Mental Illness in the Prison System

Should the mentally ill be placed in the mainstream population of a prison?

Chances are you've never given much - if any - thought to this question. A paranoid schizophrenic kills someone because the voices in his head tell him that person is an alien trying to steal his brain. Is that schizophrenic safe in a prison? Are the other prisoners safe with him (or her) there?

Mental Health

A person suffering with severe bipolar disorder shoplifts an armload of clothing during an attack of acute mania. He or she is sent to prison, to co-exist with gangbangers, rapists, and murderers. Or, perhaps worse, to live in a solitary cell with no human interaction, for 23 out of 24 hours each day. The acute mania shifts to severe depression. What are the chances he or she will survive the prison term?

According to the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 1998 approximately 300,000 inmates had some form of mental illness. A decade later, that number rose to 1.25 million.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) states that 16 percent of the prison population can be classified as severely mentally ill. This means that they fit the psychiatric classification for illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. However, the percentage skyrockets to as high as 50 percent when altered to include other mental illnesses, such as anti-social personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder.

Two major causes attribute to the rise of mentally ill inmates:

In the 1950s, the U.S. had 600,000 state run hospital beds for those suffering from any form of mental illness. Because of deinstitutionalization and the subsequent cutting of state and federal funding, the U.S. now has just 40,000 beds for the mentally ill. The inability to get proper treatment left this segment of our population vulnerable and, consequently, many of them now land in prisons.

Deinstitutionalization hasn't worked. All this has managed to do is to shift the mentally ill from hospitals to prisons - one institution to another. We have made it a crime to be mentally ill.

The largest psychiatric facility in the U.S. isn't a hospital; it's a prison. At any given time, Rikers Island in New York City houses an estimated 3,000 mentally ill prisoners. The average inmate population at Rikers Island is 14,000. One out of every 4 to 5 inmates at this prison suffer from mental illness.

Florida judge Steven Leifman, who chairs the Mental Health Committee for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, states that, "The sad irony is we did not deinstitutionalize, we have reinstitutionalized-from horrible state mental hospitals to horrible state jails. We don't even provide treatment for the mentally ill in jail. We're just warehousing them."

What happens to the mentally ill in an overcrowded, violent prison system with little to no psychological counseling available?

In state prisons, the mentally ill serve an average of 15 months longer than the average inmate. The very nature of most mental illnesses makes it difficult to follow prison rules. These inmates are more likely to be involved in prison fights and they tend to accumulate more conduct violations.

Prison staff often punishes mentally ill inmates for being disruptive, refusing to comply with orders, and even for attempting suicide. In other words, these inmates are punished for exhibiting the symptoms of their illness.

Gaining parole is also more difficult for the mentally ill. Their disciplinary records are often spotty, they may have no family willing or able to help, and community services are usually inadequate.

In October 2003, Human Rights Watch released a report entitled Ill Equipped: U.S. Prisons and Offenders with Mental Illness. Following two years of in-depth research, this organization found that few prisons have adequate mental health care services. Furthermore, it found that the prison environment is dangerous and debilitating for the mentally ill.

An excerpt from Ill Equipped:

"Security staff typically view mentally ill prisoners as difficult and disruptive, and place them in barren high-security solitary confinement units. The lack of human interaction and the limited mental stimulus of twenty-four-hour-a-day life in small, sometimes windowless segregation cells, coupled with the absence of adequate mental health services, dramatically aggravates the suffering of the mentally ill. Some deteriorate so severely that they must be removed to hospitals for acute psychiatric care. But after being stabilized, they are then returned to the same segregation conditions where the cycle of decompensation begins again. The penal network is thus not only serving as a warehouse for the mentally ill, but, by relying on extremely restrictive housing for mentally ill prisoners, it is acting as an incubator for worse illness and psychiatric breakdowns."

According to Fred Osher, M.D., director of the Center for Behavioral Health, Justice and Public Policy at the University of Maryland, the majority of mentally ill inmates are arrested for misdemeanors and crimes of survival. He states, "That's a whole host of folks who land in the criminal justice system because of their behavioral disorders."

Those on the fringe of society are primarily affected. These people are almost always impoverished and disabled by their illness. They have nowhere to turn, no one to help them, and so we toss them in prison. Even minor offenses keep them locked in prisons, since many cannot afford and/or do not know how to bond themselves out.

