On Monday, a local man who has mental health issues was released from custody. District Judge Chris Seldin freed William Hallisey after he had been in custody for more than two years in Pitkin County Jail. Hallisey’s mental health issues have prevented him from being prosecuted while he was in jail.…
The video was very insightful with information that pertained to race. Even though the title of the video included the word diversity I was not expecting it to be based solely on race. I did believe that the way they explained race is very important the conversation between the two women weren’t awkward when they spoke about race, which is known to be a delicate topic. I did like that both of the women…
What stood out to me the most in this documentary were the vast differences between the people we were introduced to. Even though all of them shared the common denominator of crystal meth abuse, their original approach to the drug and reasoning behind their addictions told very unique and heart wrenching stories. I believe that we, as a society, put a certain label on what kind of person you have to be if you are a drug abuser, a set of pre-requisites if you will. A drug user is supposedly a bad person, a low-life, a certain race or color, etc. However, this documentary really shows you how the stressors of life combined with an inability to cope can make even the most good-hearted of people fall victim to addiction, especially in a city overrun by such a cheap and easily accessible drug that is so capable of making you feel numb to…
I learned a lot about nine-eleven from the video that I had not known before. The video that we watched was truly eye opening to the evilness of was happened on nine eleven, and I am thankful that I could watch and learn from it.…
I, amongst other peers of mine, were brought to tears by how the Jews were suffering in the Holocaust. The video, in a nutshell, pointed out, as I said before, the suffering that…
In the book, A place to Stand, by Jimmy Santiago Baca, Baca writes about prison and how being incarcerated can have impact on a person and their family. With the most beautiful, strong and poetic language, Baca tells us the story of all the people who faces difficult times in order to find their place in the world. Baca always felt like he had no place to stand in society because, all of his life he was put down by his family and friends. From the age of five Baca experienced his dad and uncles going in and out of jail from being addicted to alcohol. Baca knew he would eventually end up in jail sooner or later because that’s what he had experienced all of his life. Baca writes, “Whether I was approaching it or seeking escape from it, jail always defined in some way the measure of my life” (3). Baca felt that his life would always head in the wrong direction because of his family issues. Baca shows being in prison can cause a lot of emotional impact on a person’s life, as well as affect the community.…
Should prisoners serving life sentences for first degree murder be eligible for a parole hearing after 15 years? They shouldn’t. Criminals who hold life sentences for murder, rape, and kidnapping should stay in a jail cell. Without even the slightest chance of getting out. To many factors fall into play and the subject can only run deeper and deeper. These convicts were brutal in the outside world, and after taking their first step in a penitentiary it only gets worse. Their mental state crumbles, eventually leaving them hard wired to live in a dangerous environment. Being prosecuted for such terrible crimes, doesn’t happen just once for these people, and American citizens do not want these fist degree murderers set free in their communities.…
Dr King, if you could see us now – with a Black President in the White House and fifty plus years beyond your incarceration – what would you say? Would you praise God and retire to your church as an esteemed elder? Would you give Him thanks for the progress of your country, or would you judge us as you did in 1963? Would you believe we still weep for you 48 years after they killed you (you predicted your violent end, but death is still death even for a Christian)? Would you believe that universities still set your Letter in assignments (like this one) and that presidential candidates can be racist and not put in jail? You know your Letter is pretty good: every line so clear, every argument apposite (good reading for students). We think its brilliance comes from desperation and you having plenty of fee time in jail. Or, perhaps there was a good editor at The Atlantic Monthly.…
Kids who commit serious crimes should not go scot-free. If society doesn't recognize them as adults until the age of 18, why do kids suddenly become responsible as an adult when they commit a crime? Children have as much business in a prison as they do a bar. Yet, twenty-three states have no minimum age. Two, Kansas and Vermont, can try 10 year old kids as adults.…
Mentally ill offenders are a growing population in the prison system and different actions are needed to treat, aid, and skillfully support these people. Today these offenders expenses in medical and special care escalate as well as people being trained to care for these individuals. Furthermore how do these offenders act inside the prisons once incarcerated and what characteristics are these offenders categorized…
A major problem that needs to solved is the stigmatization of mental illness and related treatments for mental illness. This problem needs to be solved faster than ever because the number of people diagnosed with mental illnesses such as depression is growing but the way mental illnesses are portrayed is not changing. We need to work towards bettering this mental health system for future generations because the way it has been functioning is not working.…
Prisons are slowly but surely becoming America’s new Asylums. An estimated 450 million people nationwide suffer from mental or behavioral disorders. These disorders are pretty common within prison populations. This extremely high rate of mental disorders in prison is closely related to several factors: the misconception that all people with mental disorders are a danger to the public, the failure to promote treatment, care, and rehabilitation, and the lack of access to mental health services. Many of these disorders are present before prison however, mental health disorders can also be developed during imprisonment due to human rights violations.…
Criminal justice issues among individuals with mental health and substance use conditions is a growing problem. This paper examines mental health issues as it relates to the criminal justice system and specifically how mental health and the mentally ill can play a role in the crime. Different factors can become a problem with mental health illness and the criminal justice system. Mental health illness can contribute to jail and prison overcrowding, high crime rates, drug addiction, and many other problems. After the wide deinstitutionalization of state hospitals, jails and prisons have seen an increase in the number and percentage of individuals with mental health and substance use. Today, the largest U.S. jails and prisons hold more people…
Jails and prisons lay at the heart of the Criminal Justice System. These facilities helped forge the concept of rehabilitation. These institutions have changed over time and now reflect the modern methods of housing convicted individuals who need to be reformed or punished.…
“Mental disorder is a prison where you are both suffering prison and the cruel jailer.”-Dorothy Rowe…
