Senator Franken seeks to add mental health services for prison population

April 16, 2013

Senator Franken seeks to add mental health services for prison population

Article provided by Latz Law Office: Ronald S. Latz, P.A.
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Minnesota Senator Al Franken announced that he is sponsoring a bill to increase funding for mental health treatment in the nation's jails and prisons.

The bill would renew existing federal funding for courts that divert mentally ill persons apprehended and accused in the criminal justice system into treatment. It would also add funding for the following: increased training of law enforcement officers about mental health issues, mental health treatment courts for veterans, more mental health screenings, and better transitional services for individuals exiting prison or jail.

Mental health issues are a significant problem among prison population

The sheriff of Hennepin County estimates that almost one third of the inmates in the County jails have some kind of mental illness. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the national rate of mental illness among prisoners is much higher. Its survey indicated that more than half of those incarcerated in the country have mental health problems, with over 60 percent of those in local jails.

In contrast, about one in 10 people in the general population of the United States are afflicted with mental health issues, says the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The DOJ based its statistics on interviews with inmates in state and federal prisons and local jails. Interviewers assessed whether a prisoner had been diagnosed or treated for a mental disorder within the past year. They also considered whether respondents reported symptoms of a mental disorder.

Strikingly, women were much more likely than men to suffer from some kind of mental health problem, the DOJ found. At the state prison level, for example, while 55 percent of the male inmates met the survey criteria for mental illness, 73 percent percent of the women did.

Many not diagnosed or treated

The DOJ interviewers found that many prisoners exhibited symptoms of mental illness, such as depression or mania, but had no documented recent history of diagnosis or treatment for a mental health problem.

In federal facilities, while 56 percent of those interviewed exhibited symptoms of mental illness, only 24 percent had a verified history of mental illness. Similarly, in state prisons, 14 percent had a documented mental health history, and 45 percent had current symptoms; in local jails, the numbers were 21 percent with a recent history and 60 percent with symptoms. Of course, the total of those with symptoms included many who also had a recent history of diagnosis or treatment.

Repeat offenses and other issues

Mental illness is associated with recidivism. In the DOJ survey, about one in five state and local prisoners without a mental health problem had a history of three or more prior incarcerations as compared with those with a mental health problem where one in four had been previously imprisoned three or more times.

Homelessness and drug use go along with mental health issues for prisoners. State and local jail prisoners were about twice as likely to have been homeless in the past year if they had a mental illness. The rate of drug dependence for those with mental health issues was also significantly higher than that of the general prison population.

Help for persons accused of crimes

If you have been accused of a criminal offense, it is advisable to seek out the counsel of a skilled a criminal defense attorney. An experienced attorney will work to present a vigorous defense on your behalf.