Question

How might the juvenile justice system use incarceration as an opportunity to treat mental illness? Would this be an effective time to treat, or do you think there would be more effective times and places? Explain.

Answer 1

i dont think its the right time to use incarceration as an opportunity to treat mental illness:

incarceration make the illness worse than before for mental patients. these are the events observed :

1. many people incarcerated are not properly diagnosed before sentencing. sending such people withput proper diagnosis or plans amke their conditions worse.

2. many prisons solitary confinement is used as way to keep mentally ill prisoners away from the general prison population while imposing the worst punishmenta manic-depressive or schizophrenic person could endure.

3. prisoners suffering from mental illness often found their condition exacerbated and amplified by their incarceration( hostile and restrictive environment.) Prison and jail officials are neither equipped nor trained to do so.

Problems associated with incarcerating mentally ill persons include:

o Jail/prison overcrowding resulting from mentally ill prisoners remaining behind bars longer than other prisoners

o Behavioral issues disturbing other prisoners and correctional staff

o Physical attacks on staff and other prisoners

o Victimization of prisoners with mental illness increased

o Deterioration in the psychiatric condition of inmates with mental illness as they go without treatments

o Jail/prison suicides in increased

solutions :

solution to this problem is to maintain a functioning public mental health treatment system so that mentally ill persons do not end up in prisons and jails.

Reform mental illness treatment laws and practices.

Reform jail and prison treatment laws so inmates with mental illness can receive appropriate and necessary treatment.

Establish careful intake screening to identify medication needs, suicide danger.

Provide appropriate mental illness treatment .

Institute mandatory release planning to provide community support .