Deinstitutionalization Of Mental Hospitals In 1970 Criminology Essay

Deinstitutionalization Of Mental Hospitals In 1970 Criminology Essay presentmentDeinstitutionalization of kind hospitals came into play in 1970 in the United States the program aimed at treating psychogenicly retarded patients within the community itself kind of than maintaining and treating them at amiable hospitals. During these days, state genial hospitals were regarded as institutions that deprived the ment on the wholey trial patients their exemption to associate with family and community members within the society. For instance, the United States Congress approved the confederacy Mental Health Centers Act that facilitated deinstitutionalization, thus getting out the mentally sneezy persons from confinements of the custodial institutions into deliberate medication at the community mental wellness institutions.Despite the perceived good of deinstitutionalization by the policy makers in the United States and the world over, the move has brought about more sophisticated prob lems. In essence the whole program has failed to achieve its objectives and has led to mentally dizzy individual suffering in the boulevards and dungeons, as well as in the shelter homes, and beggars homes, (Sheth 12). To be true enough, the policy of deinstitutionalization has failed completely. New Freedom instruction on Mental Health analyzed the American public mental wellness and confirmed that it is in a terrible state. This paper is aimed at discussing the impacts of deinstitutionalization for the live on 35 years on illegal nicety, advantages and disadvantages of deinstitutionalization and how mental health issues should be addressed in correctional systems.DiscussionAs at the present, it is estimated that more than 4.5 million Americans atomic procedure 18 suffering from severe mental illnesses. The entire number of persons that do non receive medication out of the 4.5 millions is near 40%. This has increased rooflessness, violence, and incarceration. Since the onset of deinstitutionalization policy, almost one third of homeless persons in the US suffer from severe mental retardation. In addendum in Oklahoma, researchers fill established that thither is a correlation existing between the increasing number of suicidal and the decreasing state of mental health centers.Ted Strickland, a US congressman testified that, thousands of mentally ill persons argon being taken out of hospitals and dumped in communities where there ar no adequate mental health services that can non receive and take trouble of them. The idea of deinstitutionalization has culminated into trans-institutionalization, whereby large numbers of mentally ill individuals find themselves in prisons, jails, and homeless shelters, (Sheth 15). For instance, the recent studies lose shown that more than 40% of Beggars Home inmates are mentally ill.The policy of deinstitutionalization is a recipe of the evil that is done to the mentally ill persons in the US. The defenseless and helpless mentally ill community roam and beg on streets, roadside, footpaths, and are to a fault seen starving in streets, eating from garbage bins and take refuge in shelter homes. In addition the society jeers at them, verbally, physically and sexually abuse them. form _or_ system of government makers who came up with this particular policy, wanted to clean and beautiful mental hospitals without fetching into consideration that the streets and different social places go away be messed up. new studies have established that there are more mentally sick nation in prisons and jails compared to those ones that are hospitalized. Around 9,000 people released from New York jails and prisons on yearly basis have psychiatric disabilities without lodgment or support services. It has likewise been strand out that 40 to 50% of community mental health system clients have a history of criminal arrest. Furthermore there is a direct link between closure of mental hospitals and mushroomi ng of refreshed prisons and jails. With regard to the US segment of Justice, when 40 mental hospitals were closed in the past ten years, 400 new prisons were opened up.The right enforcement department is now tasked with confronting and solving the communitys problems resulting from deinstitutionalization. For instance, studies show that, more than 70% of mentally ill individual should be sent to jail for their own safety and well-being. Recent research depict that rates of arrest of mentally ill persons is high compared to that of normal people, (Sheth 17). This is because much(prenominal) individuals are arrested on charges like disturbing public security and criminal trespass. In the first place, incarceration was thought to be the lift out remedy with regard to vast problems faced on the streets the realisticity is that sensory a chronically mentally ill person and taking him or her into custody and forcefully imposing criminal arbitrator, denies legal expert to all co ncerned.Of all the mentally ill persons arrested only 12% are arrested for charges that significantly apologise for incarceration. Moreover, 54% of mentally ill arrestees are always