Summary: Pennsylvania has recently began a new mental health care program in all of their prisons. Almost a quarter of all inmates in Pennsylvania deal with some type of mental illness. In the past, inmates with mental illnesses could only be sent to solitary confinement. However solitary confinement has proved to be very harmful for inmates. In one year, 206 out of 288 suicides occurred in solitary confinement. In that same year, 1,000 mentally ill inmates were sent to solitary confinement for over 90 days. After the realization of these horrible events the Department of Corrections in Pennsylvania has made some major improvements. For example, all staff members are now trained in Mental Health First Aid. Also, inmates that suffer with any mental illness are dismissed from being sent to solitary confinement. The new program has proven to be very helpful and will hopefully spread to other states.
Analysis: In my opinion, I have always seen solitary confinement as an extreme way of dealing with inmates. Solitary confinement is inhumane and seems to help no one. I have never really understood why this method has stayed in prisons for so long with all of the harm it causes. I am also very happy to hear about the program in Pennsylvania. They're doing something really great and I hope it spreads all over the United States. The terrible things that the mentally ill inmates had to go through relate to the Newgate prison in the 1800s. Many women and children were forced to sleep in a very small space on a cold concrete floor with no bedding. Elizabeth Fry was disgusted with these conditions and immediately began to help. Just as the program in Pennsylvania started with one prison it expanded to all of them. Elizabeth Fry started with the Newgate Prison, and then visited many more prisons. Eventually the Gaol Act was passed by Parliament in 1823 and things began to improve.
Source:http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/05/health/prison-mental-health-first-aid/index.html
http://www.mylearning.org/prison-and-penal-reform-in-the-1800s/p-3270/
I think that it is a huge improvement that people are realizing that it doesn't help anyone to ignore mental illness and not improve/help someone's mental state. It's healthier to address a person's mental state rather than place them in solitary confinement.
ReplyDeleteThis is so important, as oftentimes mental health issues are overlooked and dismissed. They are real and must be acknowledged and treated! I wasnt aware that all inmates with a mental health disorder were sent to solitary confinement, especially seeing as so many of adults today suffer from one form or another. I hope all states adopt this new policy.
ReplyDeleteThis is so important, as oftentimes mental health issues are overlooked and dismissed. They are real and must be acknowledged and treated! I wasnt aware that all inmates with a mental health disorder were sent to solitary confinement, especially seeing as so many of adults today suffer from one form or another. I hope all states adopt this new policy.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful to hear. Many inmates suffer with mental health issue and that is sometimes a part of why they committed a crime in the first place. Treating them instead of confining and ignoring them is not only good for that person's health, but could lead to preventing them from committing another crime in the future.
ReplyDeleteJail is supposed to rehabilitate criminals. Most prisons today however focus more on punishing the offenders instead of helping them get better, which is probably why our inmate count is so high. It's good to see that steps are being to help people get better, instead of worsening the problem.
ReplyDelete