NEW YORK -- A new report finds the country's prisons are home to an increasing number of mentally ill inmates.

The report from advocacy group Human Rights Watch found that prisons often are unable to care for the inmates, leaving them to face mistreatment and neglect. The findings are based on more than two years of research and hundreds of interviews with prisoners, corrections officials, mental health experts and attorneys.

Estimates put the number of mentally ill in prisons at 300,000 -- three times the number of patients in mental hospitals. Many of them suffer from such illnesses as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.

The report said prison staff members often punish the inmates for symptoms of their illness, such as being noisy or refusing orders, or even self-mutilation and attempted suicide.

The report attributes the high number to a lack of adequate community mental health care, which could help those with mental illnesses before they commit a crime. It also cites strict laws that require mandatory sentencing even for lesser crimes.

"Unless you are wealthy, it can be next to impossible to receive mental health services in the community," said Jamie Fellner, director of Human Rights Watch's U.S. program and co-author of the report. "Many prisoners might never have ended up behind bars if publicly funded treatment had been available."

The report's authors say prison mental health services in the United States have improved over the past two decades, but services are still lacking for the growing number of mentally ill prisoners.

"Prison officials are being asked to do something they aren't equipped to do," said Fellner. "Prisons are designed for punishment, not as places to provide comprehensive mental health treatment. If people with mental illness must be incarcerated, they should be housed in facilities designed and funded to meet their mental health needs."

Human Rights Watch: Full Report (http://hrw.org/reports/2003/usa1003/)

Thanks - interesting stuff. My son took prison instead of additional drug treatment that the probation officer offered him. He went into a good herion relapse for about the last 4 months. The probation officer set a court date to get him help. She did and he missed it and they were able to pick him up. She told us nothing would happen in court that Monday, that she would order a presentencing report. So we did not go. We also did not yet have an attorney. My son ended up working with the PD and was sentenced to 3 yrs. They gave him 265 or so days credit for times he sat there waiting for previous court dates. He took this because he felt he might be out by May and would not have to do all the things probation wants him to. A quick fix. My son sufferes from mental illness and once he relapsed he did not take his meds. Also it had only been a week since they took him off the street from a major relapse. The judge knew he had significant mental illness and did not bother to see if he was on his meds or stable at the time he did the plea bargain. I feel the mental illness kept him from making a sound decision. When I ask if there is any reason to appeal - I guess they call it motion to vacate, no one thinks it is worth a try. Are there any precidents here for mental illness. I wrote a letter to the PD and told them how saddened we were that my son needed both addiction and mental health treatment, had that opportunity, and she worked a plea with him instead. I also wrote the judge and asked him to reconsider. However, I am told that only a motion to vacate would be appropriate and no one thinks it is worth it. Any ideas?

dmarcan,
I do not know your son's history, but a motion to vacate sounds like a good start. I would seek counsel by visiting the Department of Mental Health in your area. Are there any free legal assistance programs in your area? You could file the motion to vacate by going to your nearest law library, research the language, and present an excellent defense. Most judges are quick in listening to a good argument, well developed alternative plan, and positive program. Give it a try for you have nothing to loose in the process. 38 Special

sweetpea,
Thank you for posting this study. I have reviewed the literature on most all publishers and found the majority releasing the same results. Mental Health is a serious matter and goes unnoticed by a large amount of non-caring people. I have seen many prisoners whom were criminally insane. I have witnessed their drinking from toilets, crushing their sacks of cookies on the cell floor while walking on them. I have observed their smoking the cotton of their mattress. Mental criminal patient are selected from the criteria that their psychiatrist uses. His/her evaluation can cause the prisoner going into a Mental Health Facility or Correctional Facility. Prisoners are housed in psych wards in prison, but the area is smaller than general population or administrative segregation. The psychiatrist visits every week, interviews a fifty patient load (Alabama), and adjust whomever needs a medication adjustment. His office is available M-F 9-5 with an answer machine for after hours. He will not return your calls unless you call him during office hours and he is not busy with "freeworld" clients.
Most mental health patients/prisoners are loud, dirty, avoiding, heavy smokers, self-mutilators, constant masturbators and unpredictable. Handling them from outside of their cell requires a minimum of three officers. One officer usually gives direction while the other two assist compliance. Officers are constantly insuring that M.H. prisoners bath, have clean cells, encouraging their taking prescribed medication, reissuing clean clothes and not harming theirselves. The problem, I have found, is lack of space for housing the M.H. prisoners. The judge is forced in choosing the worst acting of the group during facility reviews. It is a travesty that few care for dealing with from lack of concern. I have tried making changes by speaking with representatives, addressing the state house (Alabama), but to no avail. The majority of our elected officials use the excuse, "If funding were available, we could do more." as they ride away in their new car, that taxpayers buy every other year. 38 Special