Judy Guenseth: Treat mental health needs before crimes are committed
In our progressive society, it is hard to understand that some areas of organized American culture have lost ground to a less civilized manner of treating people. Historically, mentally ill people were treated poorly and housed together like animals, but great strides were taken in the last century to improve their treatment and living conditions. With fiscal desperation taking place today in most factions of government, mental health funding is disappearing. Those needing services fail to receive appropriate care. Much of this was branded as deinstitutionalization. However, this unstructured reintegration into society has created a watershed of problems.
It is also not a surprise the U.S. penal system is home to many people who suffer from mental illness. According to a U.S. Department of Justice report, more than half of all prison and jail inmates have a mental health problem. The study also found a history of homelessness and foster care was more common among inmates with mental health issues.
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According to another U.S. Department of Justice study done on the safety of prisons and jails, there are basic human needs that should be met to maintain a safe environment for both the staff and inmates. These include physical safety and social needs — the same as all humans. While the expectation is not to lavish the incarcerated in these areas, if these basic needs are not met by the institution the inmates will find the means to fulfill these basic human needs on their own terms. The study also points out that if inmates take these matters into their own hands, then the prison or jail has given control over to the inmates. This puts both the prison employee and the inmate in an unsafe situation.
Some examples of this inverted need for survival include making weapons or forming gangs when physical safety is in jeopardy, stealing and hoarding if they do not have enough to eat, and depression or inappropriate interaction if they do not have positive ways to interact with each other. Allowing appropriate social interaction, providing safety and adequate nutrition are not luxury items for those incarcerated — they are basic human needs. This is accomplished with adequate staffing levels and a proactive approach to meeting inmates needs on the terms of the administration. Granted there will always be the element of inmates seeking survival on their own terms and all the more reason for the penal system to establish their authority in a manner productive to human existence.
Yet the provision of basic needs is more complicated for those suffering from mental issues. At a time when prisons are stretching their dollars to the limit to provide minimal security staff, these prisons have few resources to provide adequate mental health services to meet the needs of the ballooning population of those suffering from mental illness. If Illinois cannot adequately fund facilities that professionally serve mental health issues, it is unclear why funding choices throw this task to correctional facilities.
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According to the John Howard Association, Illinois continues to increase prison population while other states are reducing the number of inmates with alternative programs that demonstrate positive results in reducing recidivism. JHA also points out in Illinois 70 percent of inmates are low level, non-violent inmates and research shows these offenders are more likely to commit new crimes once released compared to the same prison population receiving supervised release. Furthermore, super max prison inmates are more likely to be mentally ill and the solitary conditions aggravate those conditions. Inadequate mental health resources and continued overcrowding raise concerns that basic needs will be harder to achieve for inmates.
A 2016 federal court ruling against Illinois which continued to be rebuffed by state officials in 2021, asserted that low prison staffing is a major issue in our state and still continues especially in the area of mental health personnel. Prison staff in Illinois have expressed concerns for safety, sanitation and reduced opportunity for inmate recreation — all basic needs of people. Cost-cutting decisions seem laudable in the face of tough budget issues, but it flies in the face of research that demonstrates these steps volley the control of the prison to the inmates in meeting their core needs. It’s no wonder achieving appropriate staffing levels is difficult.
Solutions will not come easy to resolving the mental health needs of inmates, but studies indicate it would be more cost efficient to address the mental health needs of individuals before they commit offenses or their mental health issues escalate in poorly staffed prisons. It is also more humane. Or we can avoid addressing the mental health crisis and treat those with mental issues by locking the door on treatment options. This time though we are justified in treating them poorly now because, after all, they are convicted criminals.
Judy Johnson Guenseth is a longtime resident of Galesburg, where she works in the public sector.
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Judy Guenseth: Address mental health needs before crimes are committed
