I'm new to this forum. My little brother is 20 and was just imprisoned yesterday for a crime he commited when he was 17. He had his bail revoked due to an e-mail he had written over 2 years ago and think he's a flight risk. Even though the past 2 years he's been attending college and working. His court date will be held next year and he's currently waiting in a high security prison. (He committed property damage with a group of his friends to a construction sight when he was a teenager)
My concern is his mental health. He's always been a very sensitive boy, quiet, non-violent, and intellectual. He was beat up in school and picked on when he was younger. He was always trying to fit in..which was a major contributing factor to the crime he commited. after the event while waiting nearly three years for sentencing, he became fearful and depressive. he cut his arms and legs, did destructive things to himself. lost all hope..lately though, due to meeting someone and becoming engaged, he began to improve and no longer had to see a psychologist. But now, that he is pulled away from his fiance, has to drop out of school and is losing everything. I'm afraid mentally he is going to entirely collapse and attempt suicide. He may have to face 5 to 20 years sentencing in february. I'm so terrified for him, His mental health is not well..He's so weak. This is going to destroy my little brother. My Mother is a mess, She goes between sobbing and catonic states where she just sits and stares, doesn't eat or move. My sister has locked herself in her room. what can I do? are there options for him in prison, for mental help, can he recieve medication. Please help. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my brother entirely...

Hello, Clarity...and welcome to PTO.

I would definitely see to it that he has some sort of evaluation from the mental health team at the facility. It's obvious that he is suffering from depression....when combined with fear, it can make for a very traumatic existence. As his sister, you have every right to call there directly (no offense, but you seem to be handling it a bit better than your Mom right now...which is understandable) and ask to speak to someone on his "team" about some possible avenues to investigate.

On the self-mutilation....it's a very difficult subject to approach, especially if you've never had close contact with anyone who exhibits such behavior. When I found out my guy was cutting himself (he was in a funk and not taking his anti-depressant meds), I was horrified; I'd heard of it happening to other people, but never imagined it would affect someone I knew personally. After talking to his Dad, I learned that he had been doing it, off and on, since the age of 11....I was floored! But with perseverance, a commitment on his part to take his meds as directed, and many phone calls (the Unit Team staff at El Dorado knows me by voice--Ha!), he's back on the right track now. Before we knew each other, there was no one watching out for him (from the outside, anyway)....so when the self-mutilation incidents would occur, the prison's response would be to throw him into a strip cell (nothing but a bare mattress), until his manic state would pass, or they could get enough meds in him to subdue the behavior.

You'd be surprised how much more "attentive" the staff is when they know someone is on the outside, watching them!

Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk, or if you have any questions :)

Susan in Providence