The Human Resources Center
of Edgar and Clark Counties
The Human Resources Center
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“HOW
COULD WE?!” Continued
are
routinely handled as disciplinary problems.
Solitary confinement, which is often viewed as a protective measure, is
much more likely to lead to acute psychosis in an inmate who has a mental
illness than one who does not. Prisons
play a vital role in protecting society from violent offenders and keeping
“the criminal element” off the streets for a period of time.
But a majority of incarcerated individuals suffering from mental illness
are released from prison after relatively short stays. Frequently the trauma of
prison life leaves them in worse
shape than when they came in with little hope of being able to successfully
return to life “back home,” particularly when community-based resources are
inadequate or under-funded. With
a rate that is 5 times higher than Britain’s and 12 times higher than
Japan’s, no other country in the world locks people up like the United States.
I am afraid America’s history-making incarceration run will continue for as
long as adequate resources are withheld from communities and community providers
treating and supporting the recovery of people with mental illness and
addictions. With U.S. prisons overloaded with inmates (8 times as many as in
1975) and a $60 billion a year price tag, how could we have possibly believed
that there was a way to incarcerate our nation out of its mental health and
substance abuse crisis? How could we not recognize the harm and expense caused
by blockading community-based services with financial and bureaucratic barriers.
This blockade has resulted in pain and suffering for the millions of people with
mental illness forced to endure prison terms, homelessness, and exploitation. Thanks
to the many organizations, civic leaders, and citizens that recognize the
importance of behavioral health services to the community, and through their
support, offer hope to thousands of people in need throughout Edgar and Clark
Counties.
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