Announcements

Government funding for state hospitals and mental health facilities has dropped significantly over the past thirty years. With this drop, a troubling trend has risen: more and more mentally ill individuals (especially patients of schizophrenia) find themselves cycling in and out the legal system for minor crimes and spending time in jail. While in jail, these individuals receive mental health care at a huge cost to the tax payer. In fact, "more Americans receive mental health treatment in prisons and jails than in hospitals or treatment centers," according to the NPR article below.

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/04/140167676/nations-jails-struggle-with-mentally-ill-prisoners

Answer some of these questions:

In your opinion, does the legal system have an obligation to provide mentally ill prisoners with mental health services? Is there a more cost-efficient way to help the mentally ill without waiting for them to wind up in the legal system? What would be the consequence of NOT treating very mentally ill individuals who find themselves in jail? In the NPR article, Judge Steve Leifman proposes one new model for preventing mentally ill people from ending up in jail for minor offenses. What do you think of this model and its possible pros/cons to the community? Can you think of another model of reform?

Responses due Sunday, October 30th.