Mentally Ill Inmates
Mentally Ill Inmates
By Kevin Mahoney
On Wednesday of this week, Florida lawmakers came to an agreement to move 300 inmates to psychiatric hospitals and residential centers for treatment. The Legislative Budget Commission voted unanimously to invest $19 million dollars for inmates living with psychiatric conditions, and inmates that are at danger to being mentally ill. The decision to invest more money for mentally ill inmates was reached when charges were filed against Lucy Hadi, the former secretary of the Department of Children and Families,
for keeping mentally ill inmates in jail longer than state law allows. “State law requires the department to move inmates found incompetent to stand trial from county jails to psychiatric hospitals within 15 days of receiving a commitment order. The number of inmates found incompetent has increased by 16 percent over the last two fiscal years. As of Tuesday, nearly 250 mentally ill inmates had waited more than 15 days for treatment. In all, nearly 300 inmates are waiting for treatment.” (1). The investment is being split between psychiatric beds for patients and also an increase in other services for the mentally disabled such as housing, medication stipends, and outpatient mental health services.
Within the last ten years, improvements have not only been made for the mentally disabled, but also improvements in other health benefits and education. In 1991, Inmates have been able to receive high school and college diplomas and degrees, while behind bars. Some have been able to obtain bachelor and master degrees while behind bars, which has aided them in obtaining employment when they were released from prison. Bobby Lane, spent time behind bars for a murder charge, but was able to turn his life around when he was released. “ ‘I consider myself no longer a prisoner of despair," says Lane, 45, of Wallkill in Orange County. ‘I'm a prisoner of hope.’ Paroled in 1997, Lane works as a substance abuse counselor for the Volunteers of America in the Bronx. He credits his success -- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani recently pointed to him as an inspiration for others -- to a prison program that allowed him to earn a college degree.” (2)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/us/11florida.html?_r=1
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/prison/po111700s1.shtml
By Kevin Mahoney
On Wednesday of this week, Florida lawmakers came to an agreement to move 300 inmates to psychiatric hospitals and residential centers for treatment. The Legislative Budget Commission voted unanimously to invest $19 million dollars for inmates living with psychiatric conditions, and inmates that are at danger to being mentally ill. The decision to invest more money for mentally ill inmates was reached when charges were filed against Lucy Hadi, the former secretary of the Department of Children and Families,
for keeping mentally ill inmates in jail longer than state law allows. “State law requires the department to move inmates found incompetent to stand trial from county jails to psychiatric hospitals within 15 days of receiving a commitment order. The number of inmates found incompetent has increased by 16 percent over the last two fiscal years. As of Tuesday, nearly 250 mentally ill inmates had waited more than 15 days for treatment. In all, nearly 300 inmates are waiting for treatment.” (1). The investment is being split between psychiatric beds for patients and also an increase in other services for the mentally disabled such as housing, medication stipends, and outpatient mental health services.
Within the last ten years, improvements have not only been made for the mentally disabled, but also improvements in other health benefits and education. In 1991, Inmates have been able to receive high school and college diplomas and degrees, while behind bars. Some have been able to obtain bachelor and master degrees while behind bars, which has aided them in obtaining employment when they were released from prison. Bobby Lane, spent time behind bars for a murder charge, but was able to turn his life around when he was released. “ ‘I consider myself no longer a prisoner of despair," says Lane, 45, of Wallkill in Orange County. ‘I'm a prisoner of hope.’ Paroled in 1997, Lane works as a substance abuse counselor for the Volunteers of America in the Bronx. He credits his success -- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani recently pointed to him as an inspiration for others -- to a prison program that allowed him to earn a college degree.” (2)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/us/11florida.html?_r=1
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/prison/po111700s1.shtml
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