Reasons Why the Mentally Ill are Housed in the Criminal Justice System
Many people are housed in the criminal justice system for a number of reasons. A documentary released by the National Public Radio (2009), exposed a series of encounters filled with mishaps that some mentally ill persons underwent in the hands of the criminal justice system. The three principle reasons that have led to this condition involve failures from three parties, namely the police, the victims themselves and the government.
First, the lack of training among the police on how to deal with situations involving the mentally ill is a major cause. According to Conan (2012), they recklessly handled such a victim, Kelly Thomas, to death. In another case, Conan (2012) attributed the police’s irrational approach as a response to his teasing behavior. Consequently, he argued that the report presented by the police on his case was biased. Frustrated and stressed from their lives, the police end up handling such cases irrationally. Instances of dealing with the mentally ill, who are occasionally difficult to handle when in poor condition, worsens the situation. Second, the mentally ill lax from time to time as regards medication, which aggravates their condition, making them susceptible to arrests due to violence. Finally, the government’s deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill has left them vulnerable and often on the wrong end of lawsuits. These individuals need care and therapy from experts, but it has been observed that a large number of those that have been apprehended by the police are or were homeless. This is a failure by the government to take care of their welfare. Thus, initiatives should be taken to institutionalize the mentally ill to some extent, promote police training on the matter and ensure that the victims themselves are in a position to follow medical prescriptions.
References
Conan, N. (Host). (2012, April 2) A Patient’s Perspective: Police and the Mentally Ill. [Radio
Broadcast] National Public Radio. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/2012/04/02/149857042/a-patients-perspective-police-and-the-mentally-ill
