Mental Illness And Treatment Of Mental Disorders In Prison

Over the past few decades, the prison population has increased dramatically in size. Statistically, prison populations consist primarily of undereducated individuals, many of whom suffer from mental health problems. Many incarcerated persons suffering from mental illness become aware of such conditions only after unfortunate encounters with the legal system. While others undiagnosed individuals continue to be shuffled in and out of various facilities before being labeled as criminals. Depending on the magnitude of an individual’s mental health illness, it can severely compromise a person’s ability to function in society. Many of these disorders may be present before admission to prison, and may be further exacerbated by the stress of imprisonment.
However, management of these disorders may be treated in ways that represent less than optimal therapeutic effects. For example, a person who attempts to commit suicide while incarcerated will most likely be placed under surveillance in an empty room alone with padded walls and only a drain-grill on the floor for voiding and elimination. Individuals are placed on suicide watch to prevent bodily harm or fatal self-injuries. In some cases, the individual may be stripped of all items including clothing, belts, bras, shoelaces, and bed linens. Such items are often used as a noose, a loop with a knot that tightens as it is pulled; typically used to hang oneself. In severe cases, the inmate may also be placed in physical restraints. The need for the use of restraints should be evaluated by a mental health professional upon initiation and at various time intervals daily. The restraints should also be released periodically to allow the inmate to perform range of motion exercises to each extremity. Chemical restraints may also be used to sedate inmates. Despite such extraordinary measures, there are still many inmates who manage to harm
In addition to the use of restraints, Ms. Smith was also treated with pharmaceutical interventions such as antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Smith was transferred into the adult correctional institution systems when she turned 18. Prior to her death, Ms. Smith had demonstrated 102 attempts of suicide while incarcerated (Blanch, 2016). Ms. Smith finally succeeded in her attempt by tying a ligature around her neck while on video surveillance suicide watch with continuous video surveillance while incarcerated at Grand Valley Institution for Women, a federal prison in Kitchener, Ontario (Blanch, 2016).
Ashley Smith was seen over a hundred times by psychologist while incarcerated. Several suggestions were made indicating that the correctional facility was not appropriate for Ms. Smith’s condition, and that the facility may have contributed to her continuous neurological decline. This clearly suggest that there are major deficits within the criminal justice system and its ability to cooperate with healthcare professionals in achieving more favorable outcomes in mentally ill inmates. It also illustrates that correctional guards are not trained mental health