A Sorrowing Experience

The incarceration of those who are mentally ill is on the continual rise. Many states juggle with the decision of placing offenders in Mental Hospital or locating them in State Prisons. Latessa and Holsinger (2011) discuss two major reasons for the increase of those with mental illness within the prison system. First, many states have no longer allow for the insanity plea during criminal trials, thus those who suffer from mental illness are not required to receive mandatory mental treatment. This is due to the discomforting idea that criminal offenders should not be given the same living conditions as those whom are patients of mental wards. Secondly, longer sentences have created a surplus of mentally ill offenders needing treatment. Soderstrom (2007) added that the lack of mental health support systems in

Jails and prisons are not set up to meet the treatment and accountability needs of the mentally ill (“Mental Health Court”, n.d.). “Inmates with mental illnesses are more likely than other to be held in solitary confinement, and many are raped, commit suicide, or hurt themselves” (Swanson, 2014). Making mental health courts mandatory would better address these needs by offering treatment,

Individuals with a mental illness enter a mental health court as it reduces the number of clients with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system, reduces stigma and stereotypical judgement in court, and reduces the number of clients with mental illnesses in prisons and jails. Although the judge does sentence the client, the client does still retain rights: The right to refuse treatments, the right to proper care and documentation, the right to be informed of all available medical treatments, and most importantly, the right to be treated with dignity as a human being. The court demonstrated that the client’s rights were addressed by offering the client the opportunity to voice his concerns, and by acknowledging his views on his condition. Even though the client did not think he needed help, the nurse and case manager were concerned about his hallucination, eating patterns, and lack of stability. They did not believe that an outpatient setting would work for this client as he was not stable, did not have clear insight, and retained a lack of resources. Barrier to care, for the mental health in general, include: lack of resource, knowledge deficits, stigma, financial barriers, and lack of mental health care professionals. Overall, this experience offered me to opportunity to perceive how a Mental Health Court functions and differs from the traditional court room, in relation to client goals,

This story is a controversial novel that uncovers many issues that the health care and legal system encounter. Pete Earley includes many difficult stories that people with mental illness and/or their family members endure. As well as, discusses the struggles he went through to get his son into treatment. Mike has bipolar disorder, and would refuse treatment, since he has the right to refuse treatment, there legally was nothing the doctors could do to help. It is interesting that when Mike refused treatment, he was not in the right state of mind, however, there is legally nothing that the health care providers can do. It is astonishing, that if Pete wanted to get Mike involuntary admitted, then he must lie and tell the health care providers, that his son threatened to kill him. The health care field is all about being open, and being there for the patient, however, because of all the laws in place, it prevents patients from receiving vital care. Hence, Pete’s story positively impacts nurses to want

Despite the fact that my parents have worked in the criminal justice system for many years, I have never given much thought to the treatment of prisoners. As we learned from the readings, the current state of the United States criminal justice system is imperfect to the point of cruelty to those involved in it. This is truer for individuals with a mental illness. Due to a lack of psychiatric facilities throughout Alabama and overcrowding of those that do exist, many criminal offenders with mental illnesses are sent to prisons instead. State prisons are currently overcrowded, leading to substandard conditions such in almost every aspect.

The shutdown of state mental hospitals and lack of available financial and institutional resources force mentally ill people to the United States Judicial System for mental health. Every year thousands of people are arrested for various crimes and they are sent to jail. Sixteen percent of these people have some type of mental health problem (Public Broadcasting System , 2001). When we consider that the United States has the largest incarcerated population in the world at 2.2 million, this number is staggering (Anasseril E. Daniel, 2007). This is about 1% of the entire population of the United States. There are many reasons as to why the situation has taken such a bad turn and when the history of the treatment of mental illness is examined one can see how the situation developed into the inhumane disaster it is today.

In a government meeting about mentally ill in American, especially in prisons, the speaker describes how Ohio has become a leader in mental health care and that

As a whole, literature on the topic of mental illness in our country and specifically in our criminal justice system had a reoccurring theme. There are millions of individuals who suffer from mental illness but are improperly being handled through the criminal justice system. These individuals are deemed criminal just by their acts and their mental health state is not overly examine. Jails and prisons are being overcrowded. State prisons and jails are overpopulated anywhere from 15 to 32% (Spending Money in All the Wrong Places: Jails & Prisons).

Throughout the years, the United States criminal justice system has been constantly incarcerating individuals who endure from a severe mental illness. People who suffer from serious mental illness are doubtlessly to be discovered in prison. There is a significant amount of mentally ill offenders that are placed in the state and federal institutions. The mentally ill are overpopulating the prisons. The criminal justice system is a deficiency for those who can profit more from the help of mental health treatment center or psychiatric hospital by sending individuals to correctional facilities or prisons. Today’s jails and prisons are being labeled as the new mental health hospitals for the mentally ill offenders. Commonly in today’s society, it generally takes other individuals who are willing to educate and support the mentally ill person into becoming successful in life.

In the book, Crazy, by Pete Earley, provides a detailed overview of the mental health system in the United States, as it presents a first hand narrative of Earley’s family journey through the system. The author’s major premise and arguments, in the book, is to highlight the history of mental health, navigation through the judicial system with mental illness, the bureaucracy and policies of hospitals, society views on human rights and client safety, and the impact on the individual, family, and community. The content suggests that human service workers and public health workers should extend their professional lens to advocate for change in the mental health system in the United States.

The case of Stowers v. Wolodzko revolves around the confinement of Mrs. Stowers, a Michigan resident who lived with her husband and two children. Mrs. Stowers was confined in a private mental hospital, in accordance with a court order that was obtained by Dr. Wolodzko and Dr. Smyk. Dr. Wolodzko and Dr. Smyk were under the instruction of the plaintiff’s husband, who wanted his wife’s mental competency evaluated. In December 1963, the doctors signed a statement declaring that they found Mrs. Stowers mentally ill (Stowers, 1971). This allowed for the removal of her from her home in an arguably traumatizing fashion.

In the world, changes need to be made. Some people dedicate their lives to improving the world and making it a better place. In the early 1800s, one woman decided that the prison and mental health systems could be improved to be kinder and more effective institutions. She saw a change to be complete in the world and made it her task to recreate the prison and mental health systems in a new and superior style. Throughout the years, prisons and mental health asylums have changed greatly, especially concerning unfair prison treatment, the reform movement, and today’s important impact.

Over the past thirty years, there has been a 500% increase in the U.S incarceration rate. (The Sentencing project, 2014) Advances in medicine, such as the discovery of psychoactive drugs, led to the deinstitutionalization of mentally ill patients from psychiatric hospitals. With a long record of horrific abuse,

Jean-Jacques Annuand’s The Name of the Rose is a murder mystery with a religious twist that is likely to grab an audiences’ attention. Although the viewer is likely to mistake the repeated soundtrack and the all too often “dazed and confused” expression worn by Adso of Melk (Christian Slater) as de-ja-vu, the captivating story line alongside the talented acting of Sean Connery and many others is enough to push Annuad’s The Name of the Rose beyond the standard of films that addresses the occult.

One of the most exhilarating moments of my entire life was my very first time at a roller coaster theme park. Growing up I would always see commercials on television of children and adults alike having a sparkling Colgate smile on their faces and enjoying themselves, so when my family decided we were going to Islands of Adventure for vacation. I was like a child who just received a cookie out of the cookie jar. Even though I was 21 years old at the time, I was extremely trilled. I packed my luggage like a stuff turkey on Thanksgiving Day and I was ready to take on this adventure.