The Forensic facilities demonstrate that it is more common to lump together such individuals, producing a context that is neither conducive to comfort or assimilation of mental illness. Instead, this creates a distinctly negative treatment context which reduces the likelihood of treatable individuals from emerging either healthier or with a greater grasp on the differences between right and wrong. From the description of the hospital used as a case example here, evidence abounds that an absence of proper maintenance, a dearth of financial resources, a tendency toward the use of deeply outdated facilities and a relative disinterest of society toward these individuals has allowed the institutions housing our criminally insane to deteriorate beyond simply ineffectiveness. Indeed, many of these institutions have become dangerous to both patients and workers. Accordingly, "four of the 10 forensic buildings are so badly deteriorated and contaminated with asbestos that they're unusable. The remaining units, state health officials say, pose a security risk to both staff and other patients because of their design and condition." (Reinhart, 1) Those that are in use are designed poorly and in a state of total disrepair, leaving patients and workers exposed to violence, safety hazard, illness and a distinctly bleak environmental surrounding.

These are conditions which have become all too common in the area of housing the criminally insane, denoting the relative absence of sufficient facilities as a primary reason for the frequency with which inmates may find themselves either back on the streets or in criminal facilities...

Such a scenario points to the need for improvement recognized by President Obama, who made as a part of his electoral platform a renewal of the promise to treat America's disabled. Therefore, "as a state senator, Obama helped pass a mental health parity bill that requires coverage for serious mental illnesses to be provided on the same terms and conditions as are applicable to other illnesses and diseases. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses is provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases." (Obama & Biden, 1)
This equalization of legal terms is an important first step to ensuring that facilities such as Forensic Hospital are not allowed to exist. The conditions there clearly violate the constitutional entitlements to individuals deemed psychological unfit to stand trial for their crimes, with evolving policy indicating a responsibility to maintain facilities that are livable, safe and, most importantly, that actually seize on the opportunity for rehabilitation where such is possible. The hope is that those who serve sentences thusly are given the treatment to assume a life with some normalcy in a mainstream population.

Works Cited:

Obama, B. & Biden, J. (2008). BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN'S PLAN TO EMPOWER AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES. Disability Plan Fact Sheet.

Reinhart, M.K. (2007). Hospital for Criminally Insane Falling Apart. East Valley Tribune. Online at http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/88709