In this revelatory book, journalist Alisa Roth goes deep inside the criminal justice system to show how and why it has become a warehouse where inmates are denied proper treatment, abused, and punished in ways that make them sicker. One in four fatal police shootings involves a person with such disorders. As many as half of all people in America's jails and prisons have a psychiatric disorder. Jails in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago each house more people with mental illnesses than any hospital. Now updated to cover the latest developments in criminal justice reform, Insane is a stirring call to action for anyone concerned about the plight of our most vulnerable.Īn urgent exposé of the mental health crisis in our courts, jails, and prisons from a veteran public radio journalist.Īmerica has made mental illness a crime. She also explores some of the most innovative solutions to the problem, showing that large-scale fixed at many levels of the mental health and criminal justice system are within reach. Roth provides the first comprehensive account of America's mental health crisis - and uncovers the hidden forces behind it.
She brings readers from the overwhelmed mental health units of the Los Angeles County Jail to a women's prison in Oklahoma with one of the fastest-growing populations of people with mental illness in the country. Alisa Roth’s 38 minute speech is followed by some responses to audience questions.About the Book Insane takes journalist Alisa Roth deep inside our prisons and jails to show how and why they have become warehouses for people with mental illness, institutions rife with improper treatment and outright abuse. Use the audio player above to listen to the program.
This year’s theme, “From Mental Illness to Public Wellness,” examines the challenges faced by people with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Roth spoke at the “Understanding and Responding to Mass Incarceration” event this month, which is an annual Metropolitan State University student forum with community participation.
I’m hopeful that there’s the will to do it, and we just need to figure out how.” She concluded her talk by saying, “the most hopeful thing I’ve heard is that what everyone agrees on is that what we’re doing right now is not working, and that we need to change it. Roth said there is a lack of resources, understanding and political will, and we need a broader range of options for mental health care. Many people with mental illness also have substance use disorders. Police training about mental health is very minimal, Roth says, so when police encounter somebody who is in the throes of a mental health crisis, it is inevitable that “we fail a lot of people.” Many experts wonder why police are being asked to respond to mental health calls. “Why is calling 911 the only option?” she asks. A quarter of fatal police shootings involve a person with mental illness.
0 kommentar(er)
