the mental prison

The first steps of a released inmate away from prison premises should incite a feeling of utter liberation, but for the 600,000 individuals released from prisons across the United States every year, removing the metal bars does not relieve the mental toll of being detained.

Far too often, the U.S. Department of Justice overlooks the importance of mental health services for the formerly incarcerated.

The lack of post-release mental health care has detrimental effects. According to the Bureau of Justice, released inmates who struggle with mental health are more likely to re-offend than those who do not. This relapse in criminal behavior is called recidivism.

Whenever someone repeats a crime after being released from prison, there is a cost to both the individual and society.

Denying someone the means to successfully reintegrate into society after they have served their time is unjust, and the current lack of mental health services perpetuates this injustice.

It is simply immoral to deny someone the possibility of successful reintegration into society when they have already done their time, but the current lack of mental health services does just that, but the current lack of mental health services does just that.

Furthermore, recidivating offenders account for a large portion of the country’s increasing expenditures on law enforcement, which perpetuates a cycle of imprisonment and spending.

The first step to reducing recidivism is a raised standard of mental health

Gabrielle Shore

care. The U.S. Department of Justice needs to ensure that all released inmates have access to mental health services to promote successful reintegration – a course of action supported by countless studies.

One study published in 2022 in the Journal of Community Psychology found that released inmates who received mental health services were 26% to 38% less likely to recidivate.

Much of the hesitation to take this step is attributed to insufficient funding, but according to the U.S. Prison Policy Initiative, the Justice Department has the funds to detain over two million people at any given moment.

Somehow, the same department cannot seem to provide the necessary mental health supports to ensure that the formerly incarcerated can successfully reintegrate into society without a high risk of recidivism.

It is important to note that some effort has been made to provide mental health services to released inmates. Some states, like California, have coordinated services to prioritize mental health for the formerly incarcerated, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This type of effort gives released inmates a real second chance.

We can all identify an instance when we were given a second chance. A common misconception is that release from prison is, in itself, a second chance, but the reality is more complicated.

A real second chance is one that equips the formerly incarcerated with the necessary resources to successfully reintegrate, and it starts with a raised standard of mental health care.