A May 2010 report conducted and released by the Treatment Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs' Association shows that Americans that have severe mental illnesses are at least three times more likely to be incarcerated than to receive treatment in a psychiatric hospital. The study broke down results by state and relied on data collected in 2004 and 2005 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In no state is a person more likely to receive treatment than to go to prison. Also, in some states, such as Nevada and Arizona, ten times more persons with severe mental illnesses are put in prison than receive treatment. In addition, a major finding of the study showed that states which spend less on mental health care services have more persons with mental illness in their jails. Moreover, the study indicates that over 16% of inmates today have mental illness, compared to 6.3% of inmates in 1983.
Full story: Michelle Diament, Jail More Likely Than Treatment for Americans with Psychiatric Disorders, Disability Scoop, May 13, 2010, available at
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/05/13/mental-illness-jail/8038/
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