How To Protect Mentally Ill Prisons

Imagine it is sentencing day at the court house, the jury has already found you guilty and now the judge orders you to serve 15 to life with no possibility of parole. How would you feel? I would be petrified at the thought of not being able to see my family, to continue my education, and quite frankly for my safety. Now imagine, someone who suffers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders or depression. In 2015 it was reported that “about 2.4 million people live with schizophrenia and that 1 million people live with bipolar disorder” (DeMoss, 2015). More so, the number of those living with major depression was a staggering 14.8 million people. With mental illness comes heightened emotions especially when it comes to the struggle
I personally do not see any negative aspects with the exception of funding, although I believe the money is a necessary evil. Separating those who are mentally ill and allowing them access to therapy will be costly, but personally I believe it would be well worth the money. However, it is not only funding for the therapy and living conditions that we must concern ourselves with. Extra training for the correctional officers would also be of the upmost importance. Not surprisingly when correctional officers are not properly trained to handle mentally ill prisoners, and most are not, that is when we experience the aggressive and abusive behaviors from both the prisoners and the officers alike. Shockingly, through research, I became privy to the fact that some believe separation of the mentally ill would constitute discrimination. I cannot and will not get behind this concept, while I do understand their theory, this goes beyond discrimination this is about holding the person responsible for their crimes while still maintaining safety, health, and security which should be provided to all prisoners but most importantly to those with mental