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3. Ensuring Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment in Correctional Facilities

Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars​

Prisons and jails across the United States have become de facto mental health institutions, warehousing vast numbers of individuals with untreated or undertreated mental illness and substance use disorders (SUD). The failure to provide adequate MH/SUD care within correctional facilities is not only inhumane but also counterproductive to public safety, contributing to cycles of recidivism and instability upon release.

Our platform recognizes that incarcerated individuals retain their right to healthcare, including mental healthcare. We advocate for a fundamental shift in correctional healthcare, ensuring that prisons and jails provide comprehensive, evidence-based MH/SUD treatment that meets community standards of care. This is an essential component of both healthcare equity and effective criminal justice reform.

Key Strategies for Improving Correctional MH/SUD Treatment:​

  1. Mandate Comprehensive Screening and Assessment:

    • Require universal MH/SUD screening for all individuals upon entry into jails and prisons, followed by comprehensive assessment for those who screen positive, to identify treatment needs accurately.

  2. Provide Evidence-Based Treatment:

    • Ensure access to a full continuum of evidence-based MH/SUD treatment within correctional facilities, including counseling, psychiatric medication management, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy, and trauma-informed care.
    • Treatment should be individualized and meet standards equivalent to those in the community.

  3. Increase Staffing and Training:

    • Significantly increase the number of qualified mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, peer specialists) working within correctional facilities.
    • Provide specialized training for all correctional staff on recognizing signs of mental illness and SUD, de-escalation techniques, and appropriate referral procedures.

  4. Divert Individuals with Serious Mental Illness:

    • Prioritize diverting individuals with serious mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into community-based treatment whenever possible, through mechanisms like mental health courts and pre-arrest diversion programs. (Related to Crisis Response, section 6.4.2).

  5. Ensure Continuity of Care Upon Release:

    • Implement robust discharge planning processes that connect individuals leaving incarceration with community-based MH/SUD treatment providers, housing assistance, and other essential support services to prevent relapse and facilitate successful reentry. Ensure individuals leave with necessary medications and scheduled appointments.

  6. Oversight and Accountability:

    • Establish independent oversight mechanisms to monitor the quality and accessibility of MH/SUD care in correctional facilities, ensuring compliance with national standards and investigating complaints of inadequate treatment or abuse.

Conclusion:​

Addressing the mental health crisis within our prisons and jails is a moral and practical necessity. Providing comprehensive, evidence-based treatment during incarceration and ensuring continuity of care upon release is crucial for improving individual outcomes, reducing recidivism, and enhancing public safety. This commitment is integral to our broader goals of criminal justice reform (Section 2.5) and achieving mental health parity (Section 6.4.1). Denying adequate care to incarcerated individuals perpetuates cycles of illness and crime; providing it offers a pathway to recovery and rehabilitation.