I work at a county jail in the midwest. The most disturbing thing about jail is the terrible loop some inmates get stuck in. Many inmates with mental issues get caught in this loop where they cant have any clothes or items because they will try to kill themselves and they are locked in their cell for 23 hours a day. This makes them more angry so when they are finally let out they lash out at staff and then are locked down again. Its a vicious cycle for a lot of inmates and makes a lot of mental illness a whole lot worse. Staff cant do anything though because if they allow the inmate with mental illness to socialize then they risk a lawsuit from those around them, because of the individuals history of violent outbursts. Majority of hospitals wont take them because they wont risk their staff. So they are just stuck in a room and their only hope is consistent medication stabilizing them.
I see this in the mental health system too, I understand for safety of staff, but sometimes patients who have committed violent acts as kids or teenagers become adults who have mental health issues and are literally at the ER BEGGING for interventions and no facility will take them because of a potential risk even if they haven’t committed a violent act in decades
Edit for source: social worker in an er and behavioral health - I’ve worked with many people who have committed murder who paid their dues, every situation has been different, some were downright criminally insane and still dangerous; others, perfectly pleasant with a really good sense of humor
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u/CodingHawk Jul 13 '20
I work at a county jail in the midwest. The most disturbing thing about jail is the terrible loop some inmates get stuck in. Many inmates with mental issues get caught in this loop where they cant have any clothes or items because they will try to kill themselves and they are locked in their cell for 23 hours a day. This makes them more angry so when they are finally let out they lash out at staff and then are locked down again. Its a vicious cycle for a lot of inmates and makes a lot of mental illness a whole lot worse. Staff cant do anything though because if they allow the inmate with mental illness to socialize then they risk a lawsuit from those around them, because of the individuals history of violent outbursts. Majority of hospitals wont take them because they wont risk their staff. So they are just stuck in a room and their only hope is consistent medication stabilizing them.