Case Study Inmate

The Frontline episode “The New Asylums”, dove into the crisis mentally ill inmates face in the psychiatric ward in Ohio state prisons. The episode shows us the conditions and every day lives of mentally ill patients in Ohio state prisons, and explains how these inmates got to this point. It appeared that most of these prisoners should have been patients in an institute of some sort, out in society, but unfortunately due to whatever circumstances they ended up in prison. According to the episode, most of the inmates end up in prison due to them not coping with the outside world on their own. Prior to becoming imprisoned, the inmates had difficulties dealing with the outside world. Mainly due to lack of necessary

These individuals are of the clear majority of known cases because of the questioning process when entering the facilities. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez, PhD, et al. says that in a prison setting, there is much variation in screening and treatment for mental health. Gonzalez, et al. also said, ?the use of pharmacotherapy, in conjunction with counseling and self-help groups, to treat mental health conditions in correctional settings has been largely accepted in the correctional community; however, many medications are expensive and, therefore, not offered widely within

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 deinstitutionalization of state mental hospitals has left many individuals untreated and in the community where there come under police scrutiny due to their odd behavior, that is a manifestation of their illness. Majority of mentally ill offenders have not committed a serious crime and are subjected to inappropriate arrest and incarceration (Soderstrom, 2008). This new policy has become quite a concern to the fact that the correctional environment has proven to show no positive results in the mental health of the offender during their time of incarceration or upon their release date and thereafter (Soderstrom, 2008).

Given the number of incarcerated inmates who suffer from some form of mental illness, there are growing concerns and questions in the medical field about treatment of the mentally ill in the prison system. When a person with a mental illness commits a crime or break the law, they are immediately taken to jail or sent off to prison instead of being evaluated and placed in a hospital or other mental health facility. “I have always wondered if the number of mentally ill inmates increased since deinstitutionalization” Since prison main focus is on the crimes inmates are incarcerated; the actual treatment needed for the mentally ill is secondary. Mentally ill prisoners on the surface may appear to be just difficult inmates depending on the

Randle, Michael P., Director of Illinois Department of Corrections. "Mental Illness And Prisons." FDCH Congressional Testimony (n.d.): Military & Government Collection. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

Jail diversion is a mental health platform explicitly premeditated to isolate and divert individuals with mental health, substance abuse disorders or both from the criminal justice system into a need-specific treatment in the mental health system. Specifically, the program provides linkages to community-based treatment and support services to assist the individual in reducing deviant behavior. For this reason, the individuals avoid arrests and spend a lesser period in jail. The effectiveness of the diversion program relies on various activities that involve the identification of the target group and a proper integration of the victim into the program. While there are many different types of jail diversion programs the accessibility to jail diversion programs are limited, due to the strict qualification guidelines set. In addition, the availability of appropriate mental health professionals is paramount to the efficiency of the program. It is a common belief that linking mentally ill offenders to Community-Based Services decrease their chances of recidivism and contact with security officers (Sirotich, 2009).

Finally, a concern with inadequate health care in prisons is that when prisoners are released, they will spread any contagious diseases and illnesses. They may also leave without having full control of their mental illnesses and that could compound into even larger issues when no longer incarcerated, as their access to society is not restricted.

One of the most controversial issues regarding the mentally ill and the prison system is the medical treatment received. According to the film, “16% of the prison population in the state of Ohio, which reflects a national average, are persons who have been diagnosed with mental illness.” Prisons began as an institution designed to rehabilitate, however, a vast majority of prisons throughout the country do not provide adequate medical care for their mentally ill inmates. However, the prisons that do possess adequate health care are most likely the first instance in which the inmates with mental illness have received any sort of treatment in their entire life. People with chronic mental illness need constant supervision which they cannot get outside of prison. Although inmates does not receive the most extensive treatment, the treatment they do receive is well beyond the treatment they would have received had they stayed out of the criminal justice system.

On 6/24/2017, at 1740 hours, at the Durango Jail (3225 W. Gibson Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85009) Inmate Bennett BK# T375249 was escorted to the Durango Medical Clinic by Officer Smith B3168 for odd behavior out of Durango 4. Inmate Bennett was seen by RN Gyle AT061 and ordered to Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) located at (2601 E. Roosevelt Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85008) by PA Fischer CS245 to rule out psychosis.

On 06/06/17, offender Madrid informed CCM Thimmesch that he wanted to be released from segregation. Offender Madrid stated on 05/20/17 he requested protective custody because he was having problems with another offender. Offender Madrid reported the offender he was having issues with was locked up. Offender Madrid was asked if he knew the name of the offender he was having issues with, which he reported that he only knew the offender nickname “Texas”. Offender Madrid reports that he has no enemies at Tipton Correctional Center, and would like to return to general population.

A common misconception that many people have about the United States prison system is that it acts as a sanctuary for rehabilitation, and it is this misconception that allows people to believe that mentally ill prisoners who are sent to prison will receive the treatment that they need. Not only does life in prison provide added stress and anxiety to the already burdensome life of living with a mental illness, but with so many inmates in such close quarters, said mentally ill patients often get harassed and are unlikely to get the amount of attention from doctors and specialists that they truly need. With such stated lack of necessary attention and treatment, mentally ill prisoners often develop more severe symptoms than those that they entered with. Therefore, the time, energy, and resources that funnel into caring for the 1.3 million inmates with mental illness who are currently in the United States prison system should be shifted to focus on medication and or rehabilitation in an appropriate

Prior to placement, a complete biopsychosocial assessment should be given, focusing on drug abuse and history, paying close attention to the 6 months just prior to his incarceration. Additionally, his educational background, support networks, employment history, as well as past attempts at sobriety and any treatments and periods of abstinence should be noted. Additionally, an assessment should be taken of his mental health symptoms, and with proper releases, compared with the jail counseling staff to previous depression/anxiety inventories given prior to the initiation of medication

Great case brief! In my opinion, no matter where inmate Nichols was placed; rather it was in the same housing cell or a particular area on the recreational yard, he was compensated for his actions in obtaining confidential information from Henry by FBI agents. The FBI agents stated, they advised Nichols not to initiate any conversation regarding his case. The Court of Appeals was more interested in the petition Henry filed and his reason for filing the petition. They reversed the denial of the District Court and further investigated to ensure Nichols wasn’t acting as a compensated informant o the FBI. Although, Henry gave information about his case to Nichols, Nichols collected the information for the FBI. After the investigated was completed,

The documentary “The released” shared a very important and serious social issue, which is mental illness of prisoners. The film described the inside of the Ohio prison system as it resisted to provide care for prisoners that have mental health problems. The system there allowed prisoners to leave the jail and either go to a shelter or a residential treatment center, to get the health care they need. After the release, prisoners need to take their medications and keep track with a psychiatrist or a mental health care center. However, most of the prisoners didn’t do what is required, most of them didn’t keep up with their medications and end up by going back to jail. The reason of the release was to give them chance to recover by taking medications