The prison system has recently been put in the spotlight with new statistics and stories revealing its flaws. But while racial disparities have been widely publicized, and rightly so, there is another form of injustice manifesting itself within our carceral system: the treatment of those with mental health conditions. In 2006, a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice found that more than half of all prison and jail inmates have a mental health condition as compared with only 11 percent of the general population. Although many of these people have been excused by the courts because of their illnesses, the lack of mental health resources alternatively resigns many to be locked up and shipped away. What’s worse is that within prisons, those with mental health conditions face a host of difficulties. Neglect is rampant. According to that same survey, roughly 17 percent of inmates report a lack of available mental health treatment.
A whole host of social problems stem from this neglect. Prisoners, particularly psychotic prisoners, often have difficulties interacting with their fellow inmates. Guards, who are not especially trained to work with those with mental health conditions, then have difficulty interpreting and protecting all inmates humanely. More often than not, mentally ill prisoners are then forcibly put into solitary confinement.
Signs of the dismal conditions mentally ill inmates face can be found even within Vermont prisons. One horrifying example, as denoted by the Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights Vermont, is that of an man from St. Johnsbury, Vermont diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Type, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as Antisocial Personality Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. He was arrested and incarcerated for parole violation. Due to his diagnosed mental health disorders, the patient was supposed to be located in the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital. However, for lack of available space and attention on the part of the Department of Corrections, the patient was stuck in isolated segregation in Springfield, Vermont, and confined to a small cell with little human interaction for twenty two hours a day. During that time, the prisoner’s mental health condition severely worsened, leading to self-harming behaviors, suicidal thoughts, and extended bouts of crying and screaming. When the prisoner was finally admitted to the psychiatric hospital, he was covered in bruises and abrasions attributed to his time in solitary confinement. Another example is that of a man from Winooski imprisoned in Newport, Vermont, suffering from documented depression as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. On August 13th, 2013 at 12:15 this prisoner took his own life. His death can be attributed to the severe neglect and maltreatment of his diagnosed and documented mental health disabilities in conjunction with emotionally traumatic life events.
But the kicker to all of this is that the current system a waste of resources. The reason that many people with mental health conditions are sent to prison in the first place is because of a lack of space at mental hospitals. Currently, within the state of Vermont there are only roughly 40 long-term treatment spaces available, and with the way balancing the budget is looking, investing in more beds is at the bottom on the list of state priorities. So instead of a proactive solution, investing in mental health resources, the state resorts to tossing these people in prison, costing tax payers the same, if not more, and in several cases, costing those with mental health conditions their lives.
It’s time for the state of Vermont, and our nation in general, to rise above misunderstandings of mental illness and invest in the safety of our people. There should be alternative to prisons for those with mental illnesses—it just makes sense.
For more information about upcoming events on the carceral state, check out the Gensler Symposium schedule at go/gensler2015!
