Introduction
The mentally ill prisoners face a lot of adversities in the prison systems that have been created to protect them and offer rehabilitation with care. The mentally unstable members of society who have been put in these correctional institutions require utmost care in the manner with which they are treated. In this manner, proper interventions need to be formulated to help these prisoners have a good stay in these facilities since it may lead to most of them reforming and even getting well.
The treatment of prisoners that have mental illness in the Los Angeles County jail system is faced with a burden from a stemming social problem that has created the need to have immediate attention and reform. The systemic issues within the Los Angeles County jail lead to inhumane conditions, violation of the stipulated court orders, and cases of neglect that jeopardize the well-being of the mentally ill prisoners, exhibiting the urgent need for sustained changes within these correctional mental health policies.
Local Connection
The prospect regarding the situation of the mentally ill prisoners in Los Angeles County jails entails more than just criminal justice. The continued crisis affects many individuals, with many hitting close to home for Southern California residents. There are approximately 57000 people who have fallen victim to incarceration within the county (O’Connor, 2023).
The problem initially believed to be confined within the walls of the County jails has breached the boundaries and extended outside the borders of these correctional institutions. The situation has affected families and their communities, ultimately leading to the distortion of the overall well-being of the people within the region. The issue presents an acute nature that demands the formulation of various strategies because it affects several individuals, disrupting their mental health. Southern California’s situation also contributes to the loss of integrity in the justice system and the community, challenging the laws and order set to govern people.
Discussion
The context of the Los Angeles County jail treatment of mentally ill prisoners demonstrates an erosion within the societal norms and community integrity that cares for the well-being of the people. There is a continued form of oppression that these prisoners face in these correctional institutions, with the problem spreading beyond the walls of the Los Angeles County jails. The existing condition, therefore, presents a pressing social issue that has exacerbated various disparities involved in mental health care. California’s diverse population is an urban landscape. The landscape curates the presence of a unique challenge that arises while providing adequate mental health services to all these people (Appel et al., 2020).
The people in the urban areas enjoy most of the resources due to the overwhelming supply chain within these regions, exhibiting the prospect that most of them do not lack anything. However, individuals in rural areas continually experience shortages of the resources available, particularly affecting the prisons.
As a result of the shortages of reach of most of these resources within the rural setups in Southern California, individuals tend to suffer, facing many adversities. The vulnerable end up being mistreated, which entails the oppression of older prisoners and pregnant women. These represent just a few of the shortcomings within the system that demand the presence of immediate interventions. The lack of access to resources within rural setups makes the people suffer, forcing them to survive only on the small portions they can get (O’Connor, 2023). These factors exacerbate the already poor setup within the region, making them suffer under the arms of the local officers and other people.
There are current measures that have been placed over the years to try and address the existing problem that leads to the poor management of the institution with the lousy treatment of mentally ill prisoners. Some of these interventions include federal monitoring, which has inadvertently failed to address the nature of the deep-seated issues present. Los Angeles jail system continues to thrive with the impunities and inhumane treatment of the locals and the prisoners with no plan to regulate its duties and engagements.
The neglect that occurs within and outside the walls of the prison continues to persist together with the inhuman conditions. Various court orders are being violated, diminishing the chances of the prisoners reforming to be better people (Zaitzow & Willis, 2021). The chances of rehabilitating these prisoners have also declined rapidly due to the poor conditions of management that endanger their lives instead of protecting them. Additionally, there is an aspect of an increased ratio of the representation of people of color from the many mentally ill prisoners. These indications continue to portray the bias within the judicial systems, underscoring the fact that there is an urgent need to advocate for a just scenario and equitable prospects in law and order.
The Los Angeles County jails experience several conditions that lead to the poor handling of mentally ill prisoners and the locals. The inadequacies present in the healthcare facilities in these institutions entail a lack of qualified assistance from the staff members entrusted with the rehabilitation process. These conditions pile up to worsen the states and the atmosphere for the recovery of the patients within these prison systems (Appel et al., 2020).
A holistic approach is needed to incorporate healthcare professionals and policymakers in advocating for compassion while correcting the situation. Applying a patient-centered care approach for prisoners will ensure that they receive the best care possible, motivating them to reform. Other concrete measures that need to be installed within these institutions include the prospect of having staff monitoring criteria and continuous forms of training on the specialized treatment that they are supposed to give to vulnerable groups such as older people and pregnant women.
Conclusion
The essay advocates for the presence of compassion incorporated with a holistic approach to the people within these correctional institutions, especially the mentally ill prisoners. Reforming the prisoners with mental health problems in Los Angeles County jails would require more effort to be made regarding the existing policies and the conditions within the region. Factors such as the continued lack of resources represent some of the problems that exacerbate the occurrence of the forms of oppression of both the prisoners and the people outside the walls of the county jails. Hence, a particular urgency is required from the involvement of various stakeholders, including legal authorities, policymakers, and other existing healthcare professionals.
Some ways the situation can be handled entail the presence of reforms that involve improved staff training on managing the people well, specialized modalities in treating the vulnerable, and the use of a patient-centered care approach.
All these forms of policies aim to provide rectification of the existing challenges and prevailing issues that are present within the system. The result will include upholding human dignity and integrity with the rights of the people being considered worthwhile. The people will be treated with utmost decorum irrespective of their mental status or legal affiliations. The findings from this research curate the necessity involving the execution of an immediate action that emphasizes a vision of a just and humane society that prioritizes the well-being of the members.
References
Appel, O., Stephens, D., Shadravan, S. M., Key, J., & Ochoa, K. (2020). Differential incarceration by race-ethnicity and mental health service status in the Los Angeles county jail system. Psychiatric Services, 71(8), 843–846. Web.
O’Connor, M. (2023). In LA jails, mentally ill people are chained to tables and rarely get psychiatric care. The Appeal. Web.
Zaitzow, B. H., & Willis, A. K. (2021). Behind the wall of indifference: Prisoner voices about the realities of prison health care. Laws, 10(1), 11. Web.