NCJ Number
209166
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 28,29,37
Date Published
February 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article briefly discusses the impact of mentally ill offenders on America’s correctional system, the affect of incarceration on mentally ill offenders, and recommendations to improve the management of and resources for the mental ill offender.
Abstract
Mentally ill offenders comprise a diverse group of inmates. For the purposes of this article, mentally ill offenders are defined as those with an Axis I disorder, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and major depression. Correctional systems have been given a major responsibility to provide custody and care for the mentally ill offender. The implications for the correctional system compound an already difficult task of providing custody and care for all inmates. In addition, mentally ill offenders can be affected by incarceration in many different ways from the general population offenders, such as harassment and conflicts with other offenders and crowded and noisy living conditions. Correctional systems are faced with the challenges of managing mentally ill offenders. This article presents recommendations to assist in improving the management and providing effective resources for the mentally ill offender.