The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

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Aabidano
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The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aabidano »

The other thread reminded me of it, was a section on the news recently about the mentally ill in our jails and prisons and the impacts to the jailors, inmates and the costs involved.

Years back these people would have been in state institutions or on publicly funded programs that would treat them to a point where they could function in society, possibly even supporting themselves. With all those services gone the only recourse is to wait until they do something and jail them at a much larger taxpayer cost and endanger everyone involved, including the inmate.

I've known a number of "odd", non-functional people who were on SS & Medicaid and lived on their own and took care of themselves. Take that support away, they lose their meds and will be in a jail of some sort in fairly short order.

To hear the tea party talk, these folks are living high on the hog at taxpayer expense. Ummm, no.

I also know a couple people on SS that could probably go back to work, but doing so would take away their medical benefits and leave them unable to work almost immediately Making squalor basically their only option in life.

To the "But their families should support them!" response, it's not even an option as costs are so high.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Boogahz »

Aabidano wrote:Years back these people would have been in state institutions or on publicly funded programs that would treat them to a point where they could function in society, possibly even supporting themselves. With all those services gone the only recourse is to wait until they do something and jail them at a much larger taxpayer cost and endanger everyone involved, including the inmate.
No no no, and Hell No. Those institutions were basically sanctioned human experimentation vats. Treatment was basically an assembly line of frontal lobotomies and other intrusive non-proven procedures that left so many vegetables behind that the numbers of humans practically went down.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aabidano »

Wasn't talking about that type of institution, I'd like to think they weren't anywhere near the norm either.

Those that actually require commitment to full time institution today are a very small minority of the mentally ill, with proper care & medication most can be taken care of in far less rigid and expensive surroundings. That wasn't the case at all 30 years ago.

Nearly anything is cheaper than running a prison.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by masteen »

Haven't you heard? Private prison companies are the fastest growing sector of the American economy!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aslanna »

They are! Another reason to not decriminalize minor things like marijuana possession. That helps put a lot of people in jails and more profit for the companies. They (and their lobbyists) can't have that put in jeopardy can they!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by masteen »

Besides, who cares about niggers and crazies anyway? WOO SUPPLY SIDE JESUS!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Asheran Mojomaster »

My mom was telling me about a story she saw in the paper a few weeks back. Some guy robbed a bank at gunpoint and demanded they give him $1. He then told the teller to call the police, and waited on them to get there and arrest him. Later he stated the reason he did it. He had lost his insurance and required a few hundred dollars in medication a day to live, and if he went to jail that would be provided to him.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aabidano »

It worked too, guy went to jail and got treated.

Sadly Masteen is right.

Plus the mentally ill are treated in a very inhumane fashion in jails and prisons, who just aren't equipped to deal with it.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by kyoukan »

This kind of thing happens because we live in a society where it is easier for politicians to get more votes for looking "tough on crime" by earmarking more money for prisons instead of looking like a "wishy-washy liberal" by spending money helping society's most vulnerable and downtrodden. The corrections system is not served by having to deal with people who have chronic mental problems and society is not served by allowing these people to suffer undignified in a place they don't belong.

Sadly the only solution to the problem is for social conservatives to stop being so fucking ignorant and stupid, but there's a higher chance of God descending down from heaven and curing all of society's woes with a wave of his omniscient hand than that ever happening.
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aslanna »

omg hi kyoukan!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by masteen »

Is this legit? Not a mod toying with my heartstrings? Has kyoukan returned?
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Siji »

Aslanna wrote:omg hi kyoukan!
wait. what?

BEST DAY EVAH!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Aslanna »

kyoukan was like fuckin Seal Team Six there.. Hit and run before we knew what happened!

We want more!
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Re: The mentally ill in general jail and prison populations

Post by Siji »

I'm wearing my "I slept with Kyoukan" t-shirt today in anticipation..
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