Jail Is Not Enough

Occasionally incarceration is simply not enough for many of the inmates that reside in the various jails
and prisons throughout the country. There are quite a few inmates that desperately need to be sent to
mental health facilities or receive extensive in jail therapy compared to incarceration alone.

I write this not for the sake of the inmates but for the countless people who will be affected when these people are once again released. This is due to the fact that these inmates are likely to be released and incarcerated time and time again. While trying to find statistics on the amount of mentally ill inmates, I found some disturbing information on  http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/09/05/us-number-mentally-ill-prisons-quadrupled  a human rights website.The Human Rights Watch site states since six years ago, the number of mentally incarcerated individuals has "nearly quadrupled".

Change needs to happen and happen now. There are too many disturbed and violent individuals that will cause harm to others when simply released without any intervention. In fact, a lot of inmates can cause harm while in jail or prison. I know a young woman whose ex is currently serving time in a local jail. This individual has sent letters and has gotten other inmates to give him their i.d. number so that he can call her. Although she has a no contact order on him that of course does not stop him. This particular individual has been in jail more times than I could possibly list, but the number one reason would be assault. This man uses violence as a way of controlling women, making them too afraid to leave him. He has done this over and over again since the age of 18. This man is now in his mid 30's and it is safe to say the system has failed.

Another instance of this would be the previous mentioned man's brother. This mans brother has also been in jail repeatedly and suffers from severe bi polar disorder and schizophrenia.   This man we will call Bill, recently went off of his medicine and brutally sexually assaulted his spouse and is now in prison. Like his brother, Bill will be eventually released and without intervention this could happen again and perhaps to a completely unsuspecting person who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unlike the Humans Rights Watch group, I am not worried about the inmates but the victims, both past and future. We need to take drastic measure to ensure that people who committed certain crimes are not only punished but reformed in a way that jail alone cannot and will not do. These individuals should not be allowed to enter society again until detailed exams have been performed and these individuals are proved to be trustworthy to the public at large.

I realize my views may seem extreme, but I have seen too many injured whether it be physically or mentally by these types of individuals and I truly believe with all my heart that drastic may be the only way to correct the problem.