California Jails Become Drop-Off For Mentally Ill

LAPD Mobile Substation at LAPD West Valley Station” by 888bailbond licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: US News

A large number of inmates in California take psychotropic drugs and that number has increased by more than 25 percent in the last five years, according to new data.

The growth in the number of inmates living with mental challenges could be a result of more mentally ill persons being put in jail, or could be a result of improved methods of identifying patients in need of the drugs, say researchers.

However, one thing is certain, jails and prisons have become the central drop-off for people with mental health challenges, more so than psychiatric hospitals.

In Los Angeles alone, more than 30 person of inmates in jails have been diagnosed as mentally ill and are taking medications, and the result is that a poorly trained staff cannot provide inmates with proper mental health care. This has led to suicides, mutilation and violence over the years, according to data.

Read Full Story: US News

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News