Mental Illness In The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 83% of jail inmates with a mental illness did not have access to needed treatment. 83% is much too high, and the number will most likely only grow if society does not do something about it. This problem is one that is a very valid issue in our current society, and it is one that people shove to the background of debates. People who suffer from mental illnesses cannot foresee the consequences of something this drastic and are not on a level playing field with people who don’t suffer from this. In “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, readers see how a man reacted to the eye of his elderly employer, which had a film over it and was compared to the eye of a vulture. This eye makes him
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so uncomfortable that he kills the old man. He kills the old man simply because he was bothered by his eye. It is clearly evident that he suffers from some mental illness. Mentally ill people who have been incarcerated are treated the same as people who have been incarcerated and are not suffering from diseases of the mind. These people need to be in a hospital, in a caring environment that is focused on their health with trained professionals who can come to their aid. They shouldn’t be stuck in a jail cell with guards who have no training in this matter, and can only prescribe pills that may or may not have an impact. People with a severe mental illness should not be prosecuted for murder. By jailing them, you are holding workers there responsible for people with mental illnesses when they have not been trained to work in psychiatric facilities, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill, and the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole. Additionally, though some may say that criminals could use the excuse of being mentally ill as an excuse not to go to jail, there are many gaping holes in that argument.
To begin, by jailing people with mental illnesses, society is forcing guards who work at jails to act as psychiatrists. One would assume that jailers do not have any training in the field of mental illness, and allowing them to be the guardians of people who need more help then they can give is not ensuring the safety of these people. According to an article by Rory Linnane, Tegan Wendland, and Kate Golden of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, on host.madison.com, “Vacancies in top medical positions left jailers to make medical decisions, such as when an inmate should be removed from suicide watch. A man who had threatened to kill himself stopped eating and drinking for four days and was never taken to a hospital. He died in his cell” (Linnane, Wendland, Golden). This makes evident the fact that the jailers have no idea what to do in case of a suicide watch such as this, and don’t know what the proper procedure would be. This man could have lived. Imagine all of his family, his friends. They were probably devastated by the news. This is a death that didn’t have to happen. If this man had been charged to a psychiatric facility and gotten proper treatment, he could have lived. Instead, he’s dead, and his death is only proof that the American justice system needs to get their act together.
Secondly, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill.
According to the article “The Prison System Is Designed to Ignore Mental Illness” by Maggie Puniewska on tonic.vice.com,“In some instances, guards, officers, physicians, and inmates themselves were unaware that they had a condition like PTSD or a personality disorder for more than two years” (Puniewska). How can one argue that prisons are properly equipped to deal with mental illness when people can go undiagnosed for such long stretches of time? Their condition can only get worse if left untreated, and they can unexpectedly lash out and be punished when, in reality, it isn’t necessarily their fault. Nobody would know that, however, since they are undiagnosed and prison employees may not have the proper credentials to give an official diagnosis. An example used was Denise Younger, who lashed out in sudden episodes while incarcerated. When nobody helped her cope with her first episode, she quickly lashed out again, and was in solitary confinement and placed on suicide watch for a week. “While this meant that she was checked in on more frequently, again, she didn't receive any sort of mental health counseling during or after the incident” (Puniewska). From this, one can conclude that the prison system really had no clue how to handle her illness, and just settled for the easy way out by putting her in solitary confinement and on suicide watch. This was the bare minimum that they could have done, and the …show more content…
fact that she received no counseling before or after these incidents make it clear that the proper personnel that one would trust to handle an incident like this are nonexistent in the world of prison. The facts are simply this: prisons are not equipped with the proper resources and employees to correctly care for people with a mental illness.
Next, the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole.
To speak in a purely financial light, the expense of treating mentally ill people in jail is much too high, and this is a cost that one can do without. According to criminaljusticeprograms.com, a website dealing with many aspects of mentally ill people who are put into prison, “In 2014, the Columbus Dispatch reported ‘The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spent $41.7 million on mental-health care and medications in the fiscal year 2014 and is projected to spend $49 million this year. That is on top of the $22,836 annual overall cost per inmate.’” From this, the obvious conclusion would be that all of these extra expenses could be avoided if people who have a mental illness are admitted into psychiatric facilities, where they can get proper care. The site also says that “Law enforcement workers with no training in psychology are at a disadvantage and unfairly forced to act in psychiatric and counselor roles they aren't equipped for – and do not know how to handle properly.” They can end up doing more harm than good, not knowing proper treatment and procedure for specific illnesses. Because of this, people can wind up dying, all because of society’s reluctance to properly address an issue that desperately needs
fixing.
Finally, though some may say that people being prosecuted for murder can simply plead insanity to get out of the jail time, this is a lot easier said than done. According to Douglas Starr on slate.com:
“Probably the most brilliant malingerer ever was the mafia chieftain Vincent Gigante, dubbed “Oddfather” by the New York press for his strange behavior. For decades, he shuffled about Greenwich Village in his pajamas, talking to parking meters, slobbering, and muttering to show mental incompetence. When brought up on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering, he fooled several leading psychologists and delayed the trial for half a dozen years. Even after he was sent to jail in 1997, he maintained the appearance of insanity. It wasn’t until 2003, when he plea-bargained his way out of more serious charges, that Gigante admitted it had all been a sham” (Starr).
