Chow, K. K. W., et al.

“Prevalence and Screening of Mental Illness among Remand Prisoners in

Hong Kong.” ​East Asian Archives of Psychiatry​, vol. 28, no. 4, Dec. 2018, pp. 134–138.
EBSCOhost​, doi:10.12809/eaap1829.

Dr. KKW Chow and seven other department heads of forensic psychiatry at multiple

Chinese hospitals and universities investigated the “Prevalence and Screening of Mental Illness

among Remand Prisoners in Hong Kong.” The investigation report was published March 29,

2018, which provides recent and relevant data. The goal of the this study was to validate the use

of the CMHS questionnaires and to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among

prisoners.

150 total male remand prisoners from the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and 95 total

female remand prisoners from Tai Lam Centre for Women were recruited to participate in this

study. A remand prisoner means that the person will be detained in prison until a later date when

a trial will take place. After being recruited, each participant was assessed by the appropriate

CMHS and then interviewed by a specialist psychiatrist. The CMHS is an 8-12 yes/no

questionnaire given to inmates to evaluate their mental health. There is a separate questionnaire

for both genders. The results of this investigation concluded that just over half of the tested

inmates have struggled with a lifetime of mental illness while just under 40% have a current

psychiatric disorder.

The purpose of this article and the study itself is to investigate the issue of mental illness

in prisons. Specifically, remand prisoners from prisons in Hong Kong. The audience of this piece

is those interested in the problem. This study gives specific data showing the types of disorders

and the wide ranges of those dealing with them. This source is made up of details and
information from the duration of the entire investigation so the article is full of beneficial, up to

date, information.

The doctors associated with this scholarly article are all department heads of forensic

psychiatry at Chinese hospitals and universities. This establishes their credibility. Since the

doctors who wrote the article are also the ones who carried out the study, there is definitely

enough adequate information.

This source is relevant to my research proposal because it discusses the correlation

between prisoners and mental illness. This is an investigation that uncovers the intensity of this

issue by assessing prisoners and interviewing them. Since this is also based out of the United

States, this gives me another talking point on how this issue is not just retained in the states but is

an issue throughout the world. This supports my stance on the issue by showing that there is a

correlation between prisoners and mental illness.

English, Al Jazeera. “󾓦 Mental Illness in America's Prisons | Fault Lines.” YouTube​, YouTube,
7 Dec. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPUsdxMBEOQ.

The Youtube channel, Al Jazeera English, posted a video explaining the core issues the

mentally ill face while being incarcerated. Josh Rushings, the journalist covering this video,

begins by talking about how the majority of state run asylums closed down in the 70’s leaving

hundreds of mentally ill patients on the streets. Most of the time, this led to troubles with the law

that eventually caused hospitals and asylums to be replaced by jails and prisons. Those

struggling with mental illness were now inmates instead of patients. This video goes through the

hardships the mentally ill face in prison due to the fact that prisons are not set up to manage

mental illness. The video also dives into Houston, Texas and the mental health crisis there.

Police in Houston are coming up with ways to help the mentally ill and aer learning of ways to

equip themselves to do so.

The purpose of this video is to dive deeper into the criminalization of the mentally ill in

the United States. Since this is a documentary formatted video, I think the general public is the

intended audience. Possibly to raise awareness of this major issue.

The information in the video is credible because of the interviews and statistics shared

within it. At the beginning of the video, the journalist addresses “Fault Lines” which is a series

under the private corporation Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is a global network that strives to deliver

news to the public around the world.

This source can be very beneficial to my paper due to the fact that there are personal

testimonies from prisoners who deal with mental illness daily. This provides a different

perspective to view the topic from. This video also shares some positives that are being done to
help those struggling with their mental health. This can give me a segway into another source

that provides information on helping and treating such individuals.

Fathi, David. “This Prison Causes Heart Attacks, Blindness and Mental Illness | David Fathi.”
The Guardian,​ Guardian News and Media, 16 Aug. 2017,
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/16/nebraska-prisons-cause-heart-attacks-
mental-illness.

David Fathi, a newspaper journalist for ​The Guardian​, reports on the major overcrowding

crisis at a Nebraska prison. The author goes into detail about the treatment of the prisoners and

the dangers everyone involved in the prison system face. A lawsuit against the prison and the

lack of proper treatment granted by basic human rights was filed by the American Civil Liberties

Union. The basis of this lawsuit was the death of one prisoner due to the lack of medical

attention despite obvious symptoms and the blindness of another prisoner due to lack of medical

treatment of diabetes. Also, prisoners suffering from mental illness are confined therefore,

increasing the risk of suicide and the worsening of symptoms. Riots are common and have killed

several prisoners and injured many staff members.

The purpose behind Fathi’s article is to raise awareness of overcrowding in prisons and

the lack of proper treatment of prisoners. The intended audience is the general US population due

to the fact that this article was published in a national newspaper.

The author, David Fathi, is credible due to the credibility of the newspaper company he

writes for. The Guardian is a nationally known newspaper company with thousands of published

and reliable articles. The information given in this source is reliable because it mentions the

lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union… I did some additional research and found this

lawsuit was in fact, filed.

This source can be beneficial to my research paper due to its evidence and information

given about the treatment of prisoners. This can support my stance on the topic by contributing
information that shows the neglect and mistreatment prisoners face that can ultimately cause

mental illness or worsen already diagnosed issues.

JOYCE, KATHLEEN, et al. “Mental Illness, Jail Inmates, and a Capstone Project: A Case Study
in Kansas.” ​American Jails,​ vol. 32, no. 5, Nov. 2018, p. 21. ​EBSCOhost,​
sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d
b=f5h&AN=132895176&site=eds-live.

