A presentation illustrating how mental illness treatment in the corrections system is vital vs. the incarceration of those who need mental health assistance.

1. Aubrey Hanson

2.  Mental illnesses in the corrections system is currently at an all time high,
and often, prisoners are left untreated, resulting in their mental health
worsening.
 According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, more individuals with
mental illnesses are incarcerated vs. hospitalized.
 Individuals with mental illnesses who are incarcerated, are at a higher
rate for attempting suicide vs. those who are adequately treated in
hospitals.
 The Treatment Advocacy Center also says that roughly 20% of
inmates have serious mental illnesses (which makes up 1/5 of the
total population)

3.  To continue, the Treatment Advocacy Center said that 10% of inmates in
state prisons would meet the requirements that classify them as having a
serious mental disorder/illness.
 These are the types of illnesses that require treatment but often times
are left untreated.
 This same advocacy site found that those who have mental illnesses are
often times incarcerated longer than those without illnesses.
 This is likely because the inmates who suffer from mental illnesses often
act out or cause disruptions due to them being untreated for an ongoing
period of time.

4. THE COST OF LEAVING MENTAL ILLNESS
IN THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM
UNTREATED
 Leaving mental illness untreated in the corrections system will result in
poor mental health of those incarcerated but also a plethora of incurred
costs
 If inmate's mental illnesses are treated in a hospital/proper setting, it is
likely that the recidivism rates will decrease because they will have
proper treatment.
 However, if the inmates are incarcerated, the likelihood of them
improving is slim. As mentioned in the last slide, individuals who are
incarcerated with mental illnesses will likely spend more time in the
corrections system which will make the overall incurred costs per year,
increase.
 The Treatment Advocacy Center says that to house an inmate, it is
$80/day but $130/day for those with mental illnesses.

5.  For inmates with mental illnesses,
psychological treatment within the
corrections system is necessary.
 Inmates should have the right/ability to
have psychological treatment within the
prison systems during the time of their
incarceration
 Inmates with serious psychological
illnesses should be hospitalized so they
can receive proper treatment.
 Inmates also need the access to proper
medications while incarcerated.
According to Nami, over 50% of inmates
who were treated for mental illness
discontinued their medication while
incarcerated.

6.  Inmates have the right to receive psychological treatment, however, the one issue
is making sure that the prison system gives them access to proper treatment and
medication.
 Improving inmates' mental health can also start with small steps such as seeking
counselling while incarcerated, giving them access to educational rights and
material, giving them outdoor/social interaction, and providing them with daily
checks to ensure that their mental well being is not deteriorating.
 The American Psychological Association has started a new program called
“Changing Lives and Changing Outcomes” which talks about the importance of
utilizing both mental health care along with criminal activity prevention.
 This would be beneficial because it helps the offenders improve their mental health and
gain the help they need, while also helping them learn why they should not be partaking
in criminal activity.

7.  Statistics show that it would be more cost effective to treat an inmate's
mental health illness vs. incarcerating them
 Statistics from the North Carolina Health News study show that offenders
who did not receive mental health treatment acquired a total cost of
$95,000, whereas those who received treatment acquired a cost of $68,000.
 These statistics show that incarceration without treatment costs roughly
1/3 more than mental treatment does.
 This treatment should be implemented within all states and
communities in order to ensure offenders mental health and also help
keep them on track.

8. This chart further illustrates
that many offenders or
individuals arrested suffer from
mental illness and instead of
seeking mental help, they are
often incarcerated which has a
negative effect on the
individual's mental health.

9. CONCLUSION
 In conclusion, the statistics shown throughout the presentation
show that the mental well being of inmates is overlooked.
 Inmates who suffer from mental illness often go untreated with both
no medication and no counseling/psychological help.
 The majority of offenders suffer from mental illness and instead of
gaining treatment, their incarceration time increases. This means
that inmates with mental illnesses spend more time in prison than
those without.

10. Carroll, H. (2016, September). Serious Mental Illness Prevalence in Jails and Prisons. Treatment
Advocacy Center. https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/evidence-and-research/learn-more-
about/3695
Hoban, R. (2013, July 1). NC State Study Shows Why It Costs Less to Treat Mentally Ill Than
Incarcerate Them. North Carolina Health News.
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/07/01/nc-state-study-shows-why-it-costs-less-to-
treat-mentally-ill-than-incarcerate-them/
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2021). Mental Health Treatment While Incarcerated | NAMI:
National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Policy-
Priorities/Improving-Health/Mental-Health-Treatment-While-Incarcerated
Stringer, H. (2019, March). Improving mental health for inmates. American Psychological Association.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/03/mental-heath-inmates
Venkat, N. (n.d.). The growing presence of mental illness in crime data.
https://xtown.la/2019/08/16/the-growing-presence-of-mental-illness-in-crime-data/