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| Andrew Riggle: Inmates deserve better mental health treatment |
| By deseretnews.com- Andrew Riggle |
| Published: 01/22/2015 |
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Ryan Allison, the Utah State Prison (USP) inmate who died late last year after diving headfirst into the floor of his cell, was a Disability Law Center (DLC) client. Prison treatment notes and Mr. Allison’s conversations with us reveal near constant auditory and visual hallucinations. Misbehavior related to his mental illness led to punishment in solitary confinement, which in turn led to further deterioration, further misbehavior and additional time in solitary. From 2011 to 2013, he spent over 586 days in solitary confinement. National estimates reveal that somewhere between a quarter to a half of all jail and prison inmates have a mental health diagnosis. USP administration reports that about 25 clinicians and therapists serve around 2,000 offenders with serious mental illness between the Draper and Gunnison sites. While the prison mental health staff does their best and deserves credit for taking on one of the most difficult jobs imaginable, they are hard-pressed to provide anything beyond “crisis management.” As a first step in addressing the critical shortage, Gov. Gary Herbert’s budget recommends around $1 million to hire about nine additional medical and mental health clinical staff members. At a minimum, the prison mental health system must be funded at the level necessary to fulfill what is both a legal and moral duty. Read More. |
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