Mental Health Issues of Disabled People in Prison Research Paper

Introduction

All prisoners are under threat of mistreatment and infringement of their rights to a certain extent. The restrictions of people in prisons often lead to abuse of power of those taking care of them or fellow prisoners. Besides, even in the absence of an abuse of power, the prisons have harmful physical conditions that could negatively affect the mental health of all prisoners. Many jails are overcrowded, have poor physical requirements, and the prisoners suffer violence at the hands of prisoners without enough healthcare resources to help them. The negative effect of these factors is more pronounced in the case of prisoners with disabilities. People with disabilities are vulnerable to abuse from fellow prisoners and prison staff due to discriminatory attitudes (Chaplin et al., 2017). The humiliation they suffer and physical abuse is a cause of distress that negatively impacts their mental health. Due to the discriminatory attitude in prisons, disable prisoners are isolated with no one to share their challenges with. There is a need to enforce the rights of disabled people in prisons by understanding the causes of mental health issues and developing the necessary support systems.

Effects of Prisons on the Mental Health of People with Disabilities

The number of disabled people in the USA has been increasing over time. Mental disorders among prisoners in higher for the disabled. Various factors affect the mental health of prisoners. There is the widespread belief that prisoners are dangerous people who can harm society causes a negative perception. Consequently, people treat them as criminals, which is likely to reinforce their criminal behavior (Schlanger, 2017). The intolerance to unwanted behavior by society reduces the effectiveness of prisons as rehabilitative centers. Prisoners have limited access to health care services, and hence there are no preventive measures for curing mental disorders. The prevailing conditions in the prisons create a sense of desperation that prisoners find difficult to cope with. The prison’s conditions facilitate torture and violation of human rights, worsening the situation of isolation. The consequence is that prisoners are likely to develop severe mental health disorders.

Another factor causing mental health in prions is that disabled people are often exposed to discrimination and stigma. Though social discrimination applies to all prisoners, disabled people are most affected since they are discriminated against by fellow prisoners. Prison staff doesn’t try to protect disabled people from the attacks by fellow prisoners. Often, because of their disability, they cannot express their issues to authorities, and no one in the prisons is willing to listen to them. Marginalization causes mental disorders through solitude and isolation of the disabled within the prison systems (Hellenbach, Karatzias, & Brown, 2017). Depression is likely to develop into severe mental illness over time due to a lack of attention by the prison authorities. Also, there are insufficient health care resources to address the mental health disorders that may arise in prisons. The segregated manner of the disabled in prisons implies that they cannot get the scarce treatment services.

Causes of Mental Disorders for Disabled People in Prisons

In the USA, disabled people are overrepresented in prisons compared to the general population. The people in prisons are more likely to be disabled than in disability incidence in the population. Disabled prisoners include those already with existing cognitive disabilities such as dementia and other intellectual disorders that limit their learning ability. The mass incarceration of the disabled causes mental disabilities because it is cruel, unethical, and unjust. Disabled people understand this fact, and hence they feel desperate that a society that is supposed to protect them isolates them. Disabled people already face barriers to succeed in life. Such people have limited access to employment opportunities and stable housing (Gottfried & Christopher, 2017). It is unfair to add to these challenges a criminal record that further limits their chances of economic independence. For the disabled, prisons represent the place for maximum distress that takes away all their rights. The financial insecurities mean that the disabled are more likely to get involved in illegal activities that can lead to their imprisonment.

Another cause for mental disorders for disabled prisoners is the disproportionate exposure to violence. Disabled people are more likely to suffer violence in the prison system than their fellow mates. For instance, the disabled are more likely to be victims of police violence. The data on police violence is often limited, but the media often reports high profile cases of disabled people who die due to violence within the justice systems. Disabilities are likely to cause misunderstandings between the disabled and their fellow mates, which results in violence (Haesen, 2019). Putting the disabled in conditions with high threats of violence causes fear and withdrawal. They also lack the rights to privacy within the justice system causes mental distress among the disabled.

