Mental Illnesses Are Better Than Prisons
The insanity plea was publicized in 1984 when John W. Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, which he claimed was due to a mental illness. This case has influenced many convicts to use a psychological disorder as an escape from jail. Mental illnesses are common in society and are often used as the reasons for many crimes throughout the nation. Whether a criminal is mentally ill or not, he/she sometimes attempts to use this excuse with the hopes that a psychological institution will be better than prison. The doctors at the mental hospital are required to view the culprits as patients rather than criminals, meaning the convicts can perhaps benefit from going to a psych ward. However, receiving mental aid can be a long
…show more content…
The purpose of a mental institution is not to make it a luxury for criminals, but rather it is to cure their illness and remove them from society because they are unfit to be a part of it. And, in fact, the process can be quite harsh: “A defendant may be found incompetent to stand trial and committed for rehabilitation if she isn’t stable enough or intellectually capable of participating in the proceedings. If she is rehabilitated, she may be tried; if she cannot be, she may languish in a psychiatric hospital for years or decades” (NY Times). Therefore, individuals who support the insanity plea reason that such a plea is not a “get out of jail free card” because either way, jail or rehabilitation, they will still be locked up for years. Furthermore, proponents of this defense argue that society is responsible for providing psychological aid to mentally ill criminals in order for them to get better and keep society safe. If mentally ill defendants were to go to jail, they will not be getting the genuine psychological aid they need for when they are released. Accordingly, no changes will be made to criminals’ mental thoughts and behaviors if they were just simply sent to prison because they will not receive the treatment required to improve. Plus, if mentally ill defendants are psychologically rehabilitated, as McClelland states, they can be retried and potentially imprisoned in a traditional
The purpose of a mental institution is not to make it a luxury for criminals, but rather it is to cure their illness and remove them from society because they are unfit to be a part of it. And, in fact, the process can be quite harsh: “A defendant may be found incompetent to stand trial and committed for rehabilitation if she isn’t stable enough or intellectually capable of participating in the proceedings. If she is rehabilitated, she may be tried; if she cannot be, she may languish in a psychiatric hospital for years or decades” (NY Times). Therefore, individuals who support the insanity plea reason that such a plea is not a “get out of jail free card” because either way, jail or rehabilitation, they will still be locked up for years. Furthermore, proponents of this defense argue that society is responsible for providing psychological aid to mentally ill criminals in order for them to get better and keep society safe. If mentally ill defendants were to go to jail, they will not be getting the genuine psychological aid they need for when they are released. Accordingly, no changes will be made to criminals’ mental thoughts and behaviors if they were just simply sent to prison because they will not receive the treatment required to improve. Plus, if mentally ill defendants are psychologically rehabilitated, as McClelland states, they can be retried and potentially imprisoned in a traditional