The recidivism rate among the mentally ill is higher than that among the general prison population. Prison has become a revolving door system for dealing with mental illness. By default, prisons have become the new mental hospitals. However, they lack the funding and the training to deal with these patient-inmates.

Ratan Bhavnani, executive director of the Ventura County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, states that, "In general, people with mental illness can recover when given the appropriate treatment rather than to be sent off to jail only to become more psychotic and come back and reoffend."

Michael Jung of Ventura, California suffers from bipolar and hears voices telling him that he is the devil. Over the past 10 years, Jung has been arrested a minimum of 15 times - all for relatively minor offenses. Earlier this year, Jung spent six weeks confined in G Quad, the unit where mentally ill inmates stay in their cells 23 out of the 24 hours in each day.

Cells such as those in G Quad are referred to as the "rubber rooms" because the walls are padded. There is no furniture in these rooms. The "toilet" is a grate in the floor. They are stripped naked and monitored via video camera. Inmates who are paranoid, delusional, or otherwise difficult to manage are often placed in this type of cell, whether for their own protection, the safety of the other inmates, or just plain convenience.

Susan Abril, a former inmate who suffers from bipolar disorder, was placed in this type of cell. During her confinement, Abril began hearing voices for the first time. "I didn't sleep," she said. "I mentally went insane being locked down 23 hours of 24."

We are essentially making the mentally ill inmates sicker, as well as ensuring their return to an already massively overcrowded prison system. Obviously our current system is not working. We cannot expect prison staff to function as psychiatrists. We also cannot expect the mentally ill to be "rehabilitated" in a mainstream prison system.

The Taxpayer Action Board for Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois cited annual savings in the tens of millions of dollars that could be gained by releasing thousands of non-violent offenders, closely monitoring them and providing substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, education, job training, and employment opportunities.

For the most part, the mentally ill do not belong in prison. It would be cheaper (and smarter) for us as taxpayers to divert funding in order to provide adequate treatment programs to keep them out of prison.

Mental Illness in the Prison System

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Mental Illness and the Early Insane Asylums - A Shameful Past

Originally in the later part of the Middle Ages, insane asylums were built to remove the mentally ill people from the streets. These unfortunate people were feared and viewed with horror by most of the population of the time. The asylums created were really prisons and not centers for treatment. The inmates were chained and the rooms were dark and filthy dungeons. The "patients" were treated like animals, not humans.

Later on in history, in Paris 1792 an experiment was conducted. The chains were removed from the inmates which was a big deal at that time. Much to the amazement of the skeptics this experiment on the "animals" was a success! A different attitude was now starting to emerge towards the treatment of the mentally ill. The inmates were removed from their filthy dungeons and given clean, sunny rooms. They were treated with kindness and not like wild animals by the staff. The result was that many ill folks who were considered hopelessly crazy recovered and were even able to leave the asylum!

Mental Health

But the treatments used to try and cure the mentally ill were horror stories out of a horror flick. These "treatments" were actually forms of torture that were believed to help bring the patient back to reality. One early treatment was the branding of a patient's head with a red hot iron to "bring the animal to his senses". An English treatment of the earlier nineteenth century involved using a rotating device in which the afflicted person was placed and then whirled around at a high speed. Even as late as the nineteenth century another similar "treatment" device was used. This one swung the mentally ill person around while he was in a harness. This treatment supposedly "calmed the nerves".

Then in 1904 there was a breakthrough in mental illness science. Syphilis spirochete was discovered and shown that there could be a physical cause for mental illness. Then, Sigmund Freud and his followers came along and suggested that environmental factors could be the cause of mental disorders. But it seems that even with these new scientific breakthroughs and different ways of viewing mental illness, the general population of the early 1900's still thought of mentally ill people living in asylums with fear, horror and even hatred. There still was no real understanding of this terrible illness.

But in 1908 an amazing thing happened. A mentally ill person named Clifford Beers recovered from his mental illness. He published a book called "A Mind That Found Itself". He was diagnosed with manic-depressive psychosis and was institutionalized for three years. The earlier forms of torture, branding, "spinning" and others were abandoned at this time only to be replaced by overcrowded hospitals, poor food, strait jackets and sadistic and uncaring attendants. These elements made the "hospitals" unpleasant places to live in, let alone to try and recover in.

