Incarceration For The Mentally Ill Offenders By Providing...

Memo to the Mayor Mental health courts are courts specifically dedicated to offering an alternative option to incarceration for the mentally ill offenders by providing treatment options. The idea of mental health courts is noble, one should not view only the benefits but also the possible detrimental impacts they could have on the public before providing funding. One can only make an informed decision on the merits of mental health courts funding when they weigh the benefits recidivism rates, public safety, equality for the mentally ill against the detrimental effects such as reintegrating convicts back into society, promotion of medicalization of deviance, and the possible unnecessary arrests. One of the primary benefits mental health courts offer is public safety. This becomes clear upon examining mental health court alumni’s rates of recidivism. Alumni of mental health courts where â€Å"4.1 times less likely to re-offend† according to a 2004 study completed by Heidi Herinckz of Portland State University (â€Å"A new justice system† 2005). In addition the study found a 62 percent drop in probation violations among the 368 cases followed. One could reason that, should mental health courts maintain similar numbers to those in the study above, the reduction in repeat crimes will result in greater public safety. Consequently, based on the above, it appears mental health courts are fulfilling their purpose in addressing the issues of â€Å"worsening mental illness, escalating criminalShow MoreRelatedHomelessness And Mental Health And Substance Abuse878 Words   |  4 Pagesthe stresses of living with a mental disorder, people with mentally illnesses ar e much more likely to become homeless than the general population (Karger, Stoesz, 2014). Even if homeless individuals with mental illnesses are provided with housing, they are unlikely to achieve residential stability and remain off the streets unless they have access to continued treatment and services. In Connecticut there are a number of housing options that are in place like supportive housing. Research hasRead MoreThe United States Faces Excessive Mass Incarceration1618 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States faces excessive mass incarceration. We have the largest prison population in the world and the second highest incarceration rate per-capita (1 in 100 citizens is behind bars). While you are certainly familiar with these statistics, I would like to emphasize that using incarceration as the primary response to social problems, as is happening today in the United States, impacts the incarcerated, their families and neighborhoods, as well as costing Maryland taxpayers mi llions of dollarsRead MoreExpanding Funding For Alternatives For Incarceration Essay1589 Words   |  7 PagesFunding for Alternatives to Incarceration Many individuals in prison have mental health and addiction problems. The only way they can be helped is by our system offering lower-cost alternatives to incarceration to address the problem which led them to criminal activity. Studies have indicated that only 10% or fewer inmates received mental health care while incarcerated which in turn is costly and ineffective. Studies have shown it cost $1.8 billion to house mentally ill offenders whom return quickly toRead MoreServing Mentally Ill Prison Populations Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesServing Mentally Ill Prison Populations Kylee L. Radcliffe Argosy University  Abstract [The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. Section titles, such as the word Abstract above, are not considered headings so they don’t use bold heading format. Instead, use the Section Title style. This style automatically starts your section on a new page, so you don’t have to add page breaks. To apply any text style in this document with just a tap, on the HomeRead MoreInmates with special needs1204 Words   |  5 PagesSpecial Needs Inmate with special needs, mental illnesses, substance-abuse issues, juvenile offenders, and older inmates are all considered special offenders upon entering the correctional facility and classification process. These inmates are classified as special offenders, which refers to inmates with behavioral issues that will need close supervision, specific treatment plans, and sometimes treatment outside the correctional facility (Seiter, 2011). The number one complaint filed by prisonersRead MoreMental Illness And Mental Health1284 Words   |  6 Pagesbasically channeled the mentally ill into the corrections system. Often mentally ill offenders are released into community care. Lurigio emphasized that community based care â€Å"compartmentalizes† mentally ill offenders and creates limitations on whom they treat. This creates yet another gap within the corrections system for offenders to fall into. Those who require treatment may not get what they need because community care can only treat so much. These â€Å"missed† offenders are often the most seriousRead MoreMental Illness Among Prisons And The United States1576 Words   |  7 Pages356,000 individuals diagnosed with some form of mental illness. This is ten-fold the number of people receiving treatment in psychiatric hospitals, around 35,000 (Frances). Leaving us with the question, when did suffering from a mental illness become a crime worthy of incarceration? Doubt no longer remains as to if the this system is broken, as indicated by recent report from the Treatment Advocacy Center and the National Sheriffs’ Association, which after surveying sheriffs and prison administratorsRead MoreShould Mental Illness Be Taken Into Account in Determining Punishment?3184 Words   |  13 Pageshelp in alleviating the stigma attached to mental illness, routinely and historically treating mentally unstable inmates with just the same harsh approach as their criminally insane counterparts. Indeed, the distinction between these two populations is significant; however, authorities have long been reluctant to entertain such a concept. Similar to the treatment availed to them in institutions, mentally ill inmates have a history of being shackled, beaten and deprived of the most basic human needsRead MoreCorrections Final Paper4809 Words   |  20 PagesBeach CRJU 303 – Corrections December 12, 2012 Professor: Ryan Fischer Table of Content Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 Historical perspective †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 Current Policy surrounding mental health treatment in prisons†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 Evidence to support the current/historical correctional approaches†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Evidence to refute the current/historical correctional approaches†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Evidence of innovative correctional approaches†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreMental Illness And Mental Disorders Essay2211 Words   |  9 Pagessocial stigmas attached to mental illness, such as being labeled crazy, being treated as a danger to others, and being denied jobs or health insurance coverage. These negative connotations keep many sufferers from seeking help, and many of those in treatment do not reveal it on surveys. Some patients do not realize that their symptoms are caused by mental disorders. Even though more is being learned about how the brain works a lot of information has still yet to be discovered, thus mental health professionals