"Two million people with a mental illness are booked into American jails and prisons every year. It is easier to find oneself incarcerated than it is to find a free bed in a psychiatric hospital."
"Only the very sickest in our community receive care, while those with devastating cases of psychosis are commonly left to deteriorate underneath bridges and on park benches."
"One of the most misleading aspects of our mental health system in the United States is the classification of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as 'behavioral health' conditions."
Access to treatment for severe mental illnesses in carceral settings is critically needed. The National Mental Illness Justice Center aims to address the intersection of the justice system and mental health. With only 40,000 psychiatric beds available today compared to half a million in the 1940s and 1950s, many individuals with mental illnesses end up incarcerated. Early intervention and prevention are essential for community safety, as many suffer without adequate care, leading to deterioration in public spaces.
Read at Psychology Today
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