Clifford Beers described his experiences in the insane asylums. He helped educate the public about the principles of mental health. His single-handed efforts to educate the public about mental illness, along with using his book helped to make the public aware of the disease and to help understand it. Soon the National Committee for Mental Hygiene was organized. Then in 1950 the committee joined with two other groups and formed the National Association for Mental Health.

Of course nowadays we have a much better understanding of mental health and mental illnesses. New drugs and treatments are always being discovered. Looking back in time, it sure is hard to believe that the understanding of this illness was so limited and the accepted treatments were so barbaric. But today, with our advanced drugs, technology and treatments we are able to help the mentally ill successfully recover in many cases and lead healthy, normal lives. Maybe one day science will discover the answers as to what causes mental illness in the first place and find us a sure and permanent cure.

Mental Illness and the Early Insane Asylums - A Shameful Past

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Symptoms of Pain and Illness in Dogs

Dog owners, who recognize the early signs and symptoms of illness or pain in their dogs, will not only relieve their loved one's suffering but may also be able to save themselves an expensive trip to the veterinarian. Not only is it important to recognize these signs early to relieve pain and suffering, but it is much more effective to treat an illness when it is detected early.

The dog owner should keep an accurate and detailed account of their dog's symptoms to help the veterinarian correctly diagnose and effectively treat the dog's illness or condition. Most canine illnesses are detected through a combination of various signs and symptoms:

Mental Health

Temperature, Respiratory Rate and Heart Rate

A newborn puppy will have a temperature of 94-97º F. which will eventually reach the normal adult body temperature of 101.5º F. at the age of 4 weeks old. Take care when trying to take your dog or puppies temperature as the thermometer can easily be broken off in the canine's rectum. Also any form of excitement can cause the temperature to rise by 2-3º when the dog is actually in normal health. If your dog's temperature reaches 105º or above OR 96º or below please take him/her to the emergency vet immediately!

An adult dog will have a respiratory rate of 15-20 breaths per minute (depending on such variables as size and weight) and a heart rate of 80-120 beats per minute. You can feel for your dog's heartbeat by placing your hand on his/her lower ribcage just behind the elbow. Don't be alarmed if the heartbeat seems irregular compared to a human's heartbeat, it is irregular in many dogs. Have your vet check it out and get used to how it feels when it is normal.

Behavior Changes

Any behavior changes that are not associated with a change in the household atmosphere, such as jealousy over a new pet or child may be an indication of an illness. Signs of behavioral changes may be:

o Depression

o Anxiety

o Fatigue

o Sleepiness

o Trembling

o Falling/Stumbling

If your dog shows any of these signs, he/she needs to be kept under close watch for a few hours, or even a few days, until positive signs develop or he/she has returned to normal. Do not try to exercise the dog or put him/her in any situation that may cause stress. Most veterinarians will want for you to keep track of when the symptoms first appeared, whether they are getting better or worse, and also whether the symptoms are intermittent, continuous, or increasing in frequency.

Pain

Dogs that are in pain will likely indicate that they are suffering by giving you clues as to where the area of discomfort is. For instance, a dog that has abdominal pain will continually glance toward their belly, bite or lick the area, and will not want to leave his/her bed. The dog may stand hunched over, or take the 'prayer position' which is when a dog gets down on it's forelegs with the hind legs still standing, because of the pain in her abdomen area.

Dogs can not tell you that they are hurting or cry real tears but a dog may vocalize their pain in a different way. A dog that is hurt suddenly (such as being stepped on) will cry out or wimper in pain. This also happens when an external injury or internal injury (such as an organ) is touched. Whining or vocalization that is unprovoked may be caused from an internal injury as well. Some breeds of dogs (such as the American Pit Bull Terrier) have a higher pain threshold and need to be watched more closely for signs of pain. Breeds with a high pain tolerance are more likely to endure the pain without vocalization.

Another clue to pain is a change in temperament. A dog that is in pain may show signs of aggression. Please take note of this before concluding that a dog has become vicious and let your veterinarian know so that the correct treatment can be administered. Also females in general (even humans!) have days when they are just in a bad mood for no obvious reason. Take note of days of times that these mood swings occur as well as any events that might have triggered them.

