More psychiatrists should be available for inmates
Re: “Mental health an issue in justice system,” (Insights, April 1). A stigma relating those with mental disorders to criminals is very prevalent in society. However, the justice system does not seem to do anything to combat it. This piece discusses how the justice system houses these people, but it does not give any consideration to long-term treatment.
In the example given about the schizophrenic client, if the author deemed it best for the client to stay in jail due to some of his manic actions, was therapy or a mental institution with proper resources to help treat his disorder considered. The justice system is often known for releasing the mentally unwell back onto the street after incarceration, where they often go back to the same lifestyle and behaviors, unable to get real help.
More psychiatrists should be available in jails to provide real treatment to these patients. Additionally, why treat jails like mental institutions when the latter may be what the person really needs?
MACKENZIE PIERCE, PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Funding mental health treatment in jails is wise investment
There was a very good opinion article from defense attorney Douglas Ford on April 1, wherein he discussed the interactions of individuals’ mental health with the justice system.
He commended the addition of a psychiatrist to the staff of the Cobb County jail. Numerous defendants/inmates have psychological issues by having mindsets in conflict with society and are often harmful to themselves and others.
Attorney Ford mentioned that “The asylums of old were cruel and confining, but they were stabilizing. Now, the unwell, pushed out by struggling town and family, end up in the general population. Sheriffs’ deputies, overwhelmingly good men and women, are not equipped to identify and treat such people - it’s just asking too much.”
The stigma to individuals being treated (and their families) must end. Proper funding for this treatment would be far cheaper in the justice system and asylums than the horrors suffered by society in more recent years.
Protect both individuals and the public!
TOM STREETS, ATLANTA
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