Solution Proposal The focus of the capstone project is to solve a contemporary social and criminal justice issue through the application of information from a variety of related fields, which may...

Prevalence of mental illness in prison system, USA
“Prevalence of mental illness in prison system, USA”
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Contents
Introduction    3
Problem Statement    3
Summary    4
Proposed Recommendations For The Problem Of Mental Illness In Prison System, USA    5
Operations Of Criminal Justice System With Regards To Prevalence Of Mental Illness In Prison System    6
Constitutional Rights And U.S. Supreme Court Case In The Field Of Mental Health In Prison System    7
Equality And Social Stratification In Criminal Justice System    8
Law, Human Rights And Mental Illness In The Prison System    8
Careers Involved In The Mental Health Management In Prison System    9
Conclusion    10
References    11
Introduction
Everyone in United States is abstractly aware about the concept of mental health and illness; but majority of the people do not understand the concept comprehensively including its difficulties and restrictions faced by the sufferers in daily routine (Bhadra, 2012). When any abnormality prevails in our brain, the reality and perceptions get distorted positioning the individual at a difficult phase where he is not able to cope with the realism. Majority of the mental health issues need some kind of treatment or intervention to be cured depending on the intensity. Proper environment and relationships are necessary to make improvements in the mental operations. Most of the people do not get the fact that prevalence of mental issues is very common and natural in human beings. They should be educated for the need of improvements in the intervening strategies within the society. One huge area related to mental health which needs to be addressed is prevalent in our criminal/prison system.
After the deinstitutionalization policy of the state, 1960, the number of psychotic prisoners has increased drastically in prison system and jails of the U.S. It has been estimated that the number of mentally ill individuals is 10 times more than the mental asylums and institutions of the state. In USA, these are also named as ‘new asylums’ of the state (Bagenstos, 2012). The Treatment Advocacy institute, 2010, reported that there are more than five times mentally challenged people in prisons than in asylums; while it is worse in some states like Arizona, Nevada which has this rate of more than 10 folds more. It was recorded in 2013 that 30% of the persons who were suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and were being treated in mental health department were incarcerated in two year time frame. Though administration is aware of the situation, these health issues are generally underdiagnosed and not treated properly. In this study, the researcher will provide an overview of the prevalence of mental illness in prison system of USA, the consequences of these disorders and existing interventions for the same. This would further provide a background for development of clinical interventions and policy formulations in the field.
Problem Statement
The research is based on the subject: “Prevalence of mental health problems in the prison system, USA”. The researchers have evidently presented that the nation is repeating its history by accommodating mentally sick individuals in the country’s prisons to such an extent that the authorities call these correctional homes as the ‘mental asylum’ of the country (Al-Rousan, Rubenstein, Sieleni, Deol & Wallace, 2017). Overcrowding in the jails and lack of interventions available for mental health characterize the prison system of the country which gives rise to catastrophic events each day. Based on this background, the objectives of the study include:
· To evaluate the rate of prevalence of mental illness within the prison system of the country in comparison to the real psychiatric homes.
· Analyze the types of disorders prevalent amongst the individuals like schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse.
· To examine the effect of deinstitutionalization policy on the ratio of mentally ill prisoners in the state.
· Examining the interventions and treatment available for the mental health issues in the prison system.
Summary
According to the reports, the mentally ill individuals in USA were not treated in hospitals but caged in jails during last century which was stated to be ‘inhumane’ by the public and social workers which led to a revolution and establishment of psychiatric hospitals for such people. The number of psychotic individuals in prison reduced to 1% during that time and they were given proper medical attention. Further, in 1960s, the era of deinstitutionalization marked a social change which was very badly planned i.e. vacating the patients from mental asylums in the name of improvement in serious mental problems contributed by new medications; saving the costs by closing the hospitals and liberation of patients by giving them civil fundamental rights. Marc Abramson, a psychiatrist from California, raised an alarm during 1972 stating his observation on ‘criminalization of mentally ill individuals’ (Quanbeck, Frye & Altshuler, 2003). As the states were emptying the asylums and mental hospitals after deinstitutionalization in 1960s, an instant rise in the amount of mentally challenged inmates were being observed in the jails and prisons due to lack of continuous follow up. The situation has been worse even after forty five years of publication about his observations.
Approximately 40% of the mentally ill individuals who were released have been into the prison around his lifetime. There are now more than 10 times psychotic prisoners in the state than the hospitals estimated at 356,000 inmates in 2012. Majority diseases include bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, depression, substance abuse. Mentally ill prisoners have basic right to treatment like any physical illness from the authorities. There are many issues related to imprisoning mentally challenged people like overcrowding which results in longer duration stay for ill inmates than others, lack of treatment due to overcrowding, physical attacks on staff and inmates, victimization of inmates, lack of treatment resulting in deterioration of mental conditions , increase costs of taxpayers, suicides etc. Hence, this issue needs to be addressed and policies should be framed for intervention.
Proposed Recommendations For The Problem Of Mental Illness In Prison System, USA
The foremost solution to the problem would be that the person with serious mental illness should be treated in the hospitals and not in prison or criminal justice system. The current situation points out that the public system of treating such mental patients is...