Handling Mentally Ill Offenders
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Handling Mentally Ill Offenders
Mentally ill offenders have distinct characteristics that separate them from average criminals, and they make up a wide percentage of prison populations in the United States today. Unfortunately, in some instances, the mentally ill are mistreated; yet there are several programs now becoming available to accommodate these individuals. In general, the mentally ill make up a majority of criminals; however, rather than receiving any type of treatment to possibly help them, they are either sent back to their community, or in some cases, are simply incarcerated. This paper will discuss some background information, characteristics, programs, solutions, and the costs associated with mentally ill offenders.
Background Information and Characteristics of Mentally Ill Offenders
Some background information on mentally ill offenders can be dated back as far as the 1950s. Since the 1950s developments in the law and psychiatry have returned most mentally disturbed people to community settings even though it is obvious how disturbed they are (Panzarella & Alicea, 1997). An increase of police officers having to intervene in situations with mentally ill offenders is one of the consequences of sending the mentally ill back to the community (Panzarella & Alicea, 1997). For example, in New York City, according to police reports, incidents involving emotionally disturbed persons (EDPs) increased from 7,300 in 1980 to 22,600 in 1992 (Panzarella & Alicea, 1997). These changes in the mental health policies and laws have caused criminal justice officials to get involved with persons with serious mental illness (PSMIs) at every stage of the justice process. Sometimes police deliberately use psychiatric referrals inappropriately because there is no other immediate practical solution to a situation, but more often the problem is simply that police officers do not have a clear idea of the severity of the mental illness (Panzarella & Alicea, 1997)...