Although one who believes that people can fake insanity to stay out of jail may refer to this case, they have obviously not been looking at later developments. Many things have changed since Gigante’s time, and expert psychologists have now begun to thoroughly examine people who are pleading insanity to ensure that they are, in fact, insane. “They also can apply a battery of tests that essentially out-fake the faker. The first step is to do a thorough review of the suspect’s history. Mental illness doesn’t develop overnight, so it’s important to know if the person has been hospitalized or treated for similar symptoms… Then come one or more long, rambling interviews—the longer the better, because, after a few hours, some suspects begin to lose track of their symptoms or grow weary of the con” (Starr). This proves that people who are pleading insane to try and get out of jail have to face many obstacles and are closely examined. Officials could interview family and friends to find out if the suspect has a history of mental illness. Body language is observed very closely. If the suspect claims paranoia, the examiner will subtly note their body language as they interview them. In a tense situation such as this, someone with paranoia would probably have their shoulders drawn up, maybe have their foot tapping, or partake in an outward action that displays their illness. The examiner also lays traps in the interview. “The forensic psychologist may suggest an outrageous delusion during the interview, such as, ‘Do you believe cars are part of an organized religion?’ Fakers might latch onto this bait and perhaps even run with it. Real schizophrenics would say no” (Starr). People who are faking mental illness most likely will not know the extreme details of that illness, since the only people who can truly know are the people who actually have been diagnosed with it. As earlier written, Denise Younger was put on suicide watch for a week after her mental disorder caused her to lash out unexpectedly. Does society really need to take it so far as to wait until moments such as this, when someone is capable of inflicting harm on others, so that society can ensure that they have an evident mental illness? As one can see, there are many ways that law enforcement members can divulge whether someone has actually been diagnosed with a mental illness, or is just faking it in order to stay out of jail.
In conclusion, people who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness should not be prosecuted for murder. By jailing them, you are holding workers there responsible for people with mental illnesses when they have not been trained to work in psychiatric facilities, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill, and the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole. Additionally, though some may say that criminals could use the excuse of being mentally ill as an excuse not to go to jail, there are many gaping holes in that argument. Our society is wasting its time by pondering questions like this, which have an obvious answer when it could be saving lives by providing stricter gun laws. It is necessary for society to understand that people who have a mental illness could suffer greatly if they are incarcerated, and would benefit much more from getting the proper care and medication that they require in a psychiatric facility.
so uncomfortable that he kills the old man. He kills the old man simply because he was bothered by his eye. It is clearly evident that he suffers from some mental illness. Mentally ill people who have been incarcerated are treated the same as people who have been incarcerated and are not suffering from diseases of the mind. These people need to be in a hospital, in a caring environment that is focused on their health with trained professionals who can come to their aid. They shouldn’t be stuck in a jail cell with guards who have no training in this matter, and can only prescribe pills that may or may not have an impact. People with a severe mental illness should not be prosecuted for murder. By jailing them, you are holding workers there responsible for people with mental illnesses when they have not been trained to work in psychiatric facilities, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill, and the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole. Additionally, though some may say that criminals could use the excuse of being mentally ill as an excuse not to go to jail, there are many gaping holes in that argument.
To begin, by jailing people with mental illnesses, society is forcing guards who work at jails to act as psychiatrists. One would assume that jailers do not have any training in the field of mental illness, and allowing them to be the guardians of people who need more help then they can give is not ensuring the safety of these people. According to an article by Rory Linnane, Tegan Wendland, and Kate Golden of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, on host.madison.com, “Vacancies in top medical positions left jailers to make medical decisions, such as when an inmate should be removed from suicide watch. A man who had threatened to kill himself stopped eating and drinking for four days and was never taken to a hospital. He died in his cell” (Linnane, Wendland, Golden). This makes evident the fact that the jailers have no idea what to do in case of a suicide watch such as this, and don’t know what the proper procedure would be. This man could have lived. Imagine all of his family, his friends. They were probably devastated by the news. This is a death that didn’t have to happen. If this man had been charged to a psychiatric facility and gotten proper treatment, he could have lived. Instead, he’s dead, and his death is only proof that the American justice system needs to get their act together.
Secondly, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill.
