It is estimated that approximately 20% of incarcerated individuals in the United States have mental illnesses, and over the past 50 years, it has become apparent that jails are the new asylums.
By Ann Iñiguez, MA, MBA, CCHP, Director of Mental Health
When a new officer initially starts working in corrections, he or she may think it is simply a matter of interacting with men and women charged with and possibly convicted of crimes. It often comes as a surprise to new recruits the number of inmates who are diagnosed with (or suspected to have) mental illnesses. It is estimated that approximately 20% of incarcerated individuals in the United States have mental illnesses, and over the past 50 years, it has become apparent that jails have become the new asylums. But how did this come to be?
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