In the United States we have the highest rate of adult incarceration. With nearly 2. 2 million incarcerated, inmates with mental health illnesses have been increasing year after year, (Daniel, 2007). The correctional system has been transformed into the mental asylum for the modern day. The American Association urges prisons to develop procedures for properly handling inmates with special needs.
These inmates suffer from a wide variety of illness such as mental illnesses, communicable diseases, and chemical dependency.These illnesses require a different form of treatment in order to be considered rehabilitated. Mentally ill inmates are a rising problem within the correctional system that cannot be ignored. The correctional system has been experiencing a great deal of difficulties in identifying and providing treatment to the mentally ill inmates, (Wettstein, R. 1995). About 15% of inmates in city, county jails and as well as state prisons have a mental illness, (Wettstein, R.
1995). Mentally ill people don’t believe they are ill. It is not any different for inmates with illnesses.They feel they do not have a problem and do not need to be fixed. A way to help them is by providing them an intensive, structured treatment that can help them control themselves and act normal.
Structured activities can range from providing staff members to give them their medication, maintaining a high ratio of staff to inmates on a regular basis can help with their treatment as well, (Lamb, 2011). Treatments that has been proven to work for severely mentally ill inmates are therapeutic activities, being placed in intensive community programs and even being locked up in psychiatric hospitals.There can be problems with treatment of the inmates due to shortage of mental health resources and funding, (Lamb, 2011). Staff members are hard to employee because working with mentally ill inmates can pose a risk to their own life.
Prisons were created in order to protect society and in prison any criminal. They were not created to provide mental health treatment. Therefore most mentally ill inmates are transported to a hospital that can provide the resources and help needed to treat them if that prison does not have those resources.Arizona does not treat their mentally ill inmates in house. Once an inmate has been classified as mentally ill, they can do one of two things: voluntarily or involuntarily commit them to be committed, (Arizona Department, 2013).
If they voluntarily want to commit themselves they will sign the appropriate forms. If they are not willing to go to the hospital then a psychiatrist or physician will examine the inmate and submit an Application for Involuntary Treatment and wait for a judgment, (Arizona, Department, 2013). Communicable diseases are infectious diseases.One way an inmate is exposed to this is through sharing razors, exposure to needles through tattooing and drug use, and even through sexual contact. According to the Center for Disease Control Prevention, Hepatitis B virus is easily spread through blood, semen and vaginal secretion and the sharing of these instruments puts the Hepatitis B on a high spread, (Nolan, 2012).
About 3. 7% of inmates are infected with the virus, (Nolan, 2012). Tuberculosis which is an airborne disease and if untreated can be fatal. One highly infected inmate can infect another inmate because they all share the same air making it easier to spread.Inmates with a weaker immune system have a great chance of getting TB. Many jails don’t have the adequate information and clinical services to care for inmates properly.
There is a lack of hand washing stations, isolation rooms, and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), (Bick, 2007). Inmates that require such treatment are not always transported because they are treated in house due to the lack of funding to send them out. The part of the facility that treats the inmates is as if they were in an infirmary or a hospital.Overall the correctional system has a hard time trying to prevent the spread of communicable diseases because most of the items used to treat the inmates can be used as a weapon, putting the staff members at risk as well as other inmates. In Arizona there are rules to which they abide by when it comes to treating of an inmate with a communicable disease. The staff must provide a report of the communicable diseases to the local Health Department, confirm the diagnoses through testing and even resort to medical isolation, (Arizona Department of Corrections, 2013).
Managing inmates with communicable diseases is a high priority because they want to be able to control the disease and not get anyone else exposed. When moving the inmates to isolation they must wear a surgical mask in order to not spread any infection. In order to help prevent the communicable diseases, inmates must go through Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) testing when they are new inmates, annual testing, part of TB investigation, and whenever deemed appropriate by their health care provider, (Arizona Department of Corrections, 2013).Chemical dependency is someone who needs alcohol and/or drugs to be able to function every day. 30-60% of inmate population has some sort of substance abuse disorder, (Detoxification, 2009).
In order to treat inmates who have chemical dependency can be difficult because most of substance abusers are in denial about their addiction. Trying to find out what substances they have taken pose a challenge because some don’t remember what they have taken. Withdraw symptoms will occur within the first few days. In order to control withdraws the medical providers will prescribe medication to the inmates in order withdraws to be manageable.
The correctional system treatment programs range from education to drug abuse, nonresidential drug abuse treatment and intensive program, (Detoxification, 2009). These drug treatment programs have a significant impact on inmates, families, and even the community. Arizona has a program called Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) which is there to help the state and local government with treatment of inmates. 60% of inmates that enter the program complete it with success.From that 60%, 90% of the inmates remain drug free, (Residential Substance, 006). Being that we are so close to Mexico we do have a drug problem in our state and because of that there is a waiting list for the drug abuse treatment program in Arizona.
Treatment is important for any prisoner whether they are mentally ill, addicted to substance or fighting an infectious disease. The Eighth Amendment prohibits any prisoner from being treated with cruel and unusual punishment. If there did not get the treatment they needed, they would never be well enough to re-enter the community as a rehabilitated citizen.