Prisons cause mental disorders among the disabled by depriving them of the essential medical care and support systems for their conditions. The federal disability rights allow the disabled access to crucial care programs. The disabled often lack specialized care within prisons that exacerbates the physical needs. In many cases, the disabled are confined alone allegedly for their protection because the prisons don’t have specialized accommodations for them. Solitary confinement has severe psychological effects on disabled prisoners. The long-term impact of solitary confinement is mental distress associated with severe disorders and suicide (Valizadeh et al., 2017). Policies should focus on making the justice system favorable for the disabled and eliminate all forms of violence that cause fear and distress.

Difference between Prisoners with Disability Mental Health and those without

A comparison of the incidence of mental disorders among prisoners is essential for investigating how prisoners disproportionately affect the mental health of prisoners. Various research studies have highlighted that the disabled suffer mental illnesses more than the general population. The same scenario is replicated in prisons where the disabled are more likely to suffer mental disorders than the other prison mates. The research sought to understand the composition of mental health disorders for detained people in African countries. The study found that the disabled had a 67 percent prevalence rate for mental disorders than 31 percent in the other inmates (Di Lorito, Vollm, & Dening, 2018). The disabled were more than 38% prone to abuse substances, 33% likely to develop a psychotic disorder, and 22% likely to have mood disorders (Di Lorito, Vollm, & Dening, 2018). Another research combined studies on disability and conviction rates established that in 36% of the studies, the convicts had not committed the crime they had been imprisoned for (Barry et al., 2020). Another study sought to establish the likeliness of the disabled in prisons to access essential health care services. The study found that other inmates were 13% more likely to access necessary medical attention than the disabled (Forrester, Simpson & Shaw, 2018). The research confirms the theoretical presumptions discussed. The disabled suffer more prejudice within the prisons and end up with higher rates of mental disorders.

Legal Rights of People with Disability to Mental Health

The USA government and the UN convention give the disabled access to fundamental rights within the prison system. One, prisoners have a right to equal access to services, benefits, and programs that those without disabilities enjoy. This implies that when they cannot enjoy a program due to their disability, the prison system should facilitate to have them enjoy similar services (Forrester, Simpson & Shaw, 2018). It also means that the prison system should identify and remove barriers to the utilization of essential services. However, there is an exception to this right when the disabled prisoner poses a security threat to the others. However, prison staffs often use this as an excuse to exploit and mistreat disabled prisoners.

Secondly, the justice system must provide an efficient communication method, including sign language, audio documents, braille documents, and videophones. The prison must organize for means of communicating with the prisoners and amongst the prisoners. Without effective communication, disabled prisoners are disadvantaged within the justice system. Also, prison systems are expected to make changes that allow equal access to all prison services. Despite the legal provisions, some prisoners have more than one disability, making it hard for prisons to comply with the legal requirements (Barry et al., 2020). For example, prisoners with hearing disabilities need a sign language interpreter for medical appointments. When an interpreter is not available, disabled people cannot communicate effectively, which is a disadvantage. Access to fundamental rights also involves the provision of mobility for the disabilities. This should avoid cases of confining them in medical units.

How Prison System can be used to Improve Mental Health

Prisons can improve the mental health of the disabled through the adoption of favorable correctional policies. The people living in solitary confinement often experience depression, difficulties in concentration, anger, and irritability. The prisons should develop human conditions that entail less solitary confinement and a focus on mental health. The use of dark cells without conduct to the outside world should be substituted with educational classes focusing on the mental health of the disabled. Prisons should be designed to allow prisoners freedom of movement and rehabilitation programs. Prisons should also find root causes of violent behavior without punishing the prisoner. A positive prison culture depends on the coexistence between prison staff and the prisoners.

Prisons should address the issue of overcrowding. Overcrowding is often a cause for distress within the prison systems and facilitates violent behavior. Violent behavior is also caused by pain within the prison system due to the lack of connection to the support systems of the community. Also, hospitals should invest in monitoring the prisoners’ mental health, especially the disabled. This includes identifying the characteristics of common mental disorders and the affected people. Prisons should also utilize resources in preventive measures to avoid violence on their premises. The government should enforce adherence to all the laws guiding the care of the disabled (Baloch & Jennings, 2019). It is essential to educate disabled prisoners on their rights to sue in case of infringement by the prison authorities. The prison staff should also be educated to change their perceptions regarding disabled people and prisoners in general. Governments should commit more resources to improve the general conditions of prison settings.

References

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