also makes a good point by saying it is not all about punishing people, it is about what the outcomes are of the people when they come out. I 100% agree with this because honestly punishment may not do anything to an offender and if they are coming out just as bad as when they came in, we are not doing our job in the corrections system. -lilbaby001
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the mentally ill in prison systems. At the Rikers Island jail complex 19% of the inmates are mentally ill. This is alarming because it’s the biggest jail complex and that’s 1 out of every 5 inmates. I think that they should look for a different way to punish the mentally ill, that being rehabilitation. It’s not even really a punishment, it just somewhat forces them to go on the right track. I feel very strongly about this topic because my brother is mentally disabled in several different ways including slight autism and cerebral palsy. There are a lot of things that he does that aren’t right and may be seen as bad to those who don’t know about his disabilities. We have to treat him differently when it comes to punishment, so why should it change with the law? A lot of these inmates don’t even truly know what is right or wrong so punishing them like the other inmates is just simply not fair. One quote that I really liked came from chief judge in the New York State Court of Appeals. Jonathon says, “Instead of tough or soft on crime, let’s be smart”. I like this because there isn’t any logically reasoning for punishing these mentally challenged people other than to be fair across the board. The problem with this reasoning is that it’s not fair for the mentally ill. I think that depending on the severity of the mental illness and the severity of the crime they should be either put in court supervision with an ankle bracelet or put into a rehabilitation center. Of course, in some situations these individuals are too dangerous for the public and have to be locked away, but that just simply isn’t the case for all of them. We really just need to think more about these cases and take the time to figure out what is really wrong with the person and why they actually did the crime. Celtics002
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the mental health problems in prisons. It brings up various problems with incarcerating the mentally challenged. I did not know that they were also getting warehouses similarly to drug offenders. I feel as if there just is no help for those people anymore. I feel that most states do not want to pay for a mental health hospital or even have the ability to pay for it. There is no way to argue that it is fair to house criminals and mentally disabled in the same building. I agree with this article that incarceration is not the answer. I was surprised to read that New York is making a change for the better in regards to the situation. I also found it interesting that the article mentioned that it might not work elsewhere in different states or counties. I really liked the opening quote "instead of being tough on crime, let's be smart." I agree that the "tough on crime" mindset can really interfere with people with disabilities. It is unfortunate that so many people support that mindset making it even more difficult to attempt to change the laws brought on to the small time drug offenders and mentally disabled. I find it humorous that some people thought the changes that were being made were going to ruin the town. I agree that punishment is not the answer to every problem. Seeing that this plan put forward is working it is in everyone's best interest that other states attempt to put their own reform plans into play and try to correct this injustice. I had no idea that we incarcerate so many people with mental illnesses even knowing that they had said problems at trial. Jackrabbit001
ReplyDeleteThis article was interesting because of how in depth they go about how mentally ill people are being incarcerated rather than hospitalized. Those with a mental illness should be put in a hospital and getting the proper treatment. What you say about how some states not wanting to pay for a mental health hospital may be true. There are so many people with a mental illness being locked up as if they are criminals. They don't deserve to be locked up like that. States should find a way for the mentally ill to get treatment.
Delete-Ram001
The number of mentally ill people in prisons is staggering. It makes you think about all the cases that we hear about on television or the internet where people are claiming that they are mentally ill or insane and get away with it. But when you read this you realize there is a warehouse effect on the mentally ill just like the other groups of. It is also sad to think about all the help that those people are missing out on. They don't have any access to the care or medicine that they need to help suppress what they have going on in their head. I agree that locking them up is not the answer. Some states are making plans to help. But locking up somebody because they do not know right from wrong because of a mental disability is not ok. Locking them in a room with no help is only going to hurt them. Also just putting in with the general population is not wise. I hope something changes and the trials begin to realize this.-Purdue001
ReplyDeleteThe article first talks about how mentally ill inmates need to find different and effective treatment due to trying to close down Rikers Island. It doesn't seem right that mentally ill people are being put in the same facilities as criminals. They should instead be getting treatment for there conditions at a more appropriate location. I don't understand what made them think that it was okay to house mentally ill people in prisons. 19% of the prisoners at Rikers have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. That is too many people to have housed in along with actual criminals. On top of that a prison is not a safe environment for mentally ill people. Two health care experts have been working to finding alternatives to incarceration for the mentally ill. I think it is good that they are doing that because as I said before, a prison is not the right environment for the mentally ill. Steven Leifman, a mental health court judge says that 40% of everyone with mental illnesses in this country at some point come into contact with the criminal justice system. That number seems very high. Leifman early on in the article also talks about a horrifying visit to a mental health hospital in Miami-Dade county. It is terrible how that hospital was able to operate treating their patients like that. A 2010 survey by Treatment Advocacy Center found out that people with mental illness are more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized and more likely to find a bed in a prison cell than a hospital. Those with a mental illness should be able to get the proper treatment to help them. They should not be thrown in the cell of a prison. Hopefully at some point they will understand that the best place for someone with a mental illness is in a hospital receiving treatment for their illness.
ReplyDelete-Ram001
First i would like to say that this article was very fascinating but also very eye opening. Knowing that 19% of Rikers has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness is upsetting, 40% of all people with mental illnesses in this country at some point in their life will come into contact with the criminal justice system, and the sight of one teenager strapped to a bed and given thorazine which made him overweight. The teenager, it turned out, was not there for psychiatric treatment; he was autistic. With these stated in this article makes me very uneasy. This article brings awareness and questions that need answered. Stated in this article was “the mental health system’s failure to provide adequate care for troubled individuals has only shifted the burden to jails and prisons.” Which sparks up another whole situation. It is sad that they're thinking about closing Rikers because where would these people go? They have nowhere to resort to and that is sad. It states that two health care experts have been finding new ways to help the incarcerated who are mentally ill which is good because they need homes and classes and educational things. “On any given day, there are approximately 360,000 people with serious mental illnesses in jails and prisons and another 760,000 under correctional supervision” that statement is stated in this article and that makes me wonder about what they are getting arrested for. It is very sad about learning about mental illness in prisons. -freckles001
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article about Rikers Island. What got to me as I read is 40% of people who come in contact with the criminal justice system have some type of mental illness, and I feel as if people with mental illness are not being treated correctly. Instead of giving them the proper care and treatment they need, they get sent to prison and they’re not being diagnosed properly. Rikers Island prison 19% of the inmates have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. More than 4000 men and women are diagnosed with mental illness are incarcerated at any given time. When Judge Lippman said “Whether you’re there for three days, three weeks, or three years, you wind up in a much worse place than when you came in,” and that’s what really hit me because you never know what can happen to you while you’re in that prison. You can go into Rikers Island perfectly fine and come out 1 year or even 5 years later a totally different person. Coming out you can be mentally ill without even knowing it. I feel as if they should put mentally ill people in a hospital with proper care where they belong, instead of locking them up. Most crimes they commit, they’re not in the right state of mind and can’t control their thoughts and actions, and end up going to prison which are going to make them 10x’s worse than they were at first. I feel as if people look at other people with mental illness as crazy animals but they should be somewhere with help they need. Rikers Island is not the place people with mental illness should be. djay001
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