found to be incompetent and hence can not stand trials. Arresting mentally ill persons in essence does not solve the problem or enforce criminal justice but rather intensifies management and monetary problems for detention facilities. These kinds of arrests only fill criminal court calendar rather than solving the problem.The moment of arresting mentally ill individuals, the criminal justice enforcement funds are shifted to mental health area to cater for the arrestee, with law and justice enforcement agencies instead of state hospitals playing their fundamental duty of housing and treating the mentally ill. In fact at the detention levels surveys have found out that between 50% and 60% of the inmate population are mentally ill with successful suicide rate 75% higher(prenominal) that of the general pop ulation.Advantages of DeinstitutionalizationTreatment of outpatient clinics is less expensive and effective as compared to interposition in highly sophisticated mental hospitals that require boarding fees in addition to medical fees. Consequently, the patients will have freedom of community establish treatment as compared to in-patient hospitals.Disadvantages of deinstitutionalizationDeinstitutionalization has broadly contributed to homelessness, as people released from in-patient facilities have no place to go. Furthermore, it has in like manner led to a revolving door part, where chronically mentally ill persons are periodically hospitalized, released and in the end hospitalized.How mental health issues should be addressed in correctional systemsWith regard to criminal justice to mentally ill individuals, a proactive and conscious approach is a base requirement and several elements are significant in implementing such an approach. Studies have shown and suggested that law enf orcement police officers have higher chances of arresting a mentally ill person than it is to a normal person. In relation to this, officers in criminal justice department should undergo or receive extensive study with regard to handling cases of such kind. The preparedness should not only countenance for identifying mental illness symptoms but also provide communication skills and acquaintance that the officer can use to communicate with and handle the psychiatric patient. The training should also be designed in a manner that does not compromise the humane treatment or concern for the officers safety.Criminal justice department especially the law enforcement agencies should collaborate and negotiate with medical institutions to do it up with policies and mental illness cases procedures, implementing no-decline agreements that would importantly increase the choices of the criminal justice system. For better service delivery by law enforcement officers, the psychiatric com muni ty should in all be involved by putting aside their mutual stereotypes and antagonism.It is also necessary for the law enforcement officer to have adequate information on statutory guidelines in relation to law enforcement that initiates involuntary psychiatric commitment. They should also understand that mental illness symptoms should not be taken or considered criminal behavior to aid the arresting if the same behavior will be relied upon for civil petition for automatic hospitalization. The expertise in this sectionalization requires the law enforcement officer to undergo training that will eventually agree him with the appropriate procedures that meet the statutory designed standards.The law enforcement bodies can also commence innovative pre arrest diversion systems. For instance, the law enforcing officer in the field, who comes in contact with psychiatric offender, should have more options, instead of fashioning the arrest he can leave the crime scene other than providing the solution to the basic issues. The pre-arrest diversion program, which consists of mobile crisis unit involving mental health practitioners in corporation with law enforcement officers, would give the officer freedom of not making custody related decisions till new options with regard to the situation are reviewed, (Sheth 18). For this matter the non-violent offenders shall be handed over to crisis teams thus allowing officer to attend to other criminal related issues.ConclusionIn the last two to three decades there has been a rapid rise in numbers of the mentally ill persons released into the society. Deinstitutionalization has integrated itself into trans-institutionalization whereby a massive number of psychiatric patients have been transferred of shifted from state owned hospitals to streets, beggars homes, prisons and jails. The civil libertarians have eventually changed into criminal justice system. Most, law enforcement officers consider mental illness symptoms to be elem ents of crime. For this situation to change, law enforcement agencies should shun from being inundated by such social problems, in addition a proactive response linking the societys resources to the real and actual area of need is essential.Work CitedSheth, Hitesh. Deinstitutionalization or Disowning Responsibility. outside(a) Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. 13.2 (2009) 11-20.