Mental health is a very serious problem in the penal institutions due to budgetary restrictions, indifference and misdiagnosis. Prisoners with serious mental issues are given psychotic medications with limited or no counseling. Mental health issues vary, but in prison they are treated the same. Many prisoners housed in IDOC are very often misdiagnosed which makes them a danger to themselves as well as staff and other prisoners. As a solution, the staff may isolate them in segregation but isolation may aggravate the problem causing the situation to become more dangerous and intense.
A prisoner who takes medication for the duration of his sentence could become a danger to society when he is released. When the medication is no longer readily available and he experiences withdrawal this can create a serious problem. Compounding the problem could be lack of counseling or aftercare which may cause the ex-prisoner to be unprepared to successfully re-enter society. Accordingly, they may be more inclined to commit crimes and return to prison. The mental health aspect of prison does not adequately meet the needs of mentally ill prisoners and it needs to be evaluated and completely overhauled.
In conclusion, we encourage IDOC to support organizations and programs that empower prisoners to take personal responsibility for their incarceration. We want to build relationships with community activists and grass root organizations involved in repairing the damage in our communities caused by prisoners’ actions and poor decision making. When prisoners feel invested in the overall rehabilitation process it enhances the chance of them successfully re-establishing themselves back into society as productive citizens. We want and need the support of all interested people and organizations. We are open to new ideas and welcome any good faith partners to join us in forming a coalition to create positive ongoing change wthin IDOC.