In this case study, Kathleen Joyce explores the issues surrounding mental illness in a

Kansas jail. As the case study is explained, it starts with the idea that when Topeka State

Hospital closed, it left hundreds who deal with mental illnesses with no where to turn. A

community who began to run out of resources for these mentally ill, started to handle this

population with more aggression by shifting the destination of the mentally ill from a treatment

center to a detention center. Joyce identifies that requirements of a detention center and as she

explores Shawnee County Jail, she explores each contention based off of that jail.

The purpose behind this case study was to explore the different requirements of a

detention center and compare what should be happening to what is actually happening in the jail

system based off the the Shawnee County Jail in Kansas. The intended audience of this piece

could be the county of Shawnee, Kansas as well as a state government to call action to

mistreatment among prisoners in jails.

The author of this periodical is a graduate student from Washburn University who did

this case study as a part of a Capstone project. The credibility rests in the student as she works

alongside her professor and the Shawnee County Jail. There is definitely adequate information as

the grad student did her own investigation and gathered as much information that was needed to

complete the project.

This source is relevant to my research proposal because it identifies the legal standards of

a detention center and compares what should be happening in such a government facility to what
is actually happening. She explores the screening, communication, therapy, staff, and medication

within Shawnee County Jail. This specific information can be useful to my project in that in

gives evidence from a specific location in the US in which the issue of mental illnesses in

prisoners is taking place.

​“National: News Briefing: HEALTH: Care Rather than Prison for Those with Mental Illness.”
The Observer (London, England)​, 2011. ​EBSCOhost​,
sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d
b=edsgin&AN=edsgcl.252505777&site=eds-live.

A London, England newspaper, The Observer, published a short announcement

concerning the government commitment that was made to ensure more of the mentally ill will be

placed in treatment and care instead of into the justice system. A diversion system will be

installed so that those considered to have a mental illness are evaluated and placed where it is

most beneficial to them.

The purpose of this short publication is to inform the public on the new government

commitment and plan to install a system to help the mental health crisis. The credibility is

established through the reputation of the London newspaper and the quote from the health

secretary in the British government. This was not a lengthy piece but did include small bits of

important information that could be quoted in my research proposal.

This source is relevant to my research topic and can be used to show that governments

around the world are aware of the issue and are working to help relieve it. With my topic, there is

a lot of negatives to cover such as the treatment of those with mental illnesses and how

institutions can cause or worsen mental health issues. Some positives such as this source

provides, can lighten the mood of my paper and give another side to the story as well.
Stoliker, Bryce Evan, and Joseph Varanese. “Spending the Golden Years Behind Bars:
Predictors of Mental Health Issues Among Geriatric Prisoners.” ​Victims & Offenders​,
vol. 12, no. 5, Sept. 2017, pp. 718–740. ​EBSCOhost​,
doi:10.1080/15564886.2016.1170086.

Bryce Evan Stoliker and Joseph Varanese explore the connections between gender,

victimization, protective factors, physical illness, life stressors, and mental illness in geriatric

prisoners. Mental illness has grown significantly and has become a pervading issue in

prisons/jails across the country. The conditions of the environments prisons produce are not the

conditions that can maintain and help those with mental health problems. Stoliker and Varanese

dive deep into the justice system to investigate geriatric criminals and their mental health based

on their treatment in the system.

The purpose of Stoliker and Varanese’s exploration was to uncover the correlation

between each contention mentioned above and the effects on the geriatric prisoner’s mental

health. The intended audience could be the government to spark change and reform but also the

general public could be the target as well.

The use of multiple reliable references and the multiple quotes used within the article

give way to a credible source. The was lots of valuable information in this article that could be

used to describe the prison/jail environments that all prisoners endure- not just geriatric

prisoners.

This source can be used to give a different perspective to my paper due to the geriatric

focus. Most inmates are of young age and to classify an “old” prisoner is hard but Stoliker and

Varanese both find a way to focus on the elderly prisoners and the effects of certain aspects of

the prison/jail environment on their mental health. Some information, such as the environment of
the institution and such dangers like riots can be used to give evidence towards those not

considered geriatric as well.

Villines, Zawn. “The Effects of Incarceration on Mental Health.” ​GoodTherapy.org - Find the
Right Therapist​, GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog, 17 July 2018,
www.goodtherapy.org/blog/prison-incarceration-effects-mental-health-0315137.

Zawn Villines published a blog post called, “The Effects of Incarceration on Mental
Health” in March 2013. The main point of this source is to provide information and evidence on
the effects prison/jail time can have on prisoners. Villines starts off his blog post with statistics
about how much the incarceration rate has increased over the years and how more than half of
US inmates are diagnosed with and suffer from a mental illness. Throughout the blog, Villines
goes through the care that prisoners receive, the trauma that may come from being confined, the
lack of support and positive stimuli, and how the process of being released can all affect a
person’s mental health.
The purpose of this blog post is to share information on how incarceration can really have
a traumatizing affect on someone. The intended audience could be anyone who is interested in
prison reform or just the general public.
Blogs normally are not the most reliable sources because many contain opinions but I
found an exception with this blog. There were several references and links to other websites that
contained more information. There were also statistics that I did further research on to validate
them. The credibility of this source comes from the aforementioned reasons.
This source can be beneficial to my research paper due to the information about how
multiple different contentions can affect a prisoner and his/her mental health. This blog goes
through the process many inmates face while trying to readjust to society once being released
and how that process can also create or worsen someone’s mental health issues.