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Mentally Ill
The criminalization of the mentally ill is one of law enforcement's greatest challenges and tragedies. As Stephey points out, prisons have become the de facto mental health provider in the United States. That means that criminal behavior is one of the primary means by which an individual is diagnosed with mental illness. One judge claims that, "mentally ill people end up in front of her instead of receiving the services that may prevent them from landing behind bars," (cited by Hefley). As many as a quarter of all persons using the public defender system are later diagnosed with mental illnesses (Hefley). If those illnesses were recognized and treated sooner, the eruption of criminal behavior might have been easily prevented. This is a proposal to federal lawmakers, requesting a revision of the mental health system. Mental health services, like services for physical health, are highly sophisticated in the United States. However, there are significant barriers to access. Poverty and lack of awareness of available resources are two of the main...
In order to reduce the rates of crime associated with mental illness, and in order to reduce prison populations in general, lawmakers need to put into place a public mental health strategy that makes services and treatments available free of charge and widely available.
The funds for the program will derive from a number of sources, including the criminal justice budget itself. By diverting funds from criminal justice towards mental health, it will be possible to divert also the person in prison who should currently be either living at home receiving regular counseling and medications; or in residential treatment programs. One suggested method of fundraising would be to revise current drug criminalization policies, because drug abuse is and should always be viewed as a mental health issue. Substance abuse is a symptom of underlying sociological and psychological problems that should not fall under the rubric of criminal justice. The criminal justice system…
Works Cited
Hefley, Diana. "Mentally Ill Often Adrift in the Criminal Justice System." Herald.net. 13 Sept 2009. Retrieved online: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090913/NEWS01/709139880
Stephey, M.J. "De-Criminalizing Mental Illness." Time. 8 Aug, 2007. Retrieved online: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1651002,00.html
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