Other signs that your dog may be sick:

o Ears: discharge, debris, odor, scratching, crusted tips, twitching or shaking.

o Eyes: redness, swelling or discharge.

o Nose: runny, thickened or colored discharge, crusty.

o Coughing, sneezing, vomiting or gagging.

o Shortness of breath, irregular breathing or prolonged/heavy panting

o Evidence of parasites in the dog's stool, strange color, blood in the stool, or lack of a bowel movement (constipation).

o Loss of appetite or not drinking as much water as normally would.

o Weight Loss.

o Strange color of urine, small amount of urine, straining, dribbling, or not going as frequently as normal.

o Bad odor coming from mouth, ears, or skin.

o Hair loss, wounds, tumors, dander or change of the skin's color.

o Biting of the skin, parasites, scratching or licking the skin frequently.

The preceding article was meant to help educate you to the signs and symptoms of probable pain or sickness in your dog. If any of these symptoms occur over a prolonged period of time, please seek the help of a veterinarian. I hope that this article will help stress the importance of keeping watch over your dog's health patterns and the importance of keeping an accurate, detailed health record for your veterinarian's convenience.

Symptoms of Pain and Illness in Dogs

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Mental Health Awareness Month and Mental Illness Awareness Week - Free Depression or Anxiety Tests

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, during which the free National Anxieties Disorders Screening Day is held. Consider what Kim Bassinger, Marc Summers and football great Earl Campbell have in common. They have all suffered from an anxiety disorder, America's most common mental illness. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, nearly a quarter of the American adult population will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Unlike normal worries, these individuals can experience a variety of symptoms which can include spontaneous panic attacks, endlessly checking and rechecking their actions, persistent, uncontrollable worry and social anxiety, which interferes with their lives.

The symptoms of anxiety disorders are characterized by fear and anxiety that appear for no apparent reason. Anxiety disorders include Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Left untreated, these conditions often become accompanied by depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. Although most sufferers never connect with appropriate treatment, effective treatments do exist, which can offer relief within a relatively short period of time.

Mental Health

The first week of every October is designated as Mental Illness Awareness Week, during which the National Depression Screening Day is held. Consider what Abraham Lincoln, Ernest Hemingway, and Brooke Shields have in common. They have all suffered from clinical depression. Depression and manic-depression strike more than 17 million Americans each year, according to figures from the National Institute of Mental Health. Fewer than half, however, actually seeks treatment, despite the fact that treatment can help 80 - 90 percent of those affected.

Common symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, restlessness and irritability, changes in sleep and appetite, loss of energy and thoughts of death or suicide. Manic-depression includes feelings of euphoria or agitation. Clinical depression is more than just the 'blues. It is a real, pervasive condition that even has the potential to be life threatening. A sufferer has no better chance to "just snap out of it" than someone, for example, with a seizure disorder simply controlling their attacks.

The screenings initiatives are invaluable opportunities for people, who might otherwise be timid about discussing their concerns or symptoms, to do so without feeling pressured. Click HERE to watch the online video: "The Pain of Depression - A Journey Through the Darkness"

Mental Health Awareness Month and Mental Illness Awareness Week - Free Depression or Anxiety Tests

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Stigma of Mental Illness

The stigma of mental illness still exists today. It's true that mental disorders have gained much more exposure over the past few years, but there are still many people who either run from those who have mental health issues or makes jokes. Because of this, people who are suffering will often stop or never begin treatment.

If you are someone who has been feeling anxiety, depressed, or other types of symptoms, it's important to seek help. It's better to see your healthcare professional then live each day a prisoner in your own body. When you are experiencing emotions or thoughts you cannot control, medication and counseling can help. Without it, you will live each and everyday feeling hopeless and helpless. That is no way to live.

Mental Health

The stigma of mental illness still exists but you would be surprised at the amount of closet mental health sufferers. Since no one talks about it, people walk around assuming that no one else is having the same mental issues. That is simply untrue. In 2004, there were 57.7 Millions of Americans suffering with a mental disorder. These people are not only found on the streets homeless or in rural areas, they are found in your workplace and in your neighborhood. These people don't talk about it because of the fear they will be ridiculed. It's sad, isn't it?

Mental disorders are just like medical disorders in that they make life difficult and most of the time can be a life sentence. That is why it is so important to seek out help to alleviate symptoms. Many mental disorders cannot be cured but the symptoms can be helped so you can live without struggling each day.

