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Criminal Minded or

Mental Illness
Aisha Habeeb
10/6/2014
SW 4710 - Social Welfare Programs
The Social Issue
!
Psychological disorders, including depression, bipolar
disorder and trauma-related disorders, are rampant
among inmates, and mental illness itself is a risk factor
for landing in jail.

!
Men suffering from a Mental Illness are 5 times more
likely to be incarcerated than men in the general
population; women 6 times more likely.

!
Factors such as deinstitutionalization, lack of adequate
resources, police and societal attitudes all contribute to
the criminalization of the mental ill. ("By The Numbers:
Mental Illness Behind Bars - Kaiser Health News)



The Facts
Since the closing of mental health institutions local jails has been used
to house the mentally ill. In fact there are three times more people
with serious mental illness incarcerated than in hospitals.

Based on statistics, the percentage of women incarcerated suffering
from mental illness is greater than the percentage of men.

! In state prisons, 73 percent of women and 55 of men have at
least one mental health problem
! In federal prisons, 61 percent of women and 44 percent of men
! In local jails, 75 percent of women and 63 percent of men ("By
The Numbers: Mental Illness Behind Bars - Kaiser Health News)
Addressing the Concern
Incarceration should not be the solution to mental illness. The biggest
problem is that system for funding and providing mental health care is
unjust. This system has been broken for some time.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) works to reduce the
criminalization of people with mental illness by promoting local
programs that divert people from the justice system and into
treatment, and by advocating with state and federal policy makers to
improve access to treatment and services that can prevent
involvement with the justice system.
Recently at the federal level, the Health Care Reform Act opened
Medicaid to more people with mental health issues. It also required
that all individual and small group insurance plans cover mental health
treatment at the same level as other types of treatment and prohibit a
lifetime max and spending limits. In 2008 the Mental Health Parity Act
was signed in lifting the restriction on mental health care for group
health plans. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Whos in control and is it working?
The health care policies implemented by the federal government
discussed on the previous slide are a step in the right direction.
However, they only provide treatment and preventative care for those
that seek it or that have family members in their corner. What about
the people suffering from mental illness that slip through the cracks.
Where does this leave them? There needs to be policies and training in
place that teach law enforcement how to interact with this group of
individuals. Maybe even a special court that handles criminal cases
where the offender suffers from a mental illness. From an ethical
viewpoint and as a humanitarian I was glad I didnt nd anyone that
oppose the idea of better health care for the mentally ill.
Michigan has a great idea
In an effort end the revolving door affect associated with mentally ill individuals and the criminal justice system,
Michigan has set 5 goals that should make a change on how this group is handle in the court system.
Goals
1. Strengthen "Pre-booking" Jail Diversion for Individuals with Mental Illness
2. Ensure Quality, Effective, and Comprehensive Behavioral Health Treatment in Jails and Prisons
3. Expand "Post-Booking" Jail Diversion Options for individuals with Mental Illness
4. Reduce Unnecessary Incarceration or Re- incarceration of Individuals with Mental Illness
5. Establish an Ongoing Individuals with Mental Mechanism to Coordinate Illness and Assist with Implementation
of Action Plan Goals and to Facilitate Needed Systems Change
Each goals has actions steps within them. Majority of actions steps, except for the ones that are waiting on
additional funding, are set to be implemented no later than 2017. The rst goal which is set to be implemented on
12/31/2015 is huge. This goal will Implement statewide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program and other best
practice models which could result in less arrest and fatalities at the hands of ofcers not trained on how to
handle those suffering from a mental illness. (State of Michigan Mental Health Commission, 2013)
Anothers Perspective
Michelle Barber works with autistic children ages 2 -18 years as
an Early Intervention Specialist at Childrens Hospital. She
believes that the mental ill population is treated unjust. In her
opinion if a person (police ofcer, judge and etc.) is not
professionally trained in mental illness then they are not
knowledgable of the different effects the certain mental illnesses
have on a person. Therefore the offender may be treated and
sentenced unfairly instead of receiving treatment that they need
for their illness. Based on her past experience with her clients
and the juvenile system she believes that judges are a little to
eager to lock the children up instead of assisting them in seeking
care. Michelle believes that the guidelines relating to mental
health coverage under the Health Care Reform Act may help if
mental health facilities and nurses adhere to the rules instead of
medicating patients and discharging them. She hopes for a
stronger support system for the mentally ill that can provide
follow up contacts and resources to those affected including
family and friends.(Barber & Habeeb, 2014)
References
Barber, M. (2014, October 6). Personal Interview - Mental Health (A. Habeeb, Interviewer).
By The Numbers: Mental Illness Behind Bars - Kaiser Health News. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4,
2014, from http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2014/may/16/by-the-numbers-mental-
illness-jail.aspx
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). NAMI | Criminal Justice Community Programs: Jails
and Prisons. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?
Section=Criminalization&Template=/ContentManagement/
ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=155268
State of Michigan Mental Health Commission. (2013). MDCH/MDOC Diversion Strategies
Action Plan 2013-2015. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mentalhealth/
diversion_430011_7.pdf

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