According to the article “The Prison System Is Designed to Ignore Mental Illness” by Maggie Puniewska on tonic.vice.com,“In some instances, guards, officers, physicians, and inmates themselves were unaware that they had a condition like PTSD or a personality disorder for more than two years” (Puniewska). How can one argue that prisons are properly equipped to deal with mental illness when people can go undiagnosed for such long stretches of time? Their condition can only get worse if left untreated, and they can unexpectedly lash out and be punished when, in reality, it isn’t necessarily their fault. Nobody would know that, however, since they are undiagnosed and prison employees may not have the proper credentials to give an official diagnosis. An example used was Denise Younger, who lashed out in sudden episodes while incarcerated. When nobody helped her cope with her first episode, she quickly lashed out again, and was in solitary confinement and placed on suicide watch for a week. “While this meant that she was checked in on more frequently, again, she didn't receive any sort of mental health counseling during or after the incident” (Puniewska). From this, one can conclude that the prison system really had no clue how to handle her illness, and just settled for the easy way out by putting her in solitary confinement and on suicide watch. This was the bare minimum that they could have done, and the …show more content…
fact that she received no counseling before or after these incidents make it clear that the proper personnel that one would trust to handle an incident like this are nonexistent in the world of prison. The facts are simply this: prisons are not equipped with the proper resources and employees to correctly care for people with a mental illness.
Next, the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole.
To speak in a purely financial light, the expense of treating mentally ill people in jail is much too high, and this is a cost that one can do without. According to criminaljusticeprograms.com, a website dealing with many aspects of mentally ill people who are put into prison, “In 2014, the Columbus Dispatch reported ‘The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spent $41.7 million on mental-health care and medications in the fiscal year 2014 and is projected to spend $49 million this year. That is on top of the $22,836 annual overall cost per inmate.’” From this, the obvious conclusion would be that all of these extra expenses could be avoided if people who have a mental illness are admitted into psychiatric facilities, where they can get proper care. The site also says that “Law enforcement workers with no training in psychology are at a disadvantage and unfairly forced to act in psychiatric and counselor roles they aren't equipped for – and do not know how to handle properly.” They can end up doing more harm than good, not knowing proper treatment and procedure for specific illnesses. Because of this, people can wind up dying, all because of society’s reluctance to properly address an issue that desperately needs
fixing.
Finally, though some may say that people being prosecuted for murder can simply plead insanity to get out of the jail time, this is a lot easier said than done. According to Douglas Starr on slate.com:
“Probably the most brilliant malingerer ever was the mafia chieftain Vincent Gigante, dubbed “Oddfather” by the New York press for his strange behavior. For decades, he shuffled about Greenwich Village in his pajamas, talking to parking meters, slobbering, and muttering to show mental incompetence. When brought up on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering, he fooled several leading psychologists and delayed the trial for half a dozen years. Even after he was sent to jail in 1997, he maintained the appearance of insanity. It wasn’t until 2003, when he plea-bargained his way out of more serious charges, that Gigante admitted it had all been a sham” (Starr).
Although one who believes that people can fake insanity to stay out of jail may refer to this case, they have obviously not been looking at later developments. Many things have changed since Gigante’s time, and expert psychologists have now begun to thoroughly examine people who are pleading insanity to ensure that they are, in fact, insane. “They also can apply a battery of tests that essentially out-fake the faker. The first step is to do a thorough review of the suspect’s history. Mental illness doesn’t develop overnight, so it’s important to know if the person has been hospitalized or treated for similar symptoms… Then come one or more long, rambling interviews—the longer the better, because, after a few hours, some suspects begin to lose track of their symptoms or grow weary of the con” (Starr). This proves that people who are pleading insane to try and get out of jail have to face many obstacles and are closely examined. Officials could interview family and friends to find out if the suspect has a history of mental illness. Body language is observed very closely. If the suspect claims paranoia, the examiner will subtly note their body language as they interview them. In a tense situation such as this, someone with paranoia would probably have their shoulders drawn up, maybe have their foot tapping, or partake in an outward action that displays their illness. The examiner also lays traps in the interview. “The forensic psychologist may suggest an outrageous delusion during the interview, such as, ‘Do you believe cars are part of an organized religion?’ Fakers might latch onto this bait and perhaps even run with it. Real schizophrenics would say no” (Starr). People who are faking mental illness most likely will not know the extreme details of that illness, since the only people who can truly know are the people who actually have been diagnosed with it. As earlier written, Denise Younger was put on suicide watch for a week after her mental disorder caused her to lash out unexpectedly. Does society really need to take it so far as to wait until moments such as this, when someone is capable of inflicting harm on others, so that society can ensure that they have an evident mental illness? As one can see, there are many ways that law enforcement members can divulge whether someone has actually been diagnosed with a mental illness, or is just faking it in order to stay out of jail.
In conclusion, people who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness should not be prosecuted for murder. By jailing them, you are holding workers there responsible for people with mental illnesses when they have not been trained to work in psychiatric facilities, prisons are not made to care for people who are mentally ill, and the impact of treating mental illness in jail is negative to society as a whole. Additionally, though some may say that criminals could use the excuse of being mentally ill as an excuse not to go to jail, there are many gaping holes in that argument. Our society is wasting its time by pondering questions like this, which have an obvious answer when it could be saving lives by providing stricter gun laws. It is necessary for society to understand that people who have a mental illness could suffer greatly if they are incarcerated, and would benefit much more from getting the proper care and medication that they require in a psychiatric facility.