Everything You need to Know about Mental Health in Prisons
By Anne Williams
Did you know that mental illnesses are more severe in prisons? The number in the prisons outplays those admitted in hospitals.
A recent study found out that 15% and 20% of inmates in jails and prisons respectively have been reported to have severe mental health conditions.
Surprisingly, this is about ten times more than those in hospitals.
It’s time we turn our attentions to the prisons and jails since the masses are enormous.
So, how much do you think you know about mental illness in prisons?
Let’s find out some facts.
Can a mentally ill convict stand trial?
Think about this. If someone has committed murder and it’s found out that his judgment were impaired because he is suffering from an oppositional defiant disorder, will he be convicted of murder? We will get the answer in a moment…
Now, before a judge makes any judgment, he/she must determine if the accused is fine and has no traces of mental illness.
On the other hand, if a convict is discovered to be mentally ill, it changes the approach of the case. One of the effects is reducing the offenders “blameworthiness.”
In a nutshell, this means that the judge will try to find out if the crime is linked to the convict’s mental troubles. If the results are positive, the court may reduce the severity of the punishment.
The Common Mental Illnesses in Prisons
1) Anxiety Disorders
This disease forms the most extensive parts of the cases reported. It mainly affects those imprisoned for the first time and are newbies to the environment.
They find it hard to adapt to the new environment that is strict and doesn’t understand anything about freedom.
They respond to the situation with fear and dread. Also, they have streaks of panic attacks. This may deteriorate their health and affect their physical well-being.
2) Personal Disorders
The effects you get in prison are the same as culture shock that you may experience when you visit a foreign country. However, in this case, it’s worse.
Because of this, they are affected in their ways of thinking. They don’t think and reason out as expected.
Some of the cases of the personal disorder include anti-social personal disorder and paranoid personal disorder. All these have adverse effects on their normal functioning.
3) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This is not that common to inmates, but its effects are severe. Studies have it that it affects those that may have been accused of falsely, which is a significant challenge in a rotten judicial system.
Also, it comes by when an inmate has undergone an ordeal in the prison cells like sexual abuse or physical abuse. The thoughts may last long; hence they have a sense of insecurity and may fear to him or her.
If not attended to on time, they may use the ordeal to overcome it. In this manner, they may form prison gangs and abuse new inmates because of what they went through. Therefore, it becomes a repetitive process.
Mental Treatment in Prisons
The rising cases of mental illness in prisons are alarming, and the effects are always ugly. It can either lead to suicides or murder since the victims become angry.
Some of the ways to curb such incidences include;
• Prison Psychotherapists
Psychotherapists or Physiotherapy Rehabs help a great deal when it comes to handling mental illnesses. They are always the first stop when cases for psychiatric diseases are reported in jail.
They help the victims get rid of their fear and show them the ways they can cope with their current situations.
The therapies can be done in groups where all the victims are brought together to a room, and they share their experiences. The group talks help them to open up, and they can be assisted quickly.
• Hospital Treatment
This comes in place when mental illness has become very severe.
The prison administration can either come up with a program of treating the patients inside the prison or take them to hospital. It involves looking for an available room or creating one to admit the sick. They can then bring in a doctor and a few nurses to work on the facility.
Bottom Line
Inmates are still members of the society hence should be accepted in the community. They may be going through challenges that took away the better part of their conduct and respect, making them commit the crimes.
However, they are still humans. They should not be ignored, but accepted in the society. All in all, 80% of those released from prisons change their ways and become good citizens in society. We should be aiming for that 100%!
Author Bio
Anne Williams is an author and experienced content writer with Healthtuition.com
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy. Any links on this page do not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness.
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