Mental Health In Prisons

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Bresdon Lacure Mrs. Hardiman English 10 25 April 2024 Mental Health in Prisons According to NCBI “48% of inmates are diagnosed with a mental illness”! Prisons in the U.S. are a breeding ground for poor mental health. This is due to the lack of support to help the inmates reform, assimilate back into society, the violence, isolation, and the unpredictability of prison. In prisons, poor mental health is amplified exponentially due to the isolation; this poor mental health also creates high suicide rates. The isolation created in prisons can create poor mental health for inmates. In prisons, the use of solitary confinement is used very regularly. From the ACLU papers on the Dangers of Solitary Confinement, 80,000 people are put unto solitary confinement. …show more content…
Isolation is not the only problem in prisons that affect mental health; there’s other problems such as wrongful convictions. Wrongful conviction is a very important and big problem in prisons and has major effects on prisons. The Georgia Innocence Project is an organization to help those wrongfully put into prison. They detail that 1/20 criminal cases end in wrongful conviction. “People often suffer from mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression when they return to society” (“Beneath the Statistics”). Inmates get released then are thrust back into a society that is completely different from when they were last there, the effect this experience has on the brain is detrimental. It is very hard for people to adjust to life, get jobs and buy homes. The World Population Review Committee says that about 32% of incarcerated inmates are re-incarcerated after they are released (“Recidivism Rates”). This poor support system is a deep problem in prisons and if changed can greatly increase the number of non-Rea curing convictions. Creating support inside prisons is what needs to happen for prisons to have better mental health for …show more content…
The Office of Justice Programs says “Prison gangs were formed to protect against predatory inmates” (Gangs Behind Bars). Prison gangs can cause inmates that are abused to develop severe mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. These problems in the U.S. can be fixed, in fact many European countries such as Norway have already done so. Prisons in other countries have much better systems than in America. “Norway's prison system has become a model for the rest of the world, and some states in the U.S. are following Norway’s lead. Norway’s recidivism rate is much lower, and prisons are now safer and more peaceful” (“Rehabilitation Lessons from Norway’s Prison System”). Even Norway started off as with a prison system similar to America, the prisons were built on punishment to deter bad behavior. However, they changed after realizing that the prisons were “plagued with assaults, riots, and escapes” (First Step alliance). Norway is very good at facilitating relationships even while being behind bars. “Many Norwegian prisons allow prisoners to have visitors up to three times per week. They even allow conjugal visits with
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