Confidentiality laws protect patients from the stigma of mental disorders. If you speak to a doctor or see a counselor, they are bound by law not to give out any information about you or your treatment. Someone cannot call a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor to ask if you are a patient. They will be unable to confirm or deny whether you receive services. This protects you from employers finding out private information as well as family members or friends. The only way anyone can find out anything about your treatment is if you sign a consent form granting the medical professional to divulge information. So be rest assured that just because you need medication doesn't mean that everyone will know about it. You can be happier in your life and be confident knowing that no one will find out why.

Stigma of Mental Illness

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Demon Possession and Mental Illness

Jesus clearly cast evil spirits out of many people who He met (Matthew 4:24, 8:16; Mark 1:32, 4:41). However, we are told about 6 cases in some detail:

The demon possessed Gerasene(s): Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:2-20; Luke 8: 26-39

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A demon possessed mute man: Matthew 9:32-34; Luke 11:14-26

A demon possessed blind and mute man: Mt 12:22-28

The Canaanite or Syro-Phoenecian woman's daughter: Matthew 15:22-28; Mark 7:25-30

An epileptic boy: Matthew 17:15 -21; Mark 9:14-2 9; Luke 9:3 8-43

The man in the synagogue at Capernaum: Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:33-36

~The Bible as the resource~

With that said, let me also add I am not a religion scholar student on demons nor in the name of religion - so I want be debating against one or the other on this post. I am a mental health nurse of 21 years. I am going to share a story with you and allow you to call it what ever you like. I have my opinion and I will keep that to myself. What I witnessed was in full color, full volume, hair raising, live and in person event that occurred many times with many witnesses.

Over the course of around 8-10 yrs we had a client that came into the facility for lengthy stays. With many attempts and failed home visits she continue to stay in the confines of the walls.

She was a tall slender young female with a babyish childs voice. Who dressed neat an took care of her personal hygiene...until she got sick. At first the staff related her odd an unusual behavior on her menses, then noticed her mothers visits seem to trigger an out burst. The out burst became so severe she was even sent to another facility to be observed for attention seeking behavior - she returned with a diagnose that read she could control her behavior at will. The staff who worked with her felt a little differently.

Normally she would sit on the hall an read her bible day in an day out. She needed continuous reassurance that she was ok, an a good girl. Very polite. Until she requested to go into the quiet room.

The quiet room had a window with a screen across the bars for protection an a sheet less plastic covered mattress that laid on the cold tile floor. A mirror that over looked the room in the ceiling, a small single light bulb. With a flap over the 3ft x 2in window in the door to be observed by the staff.

Once she entered the room she striped her clothes off an began spinning in circles. Making snorting animal sounds. Her voice deepen, she grunted an gnashed her teeth. If you were not standing observing the activities in the room you would swear someone took a pitcher of water an slowly poured it over her head. Her body was drenched with water - her head would snap back an her eyes would disappear in her head. She was not able to communicate or hear staff talking to her, and when she talked - it was not her voice but a males. The staff were to observe an protect her if she started to harm herself.

She would fall to the ground masturbate then urinate all over the room. Staff would remove her from the quiet room in a covered sheet to clean the room, give her a shower then escort her back to the quiet room at her request.

This behavior or state of mind could continue for 24 hrs or several days. The sounds that came from her were not your normal human sounds. They raised the hair on the back or your neck an you knew there was something in that room besides just her. You felt the thick, heavy, feeling which is hard to describe but everyone felt it. Was it demons? Was it out of control behavior? Demonic take over. No one knows for sure. Once she had cycled through for many hours of internal torture. She would stand up after flailing on the mattress nude, Her baby childish voice returned as she knocked on the door. "Ma'am can I come out now, I will be good. I want to get a shower." Just like that it was over.

When questioned one time "why do you do that?" She replied,'I don't know - he does." He never had a name, we just knew who she was talking about. She took a shower, and cleaned herself up then began reading an carrying her bible again. She would always ask "'God loves me right? I am good. I am sorry I acted like that"

I don't have the answers. Our staff witnessed a spiritual take over of some kind. I have observed that these clients cling to the bible. They read. They pray. They want reassurance that God has not left them. They beg him and pled for help. A life no one wants to live

Continue reading more on mental illness by: clicking here.

Demon Possession and Mental Illness

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