“The New Asylum”: The Mentally Ill in the American Penal System
Abstract
Inmates with mental illnesses, on average, serve longer sentences than inmates without mental illnesses, are more likely to engage in violence while incarcerated, and are more vulnerable to victimization by other inmates. They are also more likely to be incarcerated after being released into the community. This demonstrates the difficulties mentally ill populations face while incarcerated in the American justice system. It demonstrates the importance of having policy measures in place to ensure that the needs of mentally ill inmates are well addressed so that their transition into the community is undertaken with minimal effort, as well as ensuring that convicted mentally ill inmates are placed in a prison system that adequately attends to their health needs and ensures they are not exposed to vulnerabilities that endanger their life and health.
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the United States prison system based on the information presented in the film “The New Asylum.” The paper will present my perspective on why there are so many mentally ill inmates in the United States prison system and some reforms that must be implemented to provide adequate mental health treatment to mentally ill offenders. The paper will also suggest interventions that I believe are needed in the United States prison system and the types of aftercare programs required for mentally ill offenders who are released from prison. Finally, the paper will demonstrate the importance of the film in training future counsellors and psychologists, and it will conclude with a summary of the paper.
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