Mental health courts have been established in many jurisdictions across the United States and internationally. These courts have been developed to address the needs of a special population within the larger criminal justice system. People with mental illness who commit criminal offenses and are incarcerated often face negative outcomes. Mental health courts are attempting to address those outcomes by diverting people with mental illness to special programs that connect them with community centers to address their basic needs as well as their mental illness symptomology. Mental health courts seek to reduce recidivism among this special population through addressing their needs within the community and avoiding incarceration time. By avoiding a repetition of incarceration for a population with a high recidivism rate, courts and corrections systems are able to save time and money.
Solitary confinement is characterized by depriving a person who is incarcerated access to phone calls, family visits, guards, other incarcerated persons, and prison privileges (television time, ability to go outside, and/or religious services). Solitary confinement typically takes place in a small, brightly lit cell with a slot in the door so correctional officers may slide in a meal tray. Correctional personnel argue that solitary confinement helps to protect those incarcerated, corrections officers, and day‐to‐day prison functioning from violent criminals. Human rights activists argue that solitary confinement is a violation of the Eighth Amendment right that protects citizens from cruel and unusual punishment. Activists contend solitary confinement causes undue hardship and mental health issues like psychosis, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Similarly, human rights activists argue that solitary confinement has been used as a tool to segregate jailhouse doctors, lawyers, and civil rights activists, and that it disproportionately affects people